Levingtons peat free compost. Fungus gnats, mushrooms...

[SmokyForTheWin]

and not much in the way of nutrients. At first I thought I had left the bag open, hence the fungus gnats, but I've got a second bag and it's even worse. My house is infested with the flies, there's mushrooms popping up in the pots and my poor tomato seedlings have turned yellow.
Have I just got an unlucky batch?
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I’ve had some pretty rubbish stuff in the past, can’t remember what brand it was but it was black and red packaging and it was like the contents of my hoover bag.

Melcourt Sylvagrow is the best I’ve come across.

I think I've used lots of it and been fine (I buy whatever I can get for 3 for £12 as we need a LOT) but this last batch has been full of bits of plastic. Not happy!

I've had it several times and it's been fine. Obviously if it's got plastic in it something has gone wrong during packing and it's their fault, but with the other issues, I wonder if it's not been stored properly/been kept too long wherever you bought it from?

How should it be stored, how long kept once purchased please. I didn't know that there were ideal conditions

The mushrooms are nothing to worry about, just pick them off, but the fungus gnats are a pain (mostly because DH obsessed with with them and finds them disgusting)

Make sure you have got the watering balance right, as some composts can be dry at the surface but sopping wet underneath. If it isn't that (or anything else eg cold) you could try a weak feed.

Some of the composts being sold lately are shocking! So many of them are made of municipal waste and turned around with in a quick time, it’s just not long enough. I’ve had bags with screws in, small bits of black bin liner and even found a piece of plastic which you could clearly see the haribo branding on. It’s shocking. Even stores like Homebase are own brand bags providing absolute crap- the last ones I got from there we completely full of fibrous material with no structure at all. Literally a bag of fluffy dust.
TBH, I think the best easy ti source ones out there (which are more expensive and still contain a little peat) are jacks magic and miracle grow all purpose.

We have had a couple of bad bags of peat free compost, can't remember the brand but the the problem is you don't know until you use it. There was an article on last weeks Gardeners World on peat free compost and how to use it, fungus etc. which was quite interesting

I recognise the comments about the homebase compost - I bought 3 bags and it's fibrous fluffy stuff and hard to get to make contact with seeds and roots.

I'm up early to make a dash to the local nursery for my tried and tested compost - it maybe more expensive but over the last 10 years I've used it it hasn't changed. I'll post it's name here if I remember when I get back

I had really bad luck with some B&Q compost last year, all my seedlings died. It was awful stuff. Someone then told me that a lot of the composts are made from green municipal waste, people's garden mowings etc. So are often contaminated with pesticides, the plastic bits in it are from pots and bags that people throw in with their garden waste.

Years and years ago I used to get a peat free, coir fibre compost which was brilliant, I haven't seen it for years.

You shouldn't let compost get too warm, and you should use it within six months, ideally sooner.

Gardeners World suggested mixing it in with bark and soil improver to get structure. Also adding grit or Pearlite.
All a bit of a faff, but when the ban comes into force manufacturers might make a better product.