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westland compost problem

• Message 1. 

  Posted by giantsungold (U11695963) on Wednesday, 7th March 2012

  regarding staffordshire mag post on saterday 3rd march i had the same problem with mine i bought on saturday from wickes it is not the same texture has before which i have always used, i sent a e-mail to wickes they retuned a e-mail and said someone would ring me from the store i purchased it from , they rang me today and told me to bring it back for a full refund and they will give me three bags of compost free of charge which i will. giantsungold.

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• Message 2

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Wednesday, 7th March 2012

  Result-well done- you must be a happy bunny

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• Message 3

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Wednesday, 7th March 2012

  Query?
  
  Let me get this correct!
  
  You mean Westlands compost sold by Wickes and not Wickes own?
  
  I have found Wickes own compost quite good in the past, in fact I rang them this morning to see if they had started selling compost this year, because the last time I rang they had not taken delivery of this years stock.
  
  To get me off to an early start I tried 3 (60l) bags for a tenner from B&Q and it is not too bad but Wickes is slightly cheaper at 4 (70l) bags for £13.
  
  I'll hold fire till I hear from you ....Tg

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• Message 4

  , in reply to message 2.

  Posted by kate1123 (U14824475) on Wednesday, 7th March 2012

  Good news

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• Message 5

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  Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Wednesday, 7th March 2012

  Tee Gee
  
  Went into the local Wickes the other day as i had heard bad reports -the usual peat based compost is there and at the same price as last year.
  
  The bad reports seem be from the non-peat potting composts
  
  I shall be buying the usual stuff when needed-at 4 for£13

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• Message 6

  , in reply to message 1.

  Posted by StaffordshireMags (U1624415) on Wednesday, 7th March 2012

  I think giantsungold means that the Westland compost had changed - he just happened to buy it from Wickes store. I got my Westland compost from an independant garden centre in Staffordshire. I just happened to buy it there it is the Wesland compost that is different to the previous 3 years although the packaging is the same.
  Well done giantsungold - I only got 1 bag of a different compost in exchange! Maggie

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• Message 7

  , in reply to message 6.

  Posted by giantsungold (U11695963) on Wednesday, 7th March 2012

  yes it was westland compost with john innes added which i have always used i just was not pleased with it i sould know all the times i haveused it wickes did not know if the company westland had changed it. giantsungold.

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• Message 8

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by sproutinbrocoli (U15177804) on Thursday, 8th March 2012

  yes it was westland compost with john innes added which i have always used i just was not pleased with it i sould know all the times i haveused it wickes did not know if the company westland had changed it. giantsungold.  I bought three bags of Westland with added John Innnes for £10.00 at Mole Valley Farmers last year,
  It was rubbish!
  Peat free it may be,but nothing germinated properly and green mould grew quickly on the surface, I ended up mixing it with compost and used it for mulching.
  I suspect that it is made from council collected recycled garden and kitchen waste because I have found Aluminium foil and plastic particles in it.
  Ths year I have gone back to B&Q peat based 74lt.bales £4.oo ea. buy 2 get 1 free 10% off on Wednesday !

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• Message 9

  , in reply to message 7.

  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Thursday, 8th March 2012

  Been down to Wickes this morning and bought 4 bags of their own (£13)
  
  I knew when I lifted the bags that there was something different? i.e. the bags were much flatter than last year, but I chose to put this down to 'compressed packaging' like things were when I bought bales of peat!
  
  When I got them home I opened a bag and the contents are very different to last year.
  
  The packaging details were a bit ambiguous in so far as it said that the bag contained 85% peat extracts, meaning to me that the total was made up of 15% of something else, and it was!!
  
  It was pulverized wood chippings!
  
  OK the chipping were quite fibrous unlike a bag I got from Morrisons last year which had 30% wood chippings with a high percentage of matchstick sized splinters complete with white paint ,in some cases.
  
  Quite dangerous if you like to let compost trickle through you fingers, and also when hand packing compost around a rootball when potting up!
  
  
  
  I think the Wickes stuff will be OK for potting on, but I don't fancy it for seed sowing, so I will possibly go back to B&Q to get some of theirs, which incidently ( according to the bag) contains up to 35% of something other than peat!, and it was also a 'Which' best buy in 2011.
  
  I have the feeling the additional stuff is rotted down garden waste, as it is of a similar texture to that which comes out of my 'dalek' compost bins.
  
  
  
  So as I see it; once again we gardeners have to pay top price for inferior products.
  
  OK Wickes have held their price this year but the contents are different!
  
  So have they held their price?...I rest my case!
  
  My quandry now is; If I need more compost do I get it from Wickes or B&Q?
  
  Guess I will wait on see how both perform then take it from there!
  
  
  
  At least from this thread, we now know about three types of compost on offer this year!, if that is any consolation!
  
  
  
  
  
  

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• Message 10

  , in reply to message 9.

  Posted by thedogcody (U14659366) on Thursday, 8th March 2012

  This is what threw me- the reviews on their own website-good last year poor this year-I really just nipped in to see if it was the same packaging which it was -unless it is last year's left overs-can forsee a ripped pack just to have a peek
  
  

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• Message 11

  , in reply to message 10.

  Posted by Tee Gee (U10012255) on Thursday, 8th March 2012

  The bag is the same as the advert!
  
  Took these pictures of the contents;
  
  Wickes multi-purpose;
  
  
  
  B&Q multi purpose;
  
  
  
  Home made B&Q seed compost;;
  
  
  
  Home made B&Q Potting compost;
  
  
  
  When I was in the greenhouse took these;
  
  Part of hot bed;
  
  
  
  Tomato seedlings;
  
  
  
  So now you have had a 'peek'
  
  
  
  

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• Message 12

  , in reply to message 11.

  Posted by tazman (U11274615) on Thursday, 8th March 2012

  Hi Tee Gee, That just like the 4, 60 litres bag's of J ARTHUR BOWER'S MULITIPURPOSE COMPOST,I got from B&Q. But mine had the old copper wire with black rubber coating plus lots of blue plastic and bits of white laminate, chipboard.Just what his going on.I get THE WHICH?Gardening Mag, and they say its there best buy. Dose any body check the quality, of the compost and its compost.I have tried to email william-sinclair but email address not recognized, I Have taken some pic's of the stuff but i cannot remember to upload it to www.photbucket.com...
  
  
  Good Luck And Happy Gardening.
  
  tazmanalun.

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