Hi Sibe,

Could you tell me any companies that sell and deliver potting compost to your home that are online, as I am disabled and need some for the coming season.

Thank you very much,

Annie King.

Our Gardening Expert replies:

Hi Annie,

There are quite a few companies who sell potting compost by mail order. The problem with buying it this way, is that the postage and delivery charges can be quite out of proportion to the cost of the compost. Also, if they are selling their own brand of potting compost you will have no objective indication of the quality or even the age of the compost. The age is important because the added fertilisers, particularly in peat-based composts, can break down when stored for a long period.

My advice would be to buy your compost online from a local source with reasonable delivery charges - and usually this will mean one of the larger do-it-yourself superstores. An even better bet would be to use a local branch of supermarket chain, which may well sell potting compost on a seasonal basis - this way it's almost guaranteed to be fresh and you can order along with your weekly shopping to take full use of paying for delivery!

I'm sure you can locate one in your neighbourhood and if they do not do online orders they may well agree to taking payment by credit card by telephone and then delivering to you.

I try to avoid 'own brand' potting composts. You are better to select a well-known national brand, such as Levington or one of the peat-free alternatives, or better still a John Innes loam-based mix. Loam-based composts are much better for plants that will stay in containers for a long period - ie more than six months - as the loam provides a buffer for nutrients which can keep the plants going for quite a long time, even if you forget to use supplementary liquid feeding. The problem with 'own brand' composts is that you are never sure how much fertiliser has been added. I have had really bad experiences with some of these and I am convinced that there was absolutely no fertiliser in a couple I tried out!

Best Wishes,

Sibe.