You will find lots of useful information on compost, composting and all things grow your own, from hints and tips to step by step how to guides on all sorts of interesting subjects.
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The Compost Shop is one of the largest compost and composting accessories suppliers in the country, supplying organic compost products to the public, trade and to sports pitches and golf courses across the UK.
We supply peat free organic composts to all parts of the UK, delivery of compost and other products is generally available next day!! You can even book a delivery date and time and get quotes emailed to you.
Composts can be used to add organic matter to soils and increase the production of soils through many benefits:
If your lawn is looking a little tired after a poor summer or a wet winter, give it a health kick with an application of top dressing. Our lawns have a hard time over the summer months, with heavy traffic, dry spells, wet spells and lots of cutting. All this activity takes nutrients out of our soils so at the end of the summer it is time to put a little back so that your lawn is alive and kicking next spring.
Mow your lawn quite short before scarifying, this will allow the scarifier to remove the moss and thatch more effectively. We suggest you use a scarifier with solid steel cutting blades rather than one with wire tines.
You can hire good quality scarifiers from most reputable hire shops, or borrow a friends!
After scarifying, mow your lawn again to remove any up rooted stems and roots. You can compost all the up lifted moss and thatch with your garden prunings in a compost bin or bay.
Apply a generous layer of organic top dressing over the lawn at a depth of about 1cm, you can use a rake or brush to help work it into the cuts made by the scarifier.
If you have hollows and dips in your lawn, now is a good time to level them out by simply applying further layers of topdressing to the hollows over a period of time allowing the grass time grow through after each application.
Organic compost makes a fantastic top dressing as it will hold moisture around the roots of the grass, it releases its vital plant nutrients slowly and it will help to break up heavy clay soils, there is no need to add grit or sand to organic compost when using it as a top dressing!
You can buy quality organic lawn top dressing here at the compost shop in quantities from 25 ltrs to 1 cubic metre!
Many lawns will benefit from a scattering of grass seed after top dressing, this will thicken the grass for next year creating a dense healthy green lawn that all your neighbours will envy!
...as good for your plants as it is for the environment!!
Peat free compost is a totally natural and eco-friendly compost which is made from peat alternative products. It has taken many years to find the best peat alternative ingredients, however modern day peat free composts are now out performing tradional peat based compost.
In switching to peat free compost you are not only reducing the destruction of peat beds which have taken many hundreds and thousands of years to form, but in most cases you are also reducing landfill as many peat substitues are in fact recycled products.
One substitue ingredient is PAS100 compost, made from botanical and forestry cuttings, which are first shredded to increase the surface area of the particles to speed up the composting process. The shredded material is then placed in rows where the naturally occurring bacteria begin breaking down the material.
The rows are turned several times during the process to ensure thorough and even decomposition of the material. After 12 weeks of composting and constant monitoring, the material is screened to remove any over sized woody fraction and leave only the fully composted, nutrient rich and natural peat free compost.
Other peat alternatives are; Coir (shredded coconut husk - a bi-product of coconut farming), Woodfibre (made from timber unsiutable for use in construction) and composted bark fines.
Peat Free Multi Purpose Compost - There are many peat free multi purpose and all prurpose composts available, which have been specially formulated for all uses in the garde, from seeding to potting and planting.
Organic matter in soil is essential for soil structure, water holding properties, microbial activity and soil health. Composts can be used to add organic matter to soils and increase the production of soils through many benefits:
All our peat free compost is analysed to the specification set out in the BS-PAS100 protocol. This means the compost has passed tests to ensure its content is safe for purpose. The chemical composition, nutrient content and pH are all tested, if you require a copy of our test results please contact us and we will provide you with a copy.
BS PAS100?
PAS100 is the British standard protocol which sets out guidelines on how peat free compost should be made. All our peat free compost is made in line with the standards set out by PAS100. This means that records are made and maintained with regards to the raw materials, composting monitoring, and the actively managed composting period.
Peat Free Compost can be bought through your local garden centre, but, they often don't stock it for much of the year. With this being the case, we have decided to hold a large of stock online, allowing our customers to purchase the compost all year round!
We supply peat free PAS100 compost across the UK in various quantities from 25 ltr bags to bulk loads. Our online catalogue houses the products.