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Sylvagrow John Innes No. 3 peat free

YnneadYnnead Posts: 249
in Problem solving
Hi been looking for No. 3 peat free alternatives and found this.
Only thing is can only find it in 15l. I know total works out at 45l but does anyone know if you can get in in larger quantities like? Web search hasnt come up with anything,

London
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Posts

  • LynLyn Posts: 23,080
    They’re having a laugh aren’t they £27.00 for 45lts.
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,353
    At least Dick Turpin wore a mask.... :D
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,135
    Wow! - earlier this year I bought 3 x 50L bags of compost with John Innes 3 for £12.
    Not peat free though.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391
    edited August 2021
    Make your own?  Buy a bag of any peat-free compost which you like, then mix it with bagged topsoil, sand/grit and add a slow release fertiliser, such as fish, blood and bone.
    The mix is roughly 2 parts loam (topsoil), 1 part peat substitute and 1 part sharp sand or horticultural grit.  The advantage of making your own is that you can easily vary it for particular plants, and it's really not rocket science! :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,080
    They’re cashing in on this peat free lark,  guilt tripping it’s called.
    Dick Turpin,  I love that 😀😀
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • Desi_in_LondonDesi_in_London Posts: 711
    edited August 2021
    @BobTheGardener please can I ask - the mix ratio you relate above for make-you-own .. those ratios are by volume? ( ie vs mass/weight i mean?) 2 buckets loam / i bucket eg coir / 1 bucket grit (or presumably perlite if weight is an issue?)

    edit to add for OP the ready-mix you are looking for ( inclusive of delivery charges ) seems to be available in 50litre sizes from a couple of other suppliers ( including the usual online store) for £16-18. still expensive , but a lot cheaper than the £27 quoted above.
    Kindness is always the right choice.
  • BobTheGardenerBobTheGardener Posts: 11,391
    @Desi_in_London It's by volume, so easy to work out.  If making a lot, I use buckets, otherwise I use a suitably sized pot as a scoop/measure. :)
    A trowel in the hand is worth a thousand lost under a bush.
  • amancalledgeorgeamancalledgeorge Posts: 2,544
    Amazing pricing by Crocus...I think I saw some Sylvagrow JI3 50lt for £7.99 at one of the Tate's garden centres in East Sussex. Such exploitative pricing, there should be more protection for buyers that don't know any better that's just appalling. 
    To Plant a Garden is to Believe in Tomorrow
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,353
    I'm never sure why anyone uses Crocus, unless it's for something you can't get anywhere else, or they have a sale. It's a retail outlet, so it's always going to be dearer than a nursery for plants, and for many other things, it's dearer than a G. Centre. It's convenient to order online, and they use that to their advantage - especially over the last 18 months.

    The problem is - many people simply don't have room for lots of bags of this and that, or the knowledge and time to do it. There's always going to be an element of variation in a natural product, but if these peat free products are so cr*p, they shouldn't be selling them at all.  I agree totally with @Lyn - guilt tripping folk too. 
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • JennyJJennyJ Posts: 10,115
    Buying compost online is always going to be more expensive than buying it in person because there's going to be extra priced in for the delivery. It's bulky and heavy - the standard delivery charge probably isn't going to come close to covering it.
    Doncaster, South Yorkshire. Soil type: sandy, well-drained
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