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Post by seaburn on Apr 29, 2022 8:46:57 GMT
I have been using Levingtons JI compost for years and have mixed it with my own homemade compost to use in pots. I have often found weed seeds and just assumed it is from my compost. However yesterday when I went to open a new bag of JI that I bought last month I saw these seedlings.  Now I always thought that commercial compost was heat treated to kill seeds, but clearly not. The GC I bought it from were not interested and offered me some weedkiller, made by the same company. Is this a cynical ploy to get us to buy their other products? I have emailed Evergreen and sent them a photo to see what if anything they say about it. But now I wonder about all the sun-spurge, bistort and other weeds that have been growing in my pots over the years. Not my poor 'husbandry' but seedy compost. |
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Post by grindle on Apr 30, 2022 3:22:09 GMT
does make you think, doesn't it, never seen that before and not impressed with the GC reaction  |
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Post by SueA on Apr 30, 2022 7:21:17 GMT
I've never seen that before either, it is really strange isn't it, it could be though that the seeds have landed on the bags from outside from somewhere they've been stored & have landed where the air holes are on the bag & rooted down through them?
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Post by Cherry on Apr 30, 2022 9:13:08 GMT
Wait for the reply with interest seaburn. |
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Post by seaburn on Apr 30, 2022 10:32:28 GMT
I've never seen that before either, it is really strange isn't it, it could be though that the seeds have landed on the bags from outside from somewhere they've been stored & have landed where the air holes are on the bag & rooted down through them? No sadly when I opened a bag there are seedlings germinating in lots of places in the bag. No response as yet, just the automated reply saying they will respond soon. I will let you know when/if I get a response. I am not holding my breath though.
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Post by balc2 on Apr 30, 2022 20:14:51 GMT
It's something I've never seen before either! What's the good of buying in compost when it is full of weed seeds! The GC really should have offered replacement bags or a refund while promising to get in touch with the company responsible for bagging it up.
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Post by Eli on May 1, 2022 6:15:15 GMT
I've bought Levingtons compost for years but the last few years I have found it to be full of weed seeds and also hard lumps and even bits of plastic, and a lot of moss/green algae grow on it too. Last year I vowed never to buy it again and this year I've been buying Bathgate multipurpose compost as recommended by the owner of a local garden centre here. Other people I spoke to (customers) while I was in the garden centre all said how good they found it.
It is lovely compost, has a nice feel to it, but since I've only just started using it I am waiting to see if it has weeds.
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Post by SueA on May 1, 2022 8:06:01 GMT
Hope you do get a response seaburn, it would be interesting to see what they say! I've been using Melcourt Sylvagrow Organic compost with added John Innes recently, I used it last year for potting up bulbs, baskets etc, for autumn/winter/early spring & this year for potting up seedlings & have got through 3 bags of it & it seems fine, does get the odd tiny fungi growing in it but no weeds that I've noticed. I ran out of it the other day & had to pop to B&Q & got a bag of their own brand Verve peat free which looks quite good quality so far when I've used it for potting up. |
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Post by seaburn on May 1, 2022 8:40:10 GMT
thanks for the support and suggesting alternative composts for me to try.
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Post by grindle on May 3, 2022 4:01:07 GMT
I'm still unsure of peatfree so many different views on it, I'm waiting for a really good recommendation, meanwhile I'm using Jacks Magic which I've been pleased with so far
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Post by seaburn on May 4, 2022 7:05:05 GMT
well they have replied.
"Thank you for your email, we are very sorry that you are disappointed with your product,
however I would like to reassure you that our products are produced from high quality raw materials. When peat or other raw materials are harvested, the material is generally free of contaminants, however occasionally weed seeds carried by the wind can contaminate the raw materials during the compost production process. Risk of natural materials.
Weeds can usually be easily treated and removed and there should be no further growth once this has been carried out."
so I was cynically correct 'Weeds can usually be easily treated'.
I wont be buying their compost again as it is not a one off and the weed that is growing is not wind dispersed.
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Post by grindle on May 5, 2022 2:16:40 GMT
they'll say anything to try and get out of it |
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Post by SueA on May 5, 2022 8:04:10 GMT
Not very convincing that explanation is it!
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Post by Eli on May 5, 2022 13:02:36 GMT
I have found weed seeds in every bag of their compost for years, and also stones and bits of plastic. It sounds as if they're making excuses. I decided last year never to buy their compost again. It's a shame because it used to be very good.
Another compost I have found good is Vitax Q4. It was recommended to me by the owner of a local garden centre many years ago (now covered in houses  ) and today when I went to get some more Bathgate compost the particular garden centre I was at didn't stock it, but they had Vitax Q4 so I bought that.
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Post by chrism on May 5, 2022 18:37:54 GMT
This is very topical as last year, we tried peat-free, and it was like planting into sawdust. I totally support the drive to peat-free, but wonder what the viable alternatives are.
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) and today when I went to get some more Bathgate compost the particular garden centre I was at didn't stock it, but they had Vitax Q4 so I bought that
