A Quick Guide to Compost

While some types of garden soil can be good for growing plants, fruits and vegetables, adding compost can enhance the condition and allow you to achieve far better results. To get the very best from whatever you choose to grow in your garden, it’s crucial to choose the right compost for the job. At AWBS we have a range of composts to suit all uses.

Tips for using compost

• Choose compost that’s designed for the job in hand.
• Check the pH balance of your soil before you plant anything. You may need to add a soil improver to help.
• Pot existing and new plants in fresh compost each year to minimise pests and diseases. This will also provide your plants with new nutrients.
• Autumn is the best time to plant permanent bed and border plants, to give the roots time to establish before the cold weather sets in.
• Make sure your container has good drainage holes and add a drainage layer of stones or gravel.
• Make sure you seal the bag of any leftover compost to keep it moist and store it somewhere dry. You should also use it within a year otherwise the nutrients will lose performance.

Types of compost

At AWBS we supply peat-free compost and multi-purpose compost, offering high-quality solutions for all your planting needs.

Our 10mm peat-free compost is a great all-round green waste compost, ideal for any planting scheme. This is a free-flowing compost, which offers excellent growth support for a wide range of plants, seeds, fruits and vegetables. Analysed to British Standards PAS 100, this quality compost is free from contaminates and sold in Jumbo Bulk Bags containing approximately 0.6m3.

We also supply high-quality general-purpose compost from Melcourt. This multi-purpose compost is manufactured from top-quality green compost and conifer bark, containing balanced, slow-release fertilisers. This is the perfect compost for improving the quality of your soil to assist fast rooting, establish growth and allow your plants to thrive. Made up of 70% organic compost, 20% bark fines and 10% coarse sand, this compost is 100% peat-free and has an additional organic fertiliser. The Melcourt multi-purpose compost is available in 50 litre bags.

For more advice on using compost in your garden or to find out about the AWBS range of compost and soil improvers, please contact us or visit your local AWBS branch at Oxford, Yarnton or Swindon.