Compost

I live in a country where John Innes composts dont exist only whats produced here the trouble is its black stains my hands has no smell at all and just doesnt feel right.  Does anyone know why its like this and is there anything I can do to improve it enough to make it useable.

Do you have a recycling centre near where you live, they sell compost that they have made......I have used it in the past and its very good. Much cheaper than buying it from a garden centre and you can get it delivered in bulk....Would be worth looking in to maybe. Have you thought about making your own?

galest lives in Hungary

A lot of the composts here in France make your hands black and don't smell, (don't think compost is meant to smell?) but they seem to work OK. I add 6 month slow fertilier granules to it in the large pots for summer bedding, even though some says it has fertiliser because often it only has a temporary effect. We don't have John Innes here either. A lot of French compost has peat in it, but just recently there is more peat free for sale than there used to be.

No such thing as recycling here certainly not garden wise, and I dont think anything wise. In Autumn people burn leaves and the rest of the year all garden rubbish is burned too. Ive no idea what the compost is as all the writing is in Hungarian but to me it seems dead abit like the cheap stuff you can puy at UK petrol stations. Its heavy hard and crumbly, theres no sign of any fertilizer or perlite in it and no sign of any peat or peat substitute either. Now the garden is almost finished id like to start my hanging baskets and tubs but until I can find something that doesnt turn hard in summer its a waste of time and money so I was wondering if I added some peat (Its here in abundance) perlite (havent seen it yet) and slow release ferilizer it might help it, as it certainly cant do it any harm. When I say smell Busy-Lizzie I mean that lovely earthy smell you get in some composts.