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John Innes Compost

We often get questions about John Innes composts - today's Gardener's Question Time visited the John Innes Centre near Norwich and many FAQs were answered. 

If you didn't hear it you can listen again here http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qp2f

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Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





Posts

  • Nor me image  It'd get in the mince pies at this time of year image


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • davids10davids10 Posts: 894

    we have a soil guru over here who is so dogmatic and annoying that as my friend Mara said the other day- we can't shoot the messenger so we'll shoot the message-to hell with his soil.image

  • TootlesTootles Posts: 1,469

    Does John Innes compost really make a big difference in people's experience? I tend to look at the price, and go for a cheaper option like Arthur j bowers or murphys.

  • JI composts are (should be) made up to a fixed formula, and are soil based. Most of the others are peat or peat substitute based. Use whichever you are comfortable with. I rarely use any of them without altering them, by adding grit or sand or Perlite etc. or mixing a JI with a peat based. I remember many years ago getting some JI compost for my father who was shocked to find lots of grit in it. He sieved all out before using it. image

  • Tootles wrote (see)

    Does John Innes compost really make a big difference in people's experience? I tend to look at the price, and go for a cheaper option like Arthur j bowers or murphys.

    For tomatoes etc and annual bedding in containers I find a good MPC is fine.  

    For potting anything else I use loam based JI composts - sometimes I add extra grit for things like bay, rosemary, figs etc and other plants that need really free-draining soil.  I use JI No 2 for growing on perennials etc and No 3 for shrubs, fruit trees etc that will be in the containers long term.

     


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





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