Own made John Innes No3

peteS

As I recently found out, being able to buy bagged JI compost in it's original formulation is getting increasingly difficult, so I was wondering if anyone actually makes their own using the traditional formula and ratios, and what are the results. Cheers.

JennyJ

I sometimes mix some bagged topsoil into multipurpose compost to give it a bit more body, and it seems to work well, but I don't measure it. I might add some BFB or slow-release fertiliser granules depending on what I'm planting, but I'm not at all scientific about it.

philippasmith2

A lot of the JI these days is very poor - been going downhill for a number of years IME.

I often do similar to @JennyJ but I'm not particularly scientific about it either.  It rarely turns out worse than the stuff on sale nowadays 

Bilje

yup Im a topsoil mixed with multipurpose compost person too. I may add a bit of feed to it. I did buy JI2 earlier this year, it appeared to be half sand!I wasn’t at all impressed especially when it cost more than a bag of topsoil.

BobTheGardener

Yep, unscientific mixing here too.  Some things get a mix including MPC & garden soil, others get MPC and bagged topsoil.  Lots get bagged-manure added.   I also have a huge bag of cheap perlite, some of which gets chucked-in if it feels a bit on the heavy side.  TBH, I've been mixing various MPCs and other mediums for years, mainly as the same stuff from the same supplier delivered just a few weeks later often isn't actually the same stuff at all.