By Jimmytheone
United Kingdom 
How are the members getting on with the new peat-free composts? I have been using reduced-peat Miracle Grow but found it to contains lots of wood and other rubbish. The compost dries out very quickly so the the subjects that I'm potting-on need watering twice a day. Perhaps I should buy the most expensive compost I can afford or make my own as gardeners used to do.
10 Jul, 2023
Answers
I am also adding my own leaf litter/compost to commercial composts. But I have always done that.
11 Jul, 2023
I've found them very hit & miss, and there is no year to year consistency even with brands.
I have not tried the most expensive ones so perhaps they would be better, but way too dear for my pottering about
11 Jul, 2023
As an experiment, for my own benefit, I filled two identical pots, one with solely peat free compost, the other with one third garden soil, one third home made compost and the final third with the peat free. I planted Sweet Peas and Cosmos in both and can definitely say the plants in just peat free are pathetic compared to the other pot full!
11 Jul, 2023
Just what I thought, Julia. Also, I sieved the Levingtons peat free stuff and found pieces of wood, plastic etc. within it.
11 Jul, 2023
I suppose it all makes up the weight of a bag!!
11 Jul, 2023
It's all I've used for thirty years and I don't have a problem with it. It comes via the milkman; Durstons.
21 Jul, 2023
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I am using Jack's Magic mixed with my own sifted stuff. The commercial stuff is not brilliant, but adequate. No problem with watering.
10 Jul, 2023