Posted: 04/05/2012 at 13:30
I agree with all the posts and this is a very serious issue. I've tried various local "peat free" composts from a variety of nurseries and garden centres and none of them have performed well. I experienced nearly all of the above problems; seedlings not growing, roots rotting, nasty green slime etc. forming after 2-3 days of sowing seeds/potting up, one batch of compost dried to the consistency of a concrete brick after just 2 days! And it had been well watered!!!
If you're growing fruit and vegetables this is also a health issue - although by the sounds of it no one has had much luck getting their plants to the stage where they can actually harvest the crops.
I reckon this needs to be investigated much further, and it'll take more than tipped out compost on the floors of the DIY sheds, although that's a good start!
Here's an article from the States, and I have this feeling that something similar is going on over here with our compost:
http://www.spokesman.com/stories/2012/mar/08/city-settles-compost-suit-with-dow/
Hello Gardener's World, anybody listening to our cries for help here?
One very frustrated gardener.
