I'm sooo glad someone with an audience has taken it up to call out these compost companies. I bought about 5 bags of Levington Essentials, and every handful had about 50 paint chips, plastics, glass shards, stones and a massive amount of unbroken down twigs. I complained to the manufacturer and just got given the runaround by a disinterested customer service person. They changed packaging from a sandy coloured bag to hot pink sometime this year, and that seems to be when the proportion of unbroken bits jumped up significantly, though the contamination issue was always there.
Reading your comment regarding paint chips,plastics etc…….we bought some layers pellets for our chickens,on close inspection we saw many coloured bits of plastic and shredded foil,after confronting the feed company I was told that this is very legal for it to be added to animal feed,this is discusting and should never be allowed both for the animals and then into our food chain,can’t feed your chickens table scraps,but it’s ok to feed them plastic,
@@275simon That's even worse than I thought..! Animal feed!? Since this video I found out about persistent pesticides that survive the stomach of horses that graze from fields sprayed earlier in the season, and it's legal for companies to bag their manure and explicitly label them 'organic' and sell them to you. If this is the case, I think there's hardly going to be any meaningful regulation or enforcement on gardening/farming products.
Thank you for replying and doing your research,we need more people to switch off their mind numbing tvs and wake up,this is certainly not acceptable for us humans and the animals,the more we tell the truth about what’s really going on,we can all make this world a better place,
Hi Folks, It seems that Amazon is having massive issues with their ordering system but is working on it. In the USA and CA, the book is not showing other than Audible and Kindle, Other Amazon stores its showing all formats but paperback and hardback are showing out of stock. Amazon is working on this. However, the book is available in many other places I suggest you google the name of the book and select a store you would be happy to order from. I am sorry for the inconvenience but it's typical of Amazon to ruin the launch. I might add it's not just my book that has this issue according to Amazon.
I love composting and have been making my own for years. This year I was pleased to be able to fill 40 x 30L buckets for my potatoes with my own home made compost. I have loads more left over which I shall be mulching my beds with. This won't stop me buying your awesome book. Congratulations on the launch of it and best wishes from Norfolk.
Sara that right there is the perfect way to use it. Then after growing spuds it can go on the garden beds. Awesome. When you read the book would you please leave an honest review to help others, thanks
That is amazing, i bought at least 30 sacks of compost this past 12 months and very unhappy with the poor quality. I am building some compost bins based on Tony idea with pallets and a black liner and hope next year i will be self sufficient on compost. Well done.
I know from experience that plants need different fertilization in every stage. Growth pase, flowering phase and ripening phase. I used to measure EC and PH values of water my plants got in every phase. More nitrogen in the begin and more K at the end.
This is the same here in Oz. You lay the "compost" from the gardening shop and within a few months it's like sawdust. I only use kitchen waste compost now, full of worms and nutrient plus no cost. We've been had.
I found the store composts weren't much better than the stuff I can get for free at my municipal dump. I don't make enough compost myself to cover all my beds so I use green manures then chop and drop and if I have some compost to spare I'll spread it on top of the green manures after cutting them back. If I don't have enough then I just use it for the planting holes.
Greetings from rural Australia. I've not bought compost in many years. I have 2 compost bins at home. Because of our summer heat the contents break down very quickly over late summer and early autumn. I happened to empty one of the bins yesterday and was greeted with a lovely sweet, earthy smell.
We’ve found plastic in the layers pellets we feed to our hens. After a bit of research found out that the government allow this, quite often it’s confectionery wrappers. We bought our pellets from a company in York. Just down the road from Nestle. We are not allowed to feed the hens table scraps though!
I must admit i used to find compost initially confusing, 30% of this 70% of that. Had mixed results to be honest.. Last year i started 50/50 I've collected grass clippings from 2 neighbours and I've got chickens too so plenty of straw ( Barley and miscanthus). So for me 50/50 keep well watered AND regularly turned to incorporate oxygen. And brown gold...
Its an awesome book, I have it in ebook format and have already learned a few things! Cant wait for amazon to sort the problem so I can get a hardcover for my coffee table. Congrats on the book Tony, I hope you sell millions mate...Steve...😃😃
Hope you enjoy it! When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
I'm in 🇨🇦 Canada where the cities have "green bins" to collect yard and kitchen scraps. Unfortunately none of the companies hired, contracted to create compost differentiate between organic and chemically treated scraps. I don't want any of those "codes" pest, herb, or otherwise in my food or garden. I am extremely limited with the size of my growing area (renter) so instead of building or having a large composting area, I chose to make a small pile of soil, add in shredded paper and weed tops, then cover. I did the best I could to avoid any greens with seeds. I decided to make a vermiculture composter instead. I have it indoors, am able to feed the "red wigglers" which are both abundant and grow well here, to keep the compost free of odours and getting deeper almost daily. I don't add anything from the onion (allium family) citrus or animal leftovers. My fertilizer is now worm casting liquids.
Here in the states the bagged stuff has also declined a lot in quality the past few years. It’s greatly increased in price too! I picked up a few bags a month or two ago and they were basically shredded up pallet wood with a little bit of peat moss and perlite added. It was labeled as a potting mix but there’s no way anything would grow in this stuff. Congratulations on your book!
We are seeing that here too. today I posted 2 pics of people with burns and welts to their hands I think this is from fibres in the compost, god knows what they are shredding into it
Started building my compost bin today using your design with the pallets and the wickes propolex protection sheets. I am also on a mission to get your book right after watching this video. Top man Tony, your an absolute star and I cant thankyou enough for all the help you have given me this year. Fingers crossed your book hits no 1 as the top selling book ever!
Wow excellent video! Before selling my house I had raised beds and bought 6 yards from a local company and had a truck deliver. It was a mix of manure mixed with vegetation. I didn't visit the facility but they have big tractors and can turn the piles and manage them better than I could. The only thing is that it isn't in bags and minimum order is a couple yards. Way cheaper than bagged compost tho! I had 7-foot high tomatoes, huge beets and turnips, swiss chard did great along with resin barrels of potatoes and carrots! I am going to buy a homestead and plan on taking the time to make my own compost before digging beds. I will have chicken manure and possibly goat droppings. Congrats on the book I will buy the kindle version!
Trust me you do not want the bagged compost to have live bacteria or micro organisms from these manufacturers because it will come with the diseases and blight from the industrial and commercial waste used to manufacture it cheaply. It's meant to be mixed in with your own soil to invigorate it with life found in your garden. What I have issues with is the PH and nutrient imbalances found in the bagged soils.
I recently bought what was labeled as organic soil for raised beds or an in ground amendment. Not potting soil or compoct, but from the company that produces most of the potting soil you find in big box stores. It said right on the bag NOT to use it in containers. Upon opening the bag, it smelled like sewage. I dumped it in a half filled raised bed and the smell took a week to dissapate. I cannot imagine eating food grown in something that smelled like that!
Thanks for critiquing compost for us. I've noticed over the years, SLUG EGGS, ROCKS and the material is not broken down, in the compost I've purchased in bags.
Hi Tony, i bought 4 bags of compost the other day 40 litre sacks. I sieved each one and was disappointed that all the sacks had a total of 10 litres of bark/bits of wood the odd stone bits of string. I am putting together my compost bins based on your design so hope i can produce enough compost next year. Another great video.
Hi Tony, I 100% agree about the composts. Over the last two years the quality has gone from bad to very bad! And i don`t buy any composts that contain green waste either! Some of the stuff I sieve out you could use as kindling! I already have a three bay composting station that is untouched for nearly three years now, and looks really nice, so im going to save that for next years seed sowing. But one of my first jobs once everything is planted out, is to build a new four bay composting station. When the Peat ban come in, not only will the composts get worse, the price will go up big time! So making your own is the future! And as for your new book, my girlfriend has been nagging me for ages now, as she asked me what I wanted for my birthday and i said nothing! But Ive told her to buy me your book tonight! Happy Days. Keep up the great work mate. Shaun.
I have had started useing my own leaf mould this season after watching your video on composting of leafs. You like Charles Dowding and Huw are an insperaton. Thank you
Great job Tony. I have been composting for years with my kitchen scraps, lawn clippings and shredded paper. Coming over to UK this week for 3 weeks to visit relatives in England, Wales, Scotland Denmark and Norway and will then buy your book on our return to Sacramento. Thanks for the video, and the book Tony.
I found small twigs, wood, many strips of plastic bags, small stones... Amongst my cheap $2/bag Wal-Mart dirt.... I dealt with it as it was all i could afford and everything grew fine but I started a compost heap. I wonder what they put in this stuff, has to come from somewhere!
Here in the states over the past 10 yrs store-bought compost is mostly wood with almost no real compost in it. We used to get composted steer manure that had no wood in it but now it's at least half wood chips, often quite larges hunks of woos too. It's abysmal how bad the stuff is. Chicken and mushrooms compost are the same. Almost all bagged compost and soil blends are 50% wood or more. Seedling mixes from one company were all cedar chips. I've gone to contacting farmers to see if I can get composted manure and such. Stores here send unsellable produce to pig farms. It's all about money
Check with a local landscaping supply company that provides various soils to builders and landscapers. That is where I was able to buy 6 yards of compost and had it delivered. They also had organic compost but best to order in the fall as it is gone by spring!
Because they take the waste from tree surgeons to bulk it out. its free to them and half the bag is this so more profit, this is why doing it yourself is key and for the cost of a couple of bags my book will show you how to do it right and set you free from the crap they offer
I've tried several different brands of compost this year and they have all been very different in constituency. some so fine they will not hold moisture, some so full of rubbish that by the time you have sieved it your left with half a bag of usable compost. I've set myself a challenge this year to make one ton of compost for seed sowing and potting on. your book will be of so much use to me, I've ordered from my local book shop and can't wait to start using it. keep up the good work
Perfect Colin I am sure you will love it. When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
@@simplifygardening thanks to you for all the helpful videos you have put out . I started gardening 2 year's ago and I've learned so much from the information you share
Great video Tony! Definitely agree the compost industry is terrible at the moment..not to mention the cost! Welldone on your book. You're a credit to us gardeners! Keep doing what you do..Danny 🌱
Earlier this year I decided, since I needed more compost, to go for a well known, presumably better quality, brand from the brand I'd bought in previous years. I found it was as you describe, very damp, soaking in fact, and full of lumps of wood & twigs. It wasn't compost, it was ingredients to make compost with ! It's all very well buying a compost producing book, but a terraced home garden really doesn't allow sufficient space without sacrificing the growing areas. One needs a list of shame as to brands to avoid. Test results and marks out of 100 in a table maybe.
I live in Northern Ireland and get my compost from a great garden centre. It is beautiful. Always fairly moist and dark with no rubbish at all in it. I wouldn't go anywhere else.
Tony you cover these type of educational videos with professional expertise ,,,,,, so that the average guy can understand,,,,,, you my friend should be the presenter of Gardeners World,,,,, BBC,,,TV show then we could understand about everyday gardening ,,, gud on ya Tony" Edwin
Thanks Tony!! As I said in the chat, this is a predictable result of the economy of supply and demand. Good compost take time and there's never been, imo such a high demand. Ironically composting is what got me hooked into gardening. It's just amazes me !! Have a great weekend Tony Cheers J&C 🌱🌱🌱
Hi Tony. I enjoyed this. I finally am able to make compost the correct way. I turned my pile yesterday and it went from 60 degrees to 102 in a day! Whoop whoop
Congratulations Tony on your book I will be definitely grabbing a copy myself. Love all the support you are getting from all the other great growers from around the world. Well deserved and a huge thank you for your knowledge and time taken to help us all.👍❤️
Nice one Tony just been listening to Eli talking about Compost and next up was you, what a coincedence. Good Luck with the book Tony hope it does well. Stay Safe, Barry (the Wirral)
Coffee set for 08:30 tomorrow. But I've a spot in my backyard. Over a pet's resting spot. He's 4ft deep. But last 3 years have put 4 cubic feet of bagged compost on it, and flower seeds. Just after new years this time just some cheap manure/compost, and pumpkin seeds. A gift of Atlantic giant pumpkin seeds. Didn't hope for much, but there's a pumpkin growing an inch or so, daily. I'm near Houston, TX, btw. See yall in the morning.
People think cats, dogs and horses are just animals. People that don't have animals don't know the love and happiness that they bring you. If you're old, you're sick, you're ugly or you stink they still love you. God bless y'all Jude, from Kentucky ✝️🐴🇺🇸⚒️🇺🇸🌱
Yes, almost all the composts and potting mixes you can buy here in Australia seem to be a mix of coir or peat and recycled garden waste. The waste is stacked in giant windrows to break down and gets super hot as you suggest. The finished products often smell like tar, not a nice rich earthy smell like the compost you and I make. Now, I'd better go look if I can get a written version of your book over here, otherwise, I'll have to make do with the audiobook. Cheers!
It seems that they are getting worse and even more so here as we have banned peat as of next year so they are all struggling to make peat free and its not working
Just added your book to my Amazon wish list. When I saw it was out of stock, I figured you’d just had an amazingly successful launch and they’d sold out - never mind, I’ll still want to read it whenever Amazon sort out their issues.
Hello Tony, received the email about the book, and thrilled it’s available on Kindle so I have purchased that format. I don’t have the capacity to do a big compost but appreciate all I have learnt from you via your channel and this way I can make a small thank you, and can at least make what compost I can become a better result. Good luck with it
Hope you enjoy it! Thanks Tassie When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Hi Tony, I completely agree store bought compost has been getting worse and worse its just full of crap. Home made is so much better by far . I emptied my home composter last week and was amazed on how good it looked, felt and smelled . I was quite proud of myself 😆I'll be definitely getting your book 😁
Absolutely it is rubbish and thanks, When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
G'day mate. Such a good video and congrats on the book. I have it on my "Wishlist" for my family for the hard copy. You should have seen my face when I sampled the audio book version that I was considering. Did not expect an American guy's voice. 😂 He's really good by the way! Congrats again mate and I am so sorry that they messed up your launch with the buying options. All the best. Daz.
Ric Chetter does a lot of professional work for the movies and he cost a fortune. I wanted someone who would make the information interesting. When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Hi Tony, I am hot compost posting, after 18 days Colour is dark,still lumpy and dense, not fine crumble soil like your compost. My question is, do I use it or store it to break down further? What is the recommended storage time.
This is really good info. I was able to order your book from Barnes and Noble. It will arrive next week. I recently opened a bag and it was all stinky sticks that was not even finished with the first phase of composting.
Perfect Tammy I am glad you looked around When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
@@simplifygardening I most certainly will leave a review. I already know you know what you are doing with your compost when you grew all of the potatoes in your compost bin. That was an impressive harvest. I am not an electronic reader I prefer the “old fashioned” books.
@@tammym110 As am I, but I wanted a version for everyone this is why I paid loads of money for it to be formatted to ebook and over 2,5k for it to be made to audio
@@simplifygardening there are many that prefer electronic books. My husband is one of them. I will share an honest review for you and shared your video and link for the book. I wish you well on your book sales.
awesome thanks, When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Perfect thank you hope you enjoy it When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Hey Tony, I just watched you answering compost questions on Brian's channel. You didn't answer the question about cardboard properly, and I was particularly interested in this one. The question was about whether it really is ok to use corrugated cardboard because there are lots of chemicals and glue that goes into the cardboard making process...would that nasty stuff leech into the compost and make it bad?
all the glues and paint are organic now, apart formt he plastic sytle boxes or boxes designed to being outside that have a wax coating otherwise your good to go
@@simplifygardening I always wondered this too. Thx for the info... makes sense nowadays that companies would be using friendlier products in the mfg processes.
I learned the hard way about the need for compost to have enough water. I live in an area that gets an average of only 4 inches of precipitation per year. I have had my compost pile sitting there for two years, and basically no decomposition has happened. I can still clearly identify each plant that I threw in there two years ago. So my attempt at lazy compost has been a failure - guess I'll need a plan for watering and turning my pile in order to have compost at some point.
True where I live as well. I have massive amounts of horse manure and goat bedding and I still have to keep watering it at least twice a week or it will stop working. I need to line my bays with plastic like Tony does. I think that will help.
Great When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Hello from America. The best compost is the compost you make yourself. I make it all year round. You know what’s in it. Unfortunately when we run out of homemade compost we have to purchase compost. Compost that we have no idea what is in it.
Perfect pal When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
My compost has not broken down. It was mostly shredded leaves with some coffee grounds and kitchen waste and now it's soggy shredded leaves sticking together. 😕 I'm going to put some dry brushy stuff first down and turn it into that for more aeration, add more kitchen waste, and spike it with grass clippings. I'll see if that works by late summer.
I’m no expert but it sounds like you don’t have enough “brown” (higher carbon) ingredients, but I think you’ve realised that. Try adding sawdust/wood shavings/shredded paper or cardboard. Kitchen waste & coffee grounds and especially grass clippings are more “green” (nitrogenous) sources which will only make the problem worse. They also contain a lot of water, especially the grass clippings. Also, don’t add any water and cover your compost to stop any rain in, until your compost is more balanced. Hope that helps. (Let me know??)
Yes the carbon content is way too low and the moisture content too high, add dry carbon content to balance it out. My book will walk you through it and there is even a study in the book to show u the results
Just the ticket . I already have my suspicions on the rubbish and good . I tend to make and use my own when possible and but in as little as possible .
Thanks Amanda When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Last year, I know a number of people had a problem with compost contaminated with the persistent herbicide pyralid. I have become quite paranoid about what I put in my compost bin or the hay I use for the Ruth Stout method. I have yet to find a compost that is consistent. Some may be sort of OK one year and the next year it's awful. It would seem the industry has no quality control. I purchase a crane bag of compost for a new garden project which was dry, dead and coal-black with burnt ashy wood. It cost a fortune and was a complete waste of money. I have now set up a lot of new compost bins and hope to find enough material to make my own.
Yes the thing is when they bring in greenwaste they dont care where it comes from. Some thing I am only bagging out these composts to promote my book, but they are bad and there is no other way to describe it
Brilliant video Tony, The quality of compost has gone down over the last few years and more RUclipsrs need to expose the poor quality of compost suppliers.
Absolutely have you seen the post I put on FB today where 2 people have had welts appear on their hands from store bought compost both the same brand I cant mention here in case I get sued
@@simplifygardening I ditched FB as they shut down free speech,I do have concerns about todays compost as the move from peat based products has opened the door to industrial sewage, cardbord waste and other by products that may contain carcogens and toxins.
Tony, this would have been an excellent time to send samples to be tested. I have found similar results in my own gardening and it is very frustrating. With regard to the book, Amazon here in the US is only offering kindle and audible. I hope they fix the problem soon.
Do you use only compost and fertilizers in your 10 gallon containers for potatoes, or do you mix in anything else? I searched your channel for a container mix video, but I did not find one.
I bought stuff called Dairy-Doo that was infested with seeds and ruined all my asparagus beds. Other stuff I've used is mostly inert carbon bulk but useless for actually growing seedlings. I make my own with coop waste, chips, goat/sheep manure, leaves and wood ash. Just stuff I have. Works great.
Tony, most of the Uk bagged composts are misleading as they are just peat with added fertilisers, so not really a compost? More like potting mix!! Nowadays they add that crappy wood fibres or green compost in the mix to make them peat free lot happy! You are right we should just make our own. Congratulations on your book, ordering one now 😍
Thanks and When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Just away to go order your book now mate. Been looking forward to its release. I've noticed the same with bagged compost. The price seems irrelevant you don't get what you pay for. I think since alot of companies have moved away from peat, they've struggled to get good quality and a consistent product, it's different all the time.
Perfect When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
I'm looking forward to getting your book. Up north, they hunker in during the winter, and in the south, we read during the summer. It's to hot out there to work. Tony, I'm sure you address this in the book. But, I will ask anyway- For deep south folks- i'm in Florida, should we pick a semi shade spot because of the intense summer heat? Last week we spent 3 days at the real feel of 112 degrees.. Ugh. I have had a couple of loads delivered, that I thought might catch on fire they were so hot. I had them drop it in the shade and let it sit for a week before I touched it. Thanks, Tony!
Bit disappointed that you didn't say which composts you tested. Some of us don't have the space to create even a single bin system, never mind 4, that is most of my garden btw. So I depend on buying compost. And you just killed all my enthusiasm for being able to try and grow good wholesome food on my own, in my own garden.
This is timely for me, I'm sorting out composting that has been disrupted by floods, sickness and chippings from trees felled after storms. Q. You talk about living compost - but there are nettle seeds and bindweed that are on my cold compost piles, and Canada Balsam and Japanese Knotweed threaten from my neighbours' land. I don't want to send it in skips to landfill. Does your book cover rectifying this so it doesn't become "burden" which can't be kept?
Let's week I bought 3 bags of "Evergreen" compost from Lowe's. When I opened the bag it was very wet and the manure that was in it was not even composted, it made me so sick, I couldn't touch it. To be honest the manure in there did not look like animal but human and there was plastic in it, hard plastic. Oh... And it was black as coal. I won't be buying that again. It was so disgusting!
Thanks pal. When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Hi Tony ,very disillusioned with 'peat free ' compost(I live in Co Down NI).I hope to mix my own with mainly a mix of home made compost and leaf mold plus a few other bits and pieces to make seed,potting and top dressing etc.I hope it works, any advice from you or anyone always accepted ,many thanks
I think they are throwing all sorts of crap in the peat free just to bulk it. Its going to take time before they figure this out I think. make your own and sieve it for seed starting mix and add some perlite and your golden
Hi, I think some of the potting compost has still got weed killer in. If you think about it people put weed killer on their grass, it then goes to be composted down and then sold to us. Two year running some of my seedlings have been distorted and the only thing I can think of is that there is still weed killer in the compost. Has anyone had the same problem. Bob
Amazon are having issues and the paperback and hardback are not showing or are showing but out of stock they are working on it,. Google it as its available elsewhere
Thank you did you find any of the commercial compost was any good? I know you own is better as my husband proved when he put our homemade compost on a patch with weeds just to move it temporarily and they grew like wildfire however you can't always make enough especially for starting up at first or again. Our compost will have to stay here when we move as we have no way of moving it and I want to set up high raised beds when we get moved which will need a lot of compost as well as top soil.
Hi Tony another great video 👌 I've just built my fourth bay three are currently full and one is planted up with potato peel. where would be the best place to get a hardback copy of your book
Your lucky I had half a large dead rat in one of my bags! Modern compost is just poor to useless! I do have compost bins in the garden but am wary it could be too strong for young plants!
Hi Tony I'm Andrew from South Africa and I see how beautiful your Rhubarb leaves are as for mine the last few months are being eaten by some bug or worm I have checked under the leaves but I don't see anything there what can I use to stop this from happening, regards Andrew
thanks mate When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Want to go in-depth on composting? Check out my book Composting Masterclass. www.amazon.com/Tony-ONeill/e/B09Z79VFRB/ref=aufs_dp_fta_dsk
I'm sooo glad someone with an audience has taken it up to call out these compost companies. I bought about 5 bags of Levington Essentials, and every handful had about 50 paint chips, plastics, glass shards, stones and a massive amount of unbroken down twigs. I complained to the manufacturer and just got given the runaround by a disinterested customer service person. They changed packaging from a sandy coloured bag to hot pink sometime this year, and that seems to be when the proportion of unbroken bits jumped up significantly, though the contamination issue was always there.
It is crazy that this is allowed, They are using compost as a way to dispose of rubbish and letting people place it in their gardens
Reading your comment regarding paint chips,plastics etc…….we bought some layers pellets for our chickens,on close inspection we saw many coloured bits of plastic and shredded foil,after confronting the feed company I was told that this is very legal for it to be added to animal feed,this is discusting and should never be allowed both for the animals and then into our food chain,can’t feed your chickens table scraps,but it’s ok to feed them plastic,
@@275simon That's even worse than I thought..! Animal feed!? Since this video I found out about persistent pesticides that survive the stomach of horses that graze from fields sprayed earlier in the season, and it's legal for companies to bag their manure and explicitly label them 'organic' and sell them to you. If this is the case, I think there's hardly going to be any meaningful regulation or enforcement on gardening/farming products.
Thank you for replying and doing your research,we need more people to switch off their mind numbing tvs and wake up,this is certainly not acceptable for us humans and the animals,the more we tell the truth about what’s really going on,we can all make this world a better place,
Hi Folks, It seems that Amazon is having massive issues with their ordering system but is working on it. In the USA and CA, the book is not showing other than Audible and Kindle, Other Amazon stores its showing all formats but paperback and hardback are showing out of stock. Amazon is working on this. However, the book is available in many other places I suggest you google the name of the book and select a store you would be happy to order from. I am sorry for the inconvenience but it's typical of Amazon to ruin the launch. I might add it's not just my book that has this issue according to Amazon.
thanks Tony. I had ordered on Amazon all excited to get my book today
Will just have to wait
I just commented saying exactly what you said in this comment and then I saw this.
Still tough to order in EU.... but I´ll manage to get it somehow, will order it for the info AND to support your good work! 😀
I need to buy soon when I come home to my hometown ,I hope I can find🤞🤞🤞
Hi tony, Do you know if there is a bookstore that ships to Chile?
I really don't want a digital copy
I love composting and have been making my own for years. This year I was pleased to be able to fill 40 x 30L buckets for my potatoes with my own home made compost. I have loads more left over which I shall be mulching my beds with. This won't stop me buying your awesome book. Congratulations on the launch of it and best wishes from Norfolk.
Sara that right there is the perfect way to use it. Then after growing spuds it can go on the garden beds. Awesome. When you read the book would you please leave an honest review to help others, thanks
That is amazing, i bought at least 30 sacks of compost this past 12 months and very unhappy with the poor quality. I am building some compost bins based on Tony idea with pallets and a black liner and hope next year i will be self sufficient on compost. Well done.
I know from experience that plants need different fertilization in every stage. Growth pase, flowering phase and ripening phase. I used to measure EC and PH values of water my plants got in every phase. More nitrogen in the begin and more K at the end.
You are rightly Tony, spent the morning sieving, compost got a bucket full of wood chips and even some stones. Thanks for sharing.
This is the same here in Oz. You lay the "compost" from the gardening shop and within a few months it's like sawdust. I only use kitchen waste compost now, full of worms and nutrient plus no cost. We've been had.
Crazy isnt it
Perfect Allen
I found the store composts weren't much better than the stuff I can get for free at my municipal dump. I don't make enough compost myself to cover all my beds so I use green manures then chop and drop and if I have some compost to spare I'll spread it on top of the green manures after cutting them back. If I don't have enough then I just use it for the planting holes.
Yeah green manures are great I use them too which you can see in my latest video
Greetings from rural Australia. I've not bought compost in many years. I have 2 compost bins at home. Because of our summer heat the contents break down very quickly over late summer and early autumn. I happened to empty one of the bins yesterday and was greeted with a lovely sweet, earthy smell.
Perfect Lee and its how we should all be doing it
We’ve found plastic in the layers pellets we feed to our hens. After a bit of research found out that the government allow this, quite often it’s confectionery wrappers. We bought our pellets from a company in York. Just down the road from Nestle. We are not allowed to feed the hens table scraps though!
I must admit i used to find compost initially confusing, 30% of this 70% of that. Had mixed results to be honest..
Last year i started 50/50 I've collected grass clippings from 2 neighbours and I've got chickens too so plenty of straw ( Barley and miscanthus).
So for me 50/50 keep well watered AND regularly turned to incorporate oxygen. And brown gold...
Perfect and glad you figured it out. Now if you want to supercharge that you know the book to buy ;)
I hate all that mate , thanks for the advice
Its an awesome book, I have it in ebook format and have already learned a few things! Cant wait for amazon to sort the problem so I can get a hardcover for my coffee table. Congrats on the book Tony, I hope you sell millions mate...Steve...😃😃
Hope you enjoy it! When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
I'm in 🇨🇦 Canada where the cities have "green bins" to collect yard and kitchen scraps. Unfortunately none of the companies hired, contracted to create compost differentiate between organic and chemically treated scraps. I don't want any of those "codes" pest, herb, or otherwise in my food or garden.
I am extremely limited with the size of my growing area (renter) so instead of building or having a large composting area, I chose to make a small pile of soil, add in shredded paper and weed tops, then cover. I did the best I could to avoid any greens with seeds.
I decided to make a vermiculture composter instead. I have it indoors, am able to feed the "red wigglers" which are both abundant and grow well here, to keep the compost free of odours and getting deeper almost daily.
I don't add anything from the onion (allium family) citrus or animal leftovers.
My fertilizer is now worm casting liquids.
And there lies the issue its the same here
Here in the states the bagged stuff has also declined a lot in quality the past few years. It’s greatly increased in price too! I picked up a few bags a month or two ago and they were basically shredded up pallet wood with a little bit of peat moss and perlite added. It was labeled as a potting mix but there’s no way anything would grow in this stuff.
Congratulations on your book!
We are seeing that here too. today I posted 2 pics of people with burns and welts to their hands I think this is from fibres in the compost, god knows what they are shredding into it
Started building my compost bin today using your design with the pallets and the wickes propolex protection sheets. I am also on a mission to get your book right after watching this video. Top man Tony, your an absolute star and I cant thankyou enough for all the help you have given me this year. Fingers crossed your book hits no 1 as the top selling book ever!
Phil thanks so much for the support mate. Once you have read the book can you leave a review to help other see what your thoughts are?
Wow excellent video! Before selling my house I had raised beds and bought 6 yards from a local company and had a truck deliver. It was a mix of manure mixed with vegetation. I didn't visit the facility but they have big tractors and can turn the piles and manage them better than I could. The only thing is that it isn't in bags and minimum order is a couple yards. Way cheaper than bagged compost tho!
I had 7-foot high tomatoes, huge beets and turnips, swiss chard did great along with resin barrels of potatoes and carrots!
I am going to buy a homestead and plan on taking the time to make my own compost before digging beds. I will have chicken manure and possibly goat droppings. Congrats on the book I will buy the kindle version!
Yes these are prob better than bagged if you had to choose between the two
I was lucky enough to read this book early - what a fab resource! Congrats Tony!
Thanks Liz
Trust me you do not want the bagged compost to have live bacteria or micro organisms from these manufacturers because it will come with the diseases and blight from the industrial and commercial waste used to manufacture it cheaply. It's meant to be mixed in with your own soil to invigorate it with life found in your garden. What I have issues with is the PH and nutrient imbalances found in the bagged soils.
I agree and its another reason you want to produce as much as your own
I recently bought what was labeled as organic soil for raised beds or an in ground amendment. Not potting soil or compoct, but from the company that produces most of the potting soil you find in big box stores. It said right on the bag NOT to use it in containers. Upon opening the bag, it smelled like sewage. I dumped it in a half filled raised bed and the smell took a week to dissapate. I cannot imagine eating food grown in something that smelled like that!
Thanks for critiquing compost for us. I've noticed over the years, SLUG EGGS, ROCKS and the material is not broken down, in the compost I've purchased in bags.
Great point! I think it needs tacklling and the only way to do that is get others to compost at home, if people dont buy they have to change
Hi Tony, i bought 4 bags of compost the other day 40 litre sacks. I sieved each one and was disappointed that all the sacks had a total of 10 litres of bark/bits of wood the odd stone bits of string. I am putting together my compost bins based on your design so hope i can produce enough compost next year. Another great video.
Kes blag your neighbours lawn clipping like i did makes great compost..
Exactly 25% unuseable its crazy
Hi Tony, I 100% agree about the composts. Over the last two years the quality has gone from bad to very bad! And i don`t buy any composts that contain green waste either! Some of the stuff I sieve out you could use as kindling! I already have a three bay composting station that is untouched for nearly three years now, and looks really nice, so im going to save that for next years seed sowing. But one of my first jobs once everything is planted out, is to build a new four bay composting station.
When the Peat ban come in, not only will the composts get worse, the price will go up big time! So making your own is the future! And as for your new book, my girlfriend has been nagging me for ages now, as she asked me what I wanted for my birthday and i said nothing! But Ive told her to buy me your book tonight! Happy Days. Keep up the great work mate. Shaun.
Same here Shaun I am building another 5 bay system so I will have 10 total you can never have too much compost
I have had started useing my own leaf mould this season after watching your video on composting of leafs. You like Charles Dowding and Huw are an insperaton. Thank you
Thank you I am glad you are enjoying it. And leaf mold is such great resource
Great job Tony. I have been composting for years with my kitchen scraps, lawn clippings and shredded paper. Coming over to UK this week for 3 weeks to visit relatives in England, Wales, Scotland Denmark and Norway and will then buy your book on our return to Sacramento. Thanks for the video, and the book Tony.
I found small twigs, wood, many strips of plastic bags, small stones... Amongst my cheap $2/bag Wal-Mart dirt.... I dealt with it as it was all i could afford and everything grew fine but I started a compost heap. I wonder what they put in this stuff, has to come from somewhere!
Here in the states over the past 10 yrs store-bought compost is mostly wood with almost no real compost in it. We used to get composted steer manure that had no wood in it but now it's at least half wood chips, often quite larges hunks of woos too. It's abysmal how bad the stuff is. Chicken and mushrooms compost are the same. Almost all bagged compost and soil blends are 50% wood or more. Seedling mixes from one company were all cedar chips. I've gone to contacting farmers to see if I can get composted manure and such. Stores here send unsellable produce to pig farms. It's all about money
Check with a local landscaping supply company that provides various soils to builders and landscapers. That is where I was able to buy 6 yards of compost and had it delivered. They also had organic compost but best to order in the fall as it is gone by spring!
Because they take the waste from tree surgeons to bulk it out. its free to them and half the bag is this so more profit, this is why doing it yourself is key and for the cost of a couple of bags my book will show you how to do it right and set you free from the crap they offer
I've tried several different brands of compost this year and they have all been very different in constituency. some so fine they will not hold moisture, some so full of rubbish that by the time you have sieved it your left with half a bag of usable compost. I've set myself a challenge this year to make one ton of compost for seed sowing and potting on. your book will be of so much use to me, I've ordered from my local book shop and can't wait to start using it. keep up the good work
Perfect Colin I am sure you will love it. When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Thumbs up. Before video starts 👍👍👍👍. You earned it. This the best channel on RUclips
Wow thanks ~Robert I really appreciate that
@@simplifygardening thanks to you for all the helpful videos you have put out . I started gardening 2 year's ago and I've learned so much from the information you share
@@robert4027 Robert I am glad that its been of value to you
Congratulations on the book Tony. Great idea for a book.Will watch out for it in our shops. Thanks for a great video.
Thank you Lorraine
Great video Tony! Definitely agree the compost industry is terrible at the moment..not to mention the cost! Welldone on your book. You're a credit to us gardeners! Keep doing what you do..Danny 🌱
Thank you Danny do me a favour when you. finish reading the book can you leave a review on Amazon please?
@@simplifygardening of course mate! I also purchased a audio version to support you. Keep doing what you do mate 👌👌
@@TheGrowUpChannel Thank you pal. Im live on Chillichump channel tomorrow at 5
@@simplifygardening I will be there to support. As always. Us welsh need to stick together 💪
@@TheGrowUpChannel yes We should
Earlier this year I decided, since I needed more compost, to go for a well known, presumably better quality, brand from the brand I'd bought in previous years. I found it was as you describe, very damp, soaking in fact, and full of lumps of wood & twigs. It wasn't compost, it was ingredients to make compost with ! It's all very well buying a compost producing book, but a terraced home garden really doesn't allow sufficient space without sacrificing the growing areas. One needs a list of shame as to brands to avoid. Test results and marks out of 100 in a table maybe.
I live in Northern Ireland and get my compost from a great garden centre. It is beautiful. Always fairly moist and dark with no rubbish at all in it. I wouldn't go anywhere else.
thats great until the peat stops.
Tony you cover these type of educational videos with professional expertise ,,,,,, so that the average guy can understand,,,,,, you my friend should be the presenter of Gardeners World,,,,, BBC,,,TV show then we could understand about everyday gardening ,,, gud on ya Tony" Edwin
Thank you Edwin I really appreciate that. Comments like these help me strive to make videos even more informational for you
Hi sir I'm farmer in sri lanka i like your video. I wish you all the best and goad bless you you
Thanks Tony!!
As I said in the chat, this is a predictable result of the economy of supply and demand. Good compost take time and there's never been, imo such a high demand. Ironically composting is what got me hooked into gardening. It's just amazes me !!
Have a great weekend Tony
Cheers J&C 🌱🌱🌱
Absolutely!
Hi Tony. I enjoyed this. I finally am able to make compost the correct way. I turned my pile yesterday and it went from 60 degrees to 102 in a day! Whoop whoop
Awesome Carla that’s great and that will certainly help it will likely continue to climb
Congratulations Tony on your book I will be definitely grabbing a copy myself. Love all the support you are getting from all the other great growers from around the world. Well deserved and a huge thank you for your knowledge and time taken to help us all.👍❤️
Much appreciated Lisa. Would you be kind enough to provide a review too when you have read it, good or bad so others can see your thoughts? thanks
I am here because Mark from Self Sufficient Me had you on his channel. I subscribed because I love composting.
Welcome to the channel John and I have plenty of compost videos along with more to follow
Nice one Tony just been listening to Eli talking about Compost and next up was you, what a coincedence. Good Luck with the book Tony hope it does well.
Stay Safe,
Barry (the Wirral)
Cool, thanks
Coffee set for 08:30 tomorrow.
But
I've a spot in my backyard. Over a pet's resting spot. He's 4ft deep. But last 3 years have put 4 cubic feet of bagged compost on it, and flower seeds.
Just after new years this time just some cheap manure/compost, and pumpkin seeds. A gift of Atlantic giant pumpkin seeds. Didn't hope for much, but there's a pumpkin growing an inch or so, daily.
I'm near Houston, TX, btw.
See yall in the morning.
Frank I have had to bury 2 pets near our pond over the past 2 months and 1 of them was this week
@@simplifygardening I was trying to emphasize the compost enriching the ground there.
Bless them, Tony!
@@simplifygardening
I M So Very Sorry Cariad For Your Loss, I Lost My Beautiful Boy This Year. It's Heartbreaking
x
People think cats, dogs and horses are just animals.
People that don't have animals don't know the love and happiness that they bring you.
If you're old, you're sick, you're ugly or you stink they still love you.
God bless y'all
Jude, from Kentucky
✝️🐴🇺🇸⚒️🇺🇸🌱
Yes, almost all the composts and potting mixes you can buy here in Australia seem to be a mix of coir or peat and recycled garden waste.
The waste is stacked in giant windrows to break down and gets super hot as you suggest.
The finished products often smell like tar, not a nice rich earthy smell like the compost you and I make.
Now, I'd better go look if I can get a written version of your book over here, otherwise, I'll have to make do with the audiobook.
Cheers!
It seems that they are getting worse and even more so here as we have banned peat as of next year so they are all struggling to make peat free and its not working
Just added your book to my Amazon wish list. When I saw it was out of stock, I figured you’d just had an amazingly successful launch and they’d sold out - never mind, I’ll still want to read it whenever Amazon sort out their issues.
Ive had an email today confirming they are still working on it and multiple books are affected not just mine
Hello Tony, received the email about the book, and thrilled it’s available on Kindle so I have purchased that format. I don’t have the capacity to do a big compost but appreciate all I have learnt from you via your channel and this way I can make a small thank you, and can at least make what compost I can become a better result. Good luck with it
Hope you enjoy it! Thanks Tassie When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
@@simplifygardening definitely I’ll probably read once in the UK so over the next two months.
@@tassiegirl1991 Great thanks
Hi Tony, I completely agree store bought compost has been getting worse and worse its just full of crap. Home made is so much better by far . I emptied my home composter last week and was amazed on how good it looked, felt and smelled . I was quite proud of myself 😆I'll be definitely getting your book 😁
Absolutely it is rubbish and thanks, When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
G'day mate.
Such a good video and congrats on the book. I have it on my "Wishlist" for my family for the hard copy. You should have seen my face when I sampled the audio book version that I was considering. Did not expect an American guy's voice. 😂 He's really good by the way!
Congrats again mate and I am so sorry that they messed up your launch with the buying options.
All the best.
Daz.
Ric Chetter does a lot of professional work for the movies and he cost a fortune. I wanted someone who would make the information interesting. When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Hi Tony, I am hot compost posting, after 18 days Colour is dark,still lumpy and dense, not fine crumble soil like your compost. My question is, do I use it or store it to break down further? What is the recommended storage time.
Go Tony, Go! Another great program. Thanks. Shows your awards are well earned.
Thank you so much I really appreciate your kind words. I am glad your enjoying the videos
Tony, I always have time for learning from you Sir Thanks
Thank you John that is very humbling especially after the past few weeks
Can’t wait! I love experimenting with making compost. Rodale? Bah!
Should be good mate
I’m actually looking to buy bulk compost right now. Come on your channel to get some advice of where the best place to buy from. I’m in Manchester
@@mrsmunchin Buying bulk will be from a soil company or council but extremely expensive and not always great quality
@@simplifygardening can you recommend any product that is good at the moment?
This is really good info. I was able to order your book from Barnes and Noble. It will arrive next week. I recently opened a bag and it was all stinky sticks that was not even finished with the first phase of composting.
Perfect Tammy I am glad you looked around When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
@@simplifygardening I most certainly will leave a review. I already know you know what you are doing with your compost when you grew all of the potatoes in your compost bin. That was an impressive harvest. I am not an electronic reader I prefer the “old fashioned” books.
@@tammym110 As am I, but I wanted a version for everyone this is why I paid loads of money for it to be formatted to ebook and over 2,5k for it to be made to audio
@@simplifygardening there are many that prefer electronic books. My husband is one of them. I will share an honest review for you and shared your video and link for the book. I wish you well on your book sales.
@@tammym110 Thank you Tammy
Just got the Kindle version. Anxious to start reading and learning how to correct some things I’ve encountered when making compost.
Same here!
awesome thanks, When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Perfect thank you hope you enjoy it When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Hey Tony, I just watched you answering compost questions on Brian's channel. You didn't answer the question about cardboard properly, and I was particularly interested in this one. The question was about whether it really is ok to use corrugated cardboard because there are lots of chemicals and glue that goes into the cardboard making process...would that nasty stuff leech into the compost and make it bad?
all the glues and paint are organic now, apart formt he plastic sytle boxes or boxes designed to being outside that have a wax coating otherwise your good to go
@@simplifygardening I always wondered this too. Thx for the info... makes sense nowadays that companies would be using friendlier products in the mfg processes.
I learned the hard way about the need for compost to have enough water. I live in an area that gets an average of only 4 inches of precipitation per year. I have had my compost pile sitting there for two years, and basically no decomposition has happened. I can still clearly identify each plant that I threw in there two years ago. So my attempt at lazy compost has been a failure - guess I'll need a plan for watering and turning my pile in order to have compost at some point.
my compost pile has improved massively since i started running a hose over it at full pressure for at least 5 minutes a day to keep it damp.
Rebekah this book will show you alternatives to make it work for you where you are in your situation
Just watch it dont go above 60% moisture content
True where I live as well. I have massive amounts of horse manure and goat bedding and I still have to keep watering it at least twice a week or it will stop working. I need to line my bays with plastic like Tony does. I think that will help.
Nice to see a comparison between different composts
Glad you liked it!
Great info black compost mine black, going to get the book and make my own,guess it better than digging a hole
and putting my waste in it.
Great When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
I can't wait to read it. You and your book are being called out all over RUclips. You are loved all over the world.🥰
Thank you Melinda you are so kind. Its a shame Amazon has crashed on the launch but it can be bought outside of amazon too
@@simplifygardening I was able to order it from a link that Gardener Scott posted.
@@Melinda_WA_US perfect thanks
What’s your opinion on the Hotbin composter? I don’t have any space for an open type compost heap
Hello from America. The best compost is the compost you make yourself. I make it all year round. You know what’s in it. Unfortunately when we run out of homemade compost we have to purchase compost. Compost that we have no idea what is in it.
Wish I could make it all year long. Zone 5 here. Short growing season.
Adapt and overcome.
I couldnt agree more Samuel,
Thanks, Tony
I bought mine 1st thing and it’s on its way
Perfect pal When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Absolutely
My compost has not broken down. It was mostly shredded leaves with some coffee grounds and kitchen waste and now it's soggy shredded leaves sticking together. 😕 I'm going to put some dry brushy stuff first down and turn it into that for more aeration, add more kitchen waste, and spike it with grass clippings. I'll see if that works by late summer.
I’m no expert but it sounds like you don’t have enough “brown” (higher carbon) ingredients, but I think you’ve realised that. Try adding sawdust/wood shavings/shredded paper or cardboard. Kitchen waste & coffee grounds and especially grass clippings are more “green” (nitrogenous) sources which will only make the problem worse. They also contain a lot of water, especially the grass clippings.
Also, don’t add any water and cover your compost to stop any rain in, until your compost is more balanced.
Hope that helps. (Let me know??)
Yes the carbon content is way too low and the moisture content too high, add dry carbon content to balance it out. My book will walk you through it and there is even a study in the book to show u the results
Why aren’t you on tv with your own prog tony you are more knowledgeable than all the others love your progs. Ian
Thank you Ian, I really appreciate that and am glad your getting value from my videos :)
Just the ticket . I already have my suspicions on the rubbish and good . I tend to make and use my own when possible and but in as little as possible .
Mark lets get folks making more and make these companies make notice and have to change
Very pleased for you, my lovely. That will be in the post to me forthwith when they have that sorted out :)
Thanks Amanda When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
@@simplifygardening no, not at all. I'm sure it will be great
Last year, I know a number of people had a problem with compost contaminated with the persistent herbicide pyralid. I have become quite paranoid about what I put in my compost bin or the hay I use for the Ruth Stout method. I have yet to find a compost that is consistent. Some may be sort of OK one year and the next year it's awful. It would seem the industry has no quality control. I purchase a crane bag of compost for a new garden project which was dry, dead and coal-black with burnt ashy wood. It cost a fortune and was a complete waste of money. I have now set up a lot of new compost bins and hope to find enough material to make my own.
Yes the thing is when they bring in greenwaste they dont care where it comes from. Some thing I am only bagging out these composts to promote my book, but they are bad and there is no other way to describe it
Well done Tony. I'll be sure to get one
Brilliant video Tony,
The quality of compost has gone down over the last few years and more RUclipsrs need to expose the poor quality of compost suppliers.
Absolutely have you seen the post I put on FB today where 2 people have had welts appear on their hands from store bought compost both the same brand I cant mention here in case I get sued
@@simplifygardening I ditched FB as they shut down free speech,I do have concerns about todays compost as the move from peat based products has opened the door to industrial sewage, cardbord waste and other by products that may contain carcogens and toxins.
Tony, this would have been an excellent time to send samples to be tested. I have found similar results in my own gardening and it is very frustrating. With regard to the book, Amazon here in the US is only offering kindle and audible. I hope they fix the problem soon.
Dolly it would have but the labs are all busy with testing and I got quoted 8 weeks, the book couldnt wait for that but I will be following up
I would love to have space for compost but my back garden is tiny and I don't have any space left
Matt the book shows you how you can even compost on your kitchen counter dont write it off yet
Do you use only compost and fertilizers in your 10 gallon containers for potatoes, or do you mix in anything else? I searched your channel for a container mix video, but I did not find one.
what if I don't have enough space for compost bin DIY, can I mix store brought compost with something that will improve the quality?
Just bought your audio book Tony. Congratulations and hope all goes well mate.👍
Thanks very much and hope you love the info
Hi Tony, great video on composting, thanks for sharing and take care 🙂
Thanks, you too!
I bought stuff called Dairy-Doo that was infested with seeds and ruined all my asparagus beds. Other stuff I've used is mostly inert carbon bulk but useless for actually growing seedlings. I make my own with coop waste, chips, goat/sheep manure, leaves and wood ash. Just stuff I have. Works great.
Again you have no choice as you are unaware whats happened with it
Tony, most of the Uk bagged composts are misleading as they are just peat with added fertilisers, so not really a compost? More like potting mix!! Nowadays they add that crappy wood fibres or green compost in the mix to make them peat free lot happy! You are right we should just make our own. Congratulations on your book, ordering one now 😍
Thanks and When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Hi, Tommy!
Is it permissible to add some bat dung in the compost and what will be the effect?
Yes it is but I would make sure its well composted first
Just away to go order your book now mate. Been looking forward to its release. I've noticed the same with bagged compost. The price seems irrelevant you don't get what you pay for. I think since alot of companies have moved away from peat, they've struggled to get good quality and a consistent product, it's different all the time.
Perfect When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
I'm looking forward to getting your book. Up north, they hunker in during the winter, and in the south, we read during the summer. It's to hot out there to work. Tony, I'm sure you address this in the book. But, I will ask anyway- For deep south folks- i'm in Florida, should we pick a semi shade spot because of the intense summer heat? Last week we spent 3 days at the real feel of 112 degrees.. Ugh. I have had a couple of loads delivered, that I thought might catch on fire they were so hot. I had them drop it in the shade and let it sit for a week before I touched it. Thanks, Tony!
Fab info...thank you 👍. Wish I had room for even 1 compost bin...😞. Until then it's bagged compost...🥺
Think about Bokashi I cover it in depth in the book you can do it on a kitchen counter or even a coffee table and great for balcony or indoor growing
Bit disappointed that you didn't say which composts you tested. Some of us don't have the space to create even a single bin system, never mind 4, that is most of my garden btw. So I depend on buying compost. And you just killed all my enthusiasm for being able to try and grow good wholesome food on my own, in my own garden.
Donna maybe in a later video but I am mindful of being sued as I gerneralised
Got it on audio but haven't had time to listen yet. Been alot going on here.
This is timely for me, I'm sorting out composting that has been disrupted by floods, sickness and chippings from trees felled after storms.
Q. You talk about living compost - but there are nettle seeds and bindweed that are on my cold compost piles, and Canada Balsam and Japanese Knotweed threaten from my neighbours' land. I don't want to send it in skips to landfill. Does your book cover rectifying this so it doesn't become "burden" which can't be kept?
Let's week I bought 3 bags of "Evergreen" compost from Lowe's.
When I opened the bag it was very wet and the manure that was in it was not even composted, it made me so sick, I couldn't touch it.
To be honest the manure in there did not look like animal but human and there was plastic in it, hard plastic.
Oh... And it was black as coal.
I won't be buying that again.
It was so disgusting!
Hi Tony can you please confirm your qualification in composting
Cheers bud! I'll be ordering one soon. Save myself a small fortune too. 😎👍
Thanks pal. When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
@@simplifygardening I won't be buying it on Amazon, I'll be buying it through my local bookstore, Michael Moon books Whitehaven. 👍
@@daviedodds3050 Perfect Davie this is why I have made it available through multiple channels
brilliant video. can't wait to get your book
Thank you Jean. Hope you enjoy it when you get it
@@simplifygardening just ordered it. Can't wait
Hi Mr Tony I told you that I was going to subscribe 👍👍👍👍🥰🙏🙏 Kendra
Hey Kendra welcome to the channel
Hi Tony ,very disillusioned with 'peat free ' compost(I live in Co Down NI).I hope to mix my own with mainly a mix of home made compost and leaf mold plus a few other bits and pieces to make seed,potting and top dressing etc.I hope it works, any advice from you or anyone always accepted ,many thanks
I think they are throwing all sorts of crap in the peat free just to bulk it. Its going to take time before they figure this out I think. make your own and sieve it for seed starting mix and add some perlite and your golden
You are right, however most of us do not have the room to make large quantities of compost!
I understand that but it doesnt mean you cant compost, bokashi and other versions will allow you to still get better quality composts in small spaces
Hi,
I think some of the potting compost has still got weed killer in. If you think about it people put weed killer on their grass, it then goes to be composted down and then sold to us. Two year running some of my seedlings have been distorted and the only thing I can think of is that there is still weed killer in the compost. Has anyone had the same problem. Bob
Agreed Bob
When you sifted your compost, do you reuse the particles that are left in the sifter in your next new compost pile?
Ordered the book, can't wait to get it!
Thank you Aleksander when you have read it would you mind leaving an honest review
Jusr bought ten bags of organic cow poo and was disappointed when opened it was mostly shredded mulch.
If its in a bag im afraid your gonna be disappointed as you have fallen foul of marketing
Is that a ginger or galangal or turmeric you have above your head when you're in the spud tent?
No thats a banana
Hi Tony, on amazon in Italy I can only find kindle version. Where can I find paper version?!? Thanks.
Amazon are having issues and the paperback and hardback are not showing or are showing but out of stock they are working on it,. Google it as its available elsewhere
Thank you did you find any of the commercial compost was any good? I know you own is better as my husband proved when he put our homemade compost on a patch with weeds just to move it temporarily and they grew like wildfire however you can't always make enough especially for starting up at first or again. Our compost will have to stay here when we move as we have no way of moving it and I want to set up high raised beds when we get moved which will need a lot of compost as well as top soil.
Yes there was a clover compost that was good, unfortunately it wont be available next year as its peat based
Hi Tony another great video 👌 I've just built my fourth bay three are currently full and one is planted up with potato peel. where would be the best place to get a hardback copy of your book
Just purchased you audio book on audible. Its working just fine.
Great to hear! Phillip would you mind leaving a review good or bad when your done so others can see your thoughts
@@simplifygardening Sure thing man.
@@OrganicGreens thanks pal
Your lucky I had half a large dead rat in one of my bags! Modern compost is just poor to useless! I do have compost bins in the garden but am wary it could be too strong for young plants!
When you compost right Adrian you can sow seed into it with no issues
Hi Tony I'm Andrew from South Africa and I see how beautiful your Rhubarb leaves are as for mine the last few months are being eaten by some bug or worm I have checked under the leaves but I don't see anything there what can I use to stop this from happening, regards Andrew
Fantastic 👍👍👍
Hi Tony boy love the video will be getting the book mate 👍
thanks mate When you finish reading or listening to it would you mind leaving an honest review on Amazon? It will help others make a choice to buy or not. It can be good or bad. Honest reviews are more authentic.
Can anyone advise the best compost to buy i have only just stated and not sure what the best bought compost is to buy
I like clover the best mother earth second
@@simplifygardening thank you