Multipurpose compost

[fatsatsuma]

Sorry to post about such a mundane topic, but I'm not sure who else to ask! Bought three sacks of peat free compost from my local garden centre. Have been using it to fill trays and small pots for pricking out seedlings, and am constantly having to remove material that hasn't rotted down - woody lumps, smal twigs/sticks and even bits of non-organic material. I've also noticed that it dries out very quickly - I didn't think I should be watering dahlia tubers before they've sprouted, but the compost I've potted them up in was bone dry within a couple of days. I thought I was buying good quality compost but this feels worse than stuff I've used in the past. Or are my expectations wrong? Is this normal?

not as biodegradable as the packaging claimed
Some 'biodegradable' matter does not break down in the compost bin.

A lot of 'biodegradeable' plastic only breaks down if hot composted so no good for cold composting at home. OK to put in the council garden waste bins though.

I was not impressed with the compost DH got from the supermarket, our homemade stuff was much better, even with the eggshells not broken down. But we don't make enough compost in a single dalek and I don't have the space for 3 of them to be hidden.

I have taken out plastic, metal screws/nails and big chunks of wood from a well known brand, had to resort to very expensive seed compost etc whereas normally would not use it.

Even Melcourt? I've found rubbish in every brand except Melcourt - been using it for several years & never found anything.

We’ve got slow worms breeding in my three Daleks again, there’s also a grass snake and her young in one 🙄
It will be late autumn before I can do anything with my bins!

I have not tried Melcourt so thanks for the recommendation.

i do have 2 Dalek type composters but it is not enough for what we need.

@Timeforachocolate its the only one worth bothering with in my experience. They have a great range & its consistently good.

Went to a garden centre this morning that was listed as a stockist for Melcourt and bought a couple of bags. OMG! I've personally apologised to all my plants that I've planted previously in the supermarket stuff.

Good stuff, innit?🙂

I had no idea how rubbish the other brands were. They've been totally spoiled for me. I got the one with a soupçonne of John Innes. Honestly, they should have sat me at a table, brought the bag over so I could check the label then poured a drop into a glass so I could sniff it!

We found the same last year! Swapped to peat-free compost to save the planet and it dries out so quickly, you have to water it twice as much 😬🙄🥲