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I am in the process of establishing a raised bed in a semi-woodland setting.

Whilst I have plenty of topsoil, it is of relatively low quality on this uplandish site in West Wales, so I want to improve the soil quality. I would normally do this through the addition of compost. My personal reserves (of homemade compost) are recently depleted - so what are my alternatives. Can anyone suggest an appropriately sustainable, 'green' source of bought compost?

Or am I coming at this completely wrongly and missing a better way to improve soil quality?!

I'm afraid I've had to buy some recently as my 5 bins are still 'working' although I always buy the peat free ones.
However, our council have some fantastic Waste Buster facilities set up at their recyling areas, and compost is now also supplied that they make from the materials brought in.
Maybe your concil does the same thing? If not, you could always ask them to follow in Moray Council's (and maybe others) footsteps?

if there is a source of spent mushroom compost.. from a near by mushroom grower.. thats a good idea

Hills minerals deliver "warrior compost" in this area. I don't know if they have a similar scheme near you.

Thanks for the advice so far ...

Carmarthenshire Council don't seem to offer any compost for sale, but I'll keep searching...

Have you got a local tip? That's where our local council sell their compost from.

Do you know anyone with horses? A woman local to us struggles to get rid of the muck from her horses, so when we were getting started we picked up several Land Rover loads of six and seven-year-old horse muck. It cost nothing and she even bagged it for us in return for taking so much (about 2.5 tonnes in all).

PS Do not cart five loads of muck in the back of 110 CSW (or any glass windowed estate for that matter) in the middle of summer when the sun is shining. Flies and pong...

thats a good point stoney - there is a nice lady near us that advertises her horse poo on freecycle... she has it all organised in 3 bays so the stuff that is taken away is well rotted already.

but even if you cant get well rotted.. some things like spuds like neat pure unrotted poo

Pumpkins etc like it, too. And if you fill you raised beds with not-quite-so-well rotted muck and cover it with your topsoil, it'll also keep them nice and warm, hotbed-like. (That's how the Victorians grew pineapples here, I'm told. My courgettes certainly like the warmth!)

Thanks all...

I've been thinking of the animal route ... as seymour says ... the quickest way to produce compost is in 12 hours through the gut of an animal ... plenty of farming contacts so perhaps some well-rotted cow manure is the way to go.

i'd advise some care, though. beware of what any farmed animal manure may contain - antibiotics, gm food, growth hormones etc

horse muck is the best! we put it straight into our gardens, most everything loves it...

Seems wise to go the safest route and get shop bought for now and seek a source of 'clean' 'pure' muck as time allows. Raised bed going in this weekend, wish me luck!

I was just thinking, with your woodland garden you must have plenty of leaves to make leaf mould.

I'm really dead chuffed with ours - after just one and a bit years in a chicken wire bin and turned only once, I have beautiful dark brown peat like stuff that looks better than commercially produced potting compost.

It is supposedly not rich in nutrients but that doesn't matter because you can fertilise accordingly, or mix with manure or regular compost. But it will be a great soil enricher and good to use as potting compost too I expect (though maybe mixed with other stuff) - I'll be experimenting next year.

catalyst wrote:i'd advise some care, though. beware of what any farmed animal manure may contain - antibiotics, gm food, growth hormones etc

horse muck is the best! we put it straight into our gardens, most everything loves it...

To be honest, I think there isn't that much danger of muck containing "nasties". OK, GM food (or rather what's left of it after it's gone through the animal) is the most likely possible contaminator - so that's one thing you could ask the farmer when you enquire about muck. However, antibiotics will be used in any quantity only on dairy farms (for mastitis)- and they are less likely to have muck, mostly being a slurry system (although there are nowadays more on straw beds again, too). Growth hormones are only likely if you import your muck from the USA or so... Beef cattle and sheep will use some antibiotics, when necessary - but no more than any horse owner!