Welcome to the Garden Guru!

Storing compost through the winter is a great idea so that you can have perfect compost ready to use as soon as the end of winter approaches. This means that you can begin planting seed right at the start of growing season and gain a distinct advantage out in the garden.

Buying compost now and storing it means that you can reap the benefits of wonderful crumbly compost when the sunshine arrives and you are looking to begin planting. This is rather than having to deal with frozen, clumpy compost which will not contribute to good harvesting.

Right now at Compost Shop we have some excellent deals on compost and you can purchase our highest quality compost at a fantastic low rate. We recommend doing this before spring arrives to beat the rush and secure everything you need to grow well before the demand for Compost rises. If you buy compost now you can use a potion to mix into your heap now and save the majority anticipation for the better weather post winter.

Buying compost in bags rather than harvesting your own means that you can purchase the best quality compost and be confident that it will be sufficiently protected from rain and snow. This gives a much superior quality compost that you will notice the benefit of when you are rewarded with a fantastic harvest.

The scientific reason for why it is important to store compost well is because in the right conditions microbial communities shift which causes the compost to cure properly, this facilitates for far better growth of plants, fruits and vegetables when you come round to using the compost. Soil needs fungi and bacteria in order to be as effective as possible. Buying compost in bags and storing it well means that in creates the perfect habitat for microbes to transform compost to make it wonderfully spongy loose humus.

If you poke a few small holes in the compost bag it will allow a limited amount of fresh air in which will encourage microbes to create the spongy compost that you desire without freezing it or drying it out.

At present you can enjoy fantastic discounts on some of our most popular composts. Our mushroom compost is reduced to under £100 and our best selling multi-purpose compost is also on offer currently. John Innes number one, two and three varieties are all also in stock and available to purchase.

Make Sure You Feed the Birds in January!

January is a tough month for birds to get food so it is essential that you keep feeding birds food and water. You can expect to see many birds coming to eat from your garden regularly. In return they will help to keep your lawn lush by controlling slugs, snails and greenflies, limiting the damage that these garden pests can do.

Winter is a great time of year for working soil.

January is an ideal time to work soil because the weather is cold. The benefit to doing this at lower temperatures is that soil will not stick to your tools as it would do in summer. As such you can prepare the soil in anticipation for the better weather to give yourself an advantage. Wait until a few days after rainfall and this will be the perfect time to turn over the soil and break up the more compact and lumpy soil. This will help to remove weeds and bring air to the soil making growing in the spring and summer months easier.

Start to dig in manure now.

While you are digging out the soil you can also dig in some mature manure. Look to spread this evenly over the surface. Aim to dig to a depth of between 20-30cm. Leaf piles and compost heaps can be raked and spread over vacant beds. Look to use well rotted composted horse manure or regular organic garden compost.

Start sowing seeds indoors.

Outdoor work can often be difficult over winter so look to start sowing early seeds inside in a controlled temperate environment. You can use a heated greenhouse or propagator to sow and plant seeds such as Begonia, Lobelia and Salvia.

Plan ahead for the year.

If you need motivation to get out in the garden why not order your spring and summer flower bulbs, seeds and other essentials now. The start of the year is a great time to buy these as they will often be available at a reduced price. Having all the necessary equipment such as string, stakes and canes and your bulbs, seeds, compost and fertilisers all ordered and ready gives you no excuse not to get out in the garden this year!

If you’re using a real Christmas tree this year you will be pleased to know that those pesky needles that would otherwise go on the floor to be hoovered up, can in fact be put to great use.

You can add a real Christmas tree to your compost heap so get saving any needles that you can and be sure to compost your Christmas tree once the festive season has passed.

The pine needles will take a long time to decompose so don’t expect instant results but if you compost your Christmas tree each year it’s a sure-fire way of ensuring high quality compost for the long term. There’s another reason to opt for a real tree instead of a false one!

Pine needles are slightly rubbery in feel and notoriously tough in order to last harsh winter conditions. For this reason they can take a long time to break down and the trunk of tree can take even longer. To help move the process along quicker it is a good idea to cut up the tree or to shred it if possible before composting.

It can be used as a positive that Christmas trees take a long time to rot. The needles can be used to cover muddy areas of lawn; the branches and trunk can be used as a natural wildlife habitat that encourages flower growth.
Putting fallen and dried out needles into your compost heap will not influence the pH level of the soil. It is a common misconception that pine needles are not good for composting. Pine needles are acidic whilst they are on the tree but by the time they are ready to be composted they are no longer acidic to any considerable level.

If you want a real tree but want to dispose of it after use, in most areas your local council will happily take away your real Christmas trees after you have finished with it. Real Christmas trees are classed as green waste. Many local authorities have green schemes or local environmental projects and will be glad to take real Christmas trees off your hands. Each local council will be different so you should check this first.

The team at The Compost Shop would like to wish season’s greetings to one and all. We hope that you have a great festive season and that the presents you want lie in wait under the tree (real or fake) on Christmas morning!

Merry Christmas!

Gardening, whilst being one of the safest hobbies there is, also carries it's fair share of risks. 

Recently there has been items in the news about concern over bacteria that can cause Legionnaire's disease being found in bags of organic compost, so is this something that you should be worried about?

There are two types of Legionnaire's disease that gardeners may be exposed to: Legionella longbeachae which occurs in soil and the more common Legionella pneumonophilia which causes respiratory problems widely known as Legionnaire's disease. This latter type is common in stagnant water that is between 20 and 45 degree centigrade, which allows the bacteria to multiply to dangerous levels. 

The recent scare in the case of L. longbeachae comes after many manufacturers have switched from using peat-based mixtures to wood-based ones that use materials such as sawdust. This is the same way that compost is cerated in Australia and New Zealand although compost bags over there come with warning labels advising gardeners to take precautionary measures. 

Whilst uncommon, L.longbeachae is most likely to affect those with a supressed immune system or the elderly. It is contracted when dust contaning the organism is inhaled and early symptoms include fever, chills, headaches, muscle pain and shortness of breath. 

In the UK you are not at a high risk of contracting Legionnaire's disease, however if you are concerned there are steps you can take to ensure that you stay as safe as possible when handling compost:

• When you buy compost, check the contents to find out if it is made with peat-based mixture or wood-based mixture. 
• Open bags of compost away from your face, which will prevent you from inhaling any potential organisms when you break the seal. 
• Avoid storing peat free compost in a greenhouse or place where it is warm as this will encourage the bacteria to increase in number.
• When handling dry compost, such as turning over your patch or trying to revitalise your heap, dampen the surface first and keep adding a little water to dry areas. This will prevent the dust from being propelle airborne where you may be at risk of inhaling it. 
• If you are really concerned about the risks, then wear protective gloves and a dust mask when handling compost.

See our selection of compost online to find out about the different styles and ranges as well as the advnatages of each for your garden.