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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!