This topic contains 16 replies, has 12 voices, and was last updated by Amanda 5 years, 10 months ago.
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Hi
I have had no problems with a bulk bag of “veggie gold” from Compost Direct, have used it in the garden and on the allotment as a top to my own compost to make new beds – delivery service was very good
Have recently come across Quickcrop.co.uk which has some interesting composts and manure and delivery seems very cheap (one fixed price)I’ve used the Levington product to grow tomatoes in pots, it worked well. Not used it in bulk.
You might like to look at http://www.cpa-horticulture.co.uk – they have quite a range. Again I have no experience using them, but they do deliver nationally and will do bulk loose deliveries if desired…..
For information, I contacted cpa horticulture during my search for manure. They seem to operate at least in part, as a middle man. I asked if I could obtain sample bags for trials and they put me in touch with a farm in my area who bag the manure into a retail product as well as supply it in bulk. I purchased 8 bags for trials. I setup a trial and all of the plants were dead after 30 days which I can only attribute to herbicide having been present in the manure.
What you must bear in mind is that all of these companies supplying bulk manure collect it from many different sources, and they will most likely have no control or knowledge as to whether the grazing fields have been treated with herbicides. They will be collecting it as a waste product as a means of disposal for the farms.
I had the same problem a lot of the online suppliers didn’t know if there manure was organic or were it came from as they resell on from large producers luckily for me a was close to a company I found online Mr Watmore’s I spoke to a gentlemen on the phone which he assured me they have a full traceable record of were there manure comes from which they source from local farms he offered me to come to there processing facilities in Cheshire, which I later did and after my visit I placed my order there and then.
They had a very impressive busy setup with mounds of soils, compost , Manures and sands were it is all Grady with large machines and then later bagged with a fully robotic bagging system bagging lots of different soil, manure and compost blends.
I have had 2 orders off them now and both occasions have been great:
Hi All,
I would strongly recommend sourcing Horse Manure from racing stables if you can. I know that’s not always possible/practical for everyone but if you can get it and, get it for free, it might be worthwhile to pay someone to transport it for you.
They have to be very careful about what they treat their pasture with (if at all) and what they feed the horses. Here at least they give it away happily for free.Don.
Do not ever buy anything from MrWatmore.
Their quantities are a rip off. I ordered 2000lt and got less than 1000lt. I have been chasing for well over a month for a promised £60 refund. I would get excuses like, the person is not in, they have been off having a baby, I will do it straight away, I will do it tomorrow etc. I must have emailed 6 or more times and phoned at least 10 times.
It took about 6 weeks in the end and finally they paidMany of their emails dont work. Their live chat does not work. I am not sure if they are a total scam, but certainly not good to deal with. I dont know if their product is any good, but I did find a 100mm length of glass in the mix!
Their 40lt bags are a fraction the size of others see image. Both these bags are labelled 40lt – I know which I would have again!!A word of caution to everyone about bought-in materials: many are based on, or augmented by, composted green waste. Unfortunately I believe some people are none too fussy about what they throw in the council green skips (diseased plants/weedkilled material/assorted foul rubbish). I had a 20 tonne load from an outfit called ‘Green-tech’ (big garden here). As it was tipped it looked lovely, dark and crumbly. Only long after the lorry had disappeared and we were barrowing and spreading did we discover that it contained a lot (a LOT) of wire clippings, bits of plastic, shards of glass etc. Too late to try and get it taken away – we pressed ahead. NEVER do this. Everywhere we used it, plants died, or failed to thrive, or grew mutant shapes (like weedkiller damage), or came down with dreadful fungal diseases. That was nearly five years ago. I have struggled to overcome the damage done by this delivery, and at last, regular applications of seaweed tonic, local horse manure, my own garden compost, volcanic mineral dust etc are starting to turn the situation around. It has been very expensive as well as upsetting. Companies always claim compliance with the relevant British Standard (ours was 3882) but how often are these claims checked? They also say that the heat from commercial composting destroys pathogens. Our garden was lovely and healthy before we applied this dreadful stuff so I am doubtful whether this is always actually true. I bought from Green-tech because the price was competitive and the specification reassuring. But I think they are mainly an online clearing-house-retailer-delivery agent for a large number of sources and as such it must be extremely difficult to control what actually is in the deliveries. You have been warned!
Hi Dobbin, that is every gardeners worst nightmare. I’m glad to hear you have managed to turn the situation around and fair play to you for sticking to it.
I personally only use my own garden compost and horse manure from a local racing stable(makes the plants grow faster!!).
I would advise anyone to devote as much space as is practicable to the production of your own compost in order to minimise what needs to be bought in. And when buying manure go directly to the source to see whats actually used and how its being stored etc.Don.
How should bags of horse manure be stored in the black plastic bags they come in or empty it out into a pile?
Oh Dobbin that is a nightmare for sure, you were unlucky and it’s a cautionary tale for us.
For anyone reading this, ask for green waste of 10mm or max 15mm sieve, to reduce plastic waste.
Check Melcourt.co.uk for reliable compost and wood products (in case you wonder I am not on a commission! nor to anybody else). I respect the integrity of Melcourt.Dobbin said “…wire clippings, bits of plastic, shards of glass etc…”
Sounds like the bag of Levington Multipurpose compost I bought from a garden centre. Never again.Hi Colin,
I haven’t given storage much thought. I get my horse manure delivered by trailer and put it into a homemade compost bin of approx. 1.5cu. mtr. The manure I get is around 1.5/2 yrs old and I store it for around 6 months in the bin covered from the elements. I get it in March and start spreading it as required from September onwards.
Don.
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