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Bulb compost for pots

borgadrborgadr Posts: 683
in Tools and techniques
Last year I used compost labelled as being for spring bulbs in all my spring bulb pots (I cut it with some MPC and added a little grit). This weekend I went to Dobbies  to buy some more and was shocked by the price of their bulb-planting compost - £5.99 for a 20 litre bag!!!  Same as they charge for a 50 litre bag of their MPC. I walked away, thinking I might as well make my own mix with gritty compost.

Does anyone know why it's so expensive and whether it's worth spending on? Or are they cashing in on unwitting consumers who only buy this stuff once a year and don't know any better?

Posts

  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 14,381
    I have never used it.
    A mix of MPC and grit is fine.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,029
    I've never used it either. Depending on the bulb type, I just use anything from MPC or soil, with grit if needed.
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • celcius_kkwcelcius_kkw Posts: 752
    Most spring bulbs do not need much nutrients from the compost to flower as they would have already stored up what they need from the season before.. I actually just recycle old compost with a bit of added feed like vitax q4 for good measure. 

    I cannot see any justification to spend 6 quid on 20 litre compost.. that’s daylight robbery in a nutshell..! 
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 54,029
    Yes - some spent compost from pots of annuals or similar is fine, as is homemade compost. As you say @celcius_kkw, if the bulbs have been grown well, the nutrients are already there.
    It's then just a case of making sure the drainage suits the bulb  :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • DovefromaboveDovefromabove Posts: 86,175
    edited August 2022
    I’ve only ever used bulb compost for indoor bulbs … I think I  was told waaaay back that it was sterile and would be less likely to harbour  fungus gnats, fungal spores etc. 

    Outdoors pots of bulbs get MPC and grit if they’re lucky … they have been known to get the contents of the potato bags … they did just as well with that as with anything else. 


    Gardening in Central Norfolk on improved gritty moraine over chalk ... free-draining.





  • LynLyn Posts: 22,889
    Last year mine got my home made compost,  very good show of daffs,  I won’t be using bought compost again. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

  • bcpathomebcpathome Posts: 1,256
    If they grow in garden soil why on earth would you buy special soil for bulbs ( unless you only grow for indoor displays) complete waste of money .
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