5 Best Multi-Purpose Compost of 2024

The Miracle-Gro 119761 All Purpose Compost is suitable for use in all areas of the garden, adding nutrients to flower beds, hanging baskets, pots and containers. It’s available in either a 40 L or 50 L bag and offers great value for money.

For reference, the 50 L bag contains enough compost to fill four large patio pots and three hanging baskets.

In terms of the compost itself, it contains 14 vital minerals to create a rich compost that also drains well. It contains nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium as expected, alongside 11 trace elements which help to maintain the health of plants.

Containing smart release granules, this compost will only work when the growing conditions are optimal, e.g., warm and moist. This allows for the most efficient absorption of minerals, and can feed plants for an entire season – up to six months at a time.

The compost’s ‘waterlock’ technology is also designed to absorb 25% more water than ordinary compost, helping plants to stay hydrated. It has both good water retention and offers good drainage.

The consistency of this compost makes it easy to work with. It’s very smooth, and has a fresh smell to it with a crumbly texture. The most important thing is to make sure it’s not able to dry out. In storage, ensure it’s as airtight as possible and it should last for up to a year.

Be aware that this compost is not peat free – although the pack does claim that the compost is using 50% less peat. If you’re looking for products with zero peat content, you’ll want to look for a completely peat-free alternative.

Overall, this is one of the best multipurpose composts on the market. It offers great value for money and has been put together by a reputable brand who certainly know a thing or two about plant health. The only real downside is that it’s not peat-free, so it depends where you sit on the ‘to peat, or not to peat’ issue.

Produced from high quality peats, with the addition of fertiliser, this Growmoor Multi-Purpose Compost does a great job improving the health of plants. It’s available in several sizes, from small 10 L bags up to large 80 L options.

Containing a nutrient-enhanced formula as well as a wetting agent, this compost is suitable for the majority of plants, including those in containers and hanging baskets. It’s highly absorbent, so is intended to hold water and nutrients for longer, helping stop plants from drying out. It contains a relatively even blend of nitrogen, phosphate and potassium, helping encourage both root development and flowering.

The texture of this compost makes it easy to use. It’s good quality, dark, rich and relatively fine. The fine texture ensures it lets plenty of air in and doesn’t compact around plants like thicker composts. There are no wood chips or twiggy particles that are often used to bulk out compost, which makes this one of the best multi purpose composts for seedlings and potting.

As mentioned, this compost does contain peat. According to Growmoore these Moss Peats come from “ecological managed licensed peat bogs and not from any SSSI” (a site of specific scientific interest).

This Multi-Purpose Compost with John Innes can be used at any life-stage of the plant: whether it’s germinating or waiting to flower. It delivers a good mix of nutrients and is suitable to be used for up to five weeks.

The texture is relatively neutral – not too sandy or soggy, and there are some additional components included, like wood fibre. The wood fibre comes from FSC certified forests which means it’s been sustainably grown/sourced.

There is also some peat in the mix, which more and more gardeners are looking to avoid; however, it is considered a ‘reduced peat’ compost, so they have gone to measures to keep the peat content down.

According to some customers’ experiences, this compost can deliver mixed results depending on what’s being grown – it seems that it can help broad beans, carrots and peas to thrive, but may not be as effective on tomatoes, peppers and aubergines.

Overall, this is one of the best composts featured if you want a good combination of larger and smaller particles in your compost. These can help with drainage and stop the compost from compacting. With this Westlands option, it’s also nice to know that FSC certified wood is used.

The 50 L bag is substantial and reasonably priced. It offers enough nutrients to help with the growth of most plants at any stage of their development – it just might take a bit of trial and error to find the plants that don’t get on with this compost.

For a good value compost, that will help give young plants a boost, this J. Arthur Bowers Multi-Purpose Compost offers two bags at a reasonable price and provides all the nutrients plants need for their first 4-6 weeks.

It contains nitrogen which helps leaves and shoots grow, as well as phosphate for root development and potassium to encourage flowering and fruit.

In terms of the compost itself, it has a pleasant airy texture and doesn’t clump easily – any small lumps that do form are easily and quickly broken up with the fingers. There are few ‘filler’ materials used, like bark, and the overarching opinion seems to be that it’s a quality compost.

It has good water retention as well as efficient drainage, and doesn’t compact around plants of become overly dense.

Also, the fact that you get 100 L overall, but not in a heavy 100 L bag, makes it more practical to use in the garden. It’s a lot easier to carry around a 50 L bag rather than lug about larger sacks.

Overall, it’s one of the best composts to use if you’re after value for money. It’s a good quality product, in a size that’s easy to manage, and you still get a lot for the price.

The only downside is that it is not completely peat free – the problem with this is that using up natural peat reserves is bad for our ecosystem. Whilst this compost does contain reduced amounts of peat, there is still some present.

If you’re working to a budget, this Levington Multi Purpose Compost is a low-cost option that gives you 70 L of compost.

It can be used at any stage of a plant’s development, including seed sowing, and the large bag is sufficient for filling approximately 70 small pots (12 cm diameter), or 14 medium pots (22 cm in diameter).

Suitable to use for up to six weeks, this compost retains water well and doesn’t get too compacted. It contains a combination of recycled materials to help with aeration, although it seems that the quality of these materials can vary. There may be wood, stones, and ceramic included, amongst other materials.

As a large bag, it also has the potential to be used on its side as a grow bag, if required.

When used for conventional compost you will likely need to decant it into a smaller container, rather than moving the whole bag, as it is quite heavy and hard to manage. However, the bag does have a ‘slimline’ design which makes it a little easier to pick up.

All things considered, this is one of the best composts to buy on a budget – it may not have the same quality as some other composts featured here, but it is still from a trusted brand and you get a lot for your money.