“All purpose”? Surely it can’t be! Well, no it isn’t! They tell you that “Miracle-Gro All Purpose Growing Compost contains 40% more nutrients than ordinary multi purpose compost. Enriched with Miracle-Gro Plant Food – feeds for 3 months. Special water retaining agent – helps to stop plants drying out and makes watering easier.” But this is not what is wanted for sowing seeds or striking cuttings. The seeds will germinate but they will not flourish. The cuttings probably won’t bother to grow any roots. So they should re-name it Miracle-Gro Potting compost. The water retaining agent is a great help in pots.

Download photograph of Miracle Gro Compost

Shredded bark is an attractive idea: it’s recycling, it keeps the weeds down, it lets the water through to the aquifer (ie its good for SUDS – Sustainable Urban Drainage Systems) and it rots down to increase the humus content of the topsoil. But it is acid. This is good if you are growing rhododendrons and other ericaceous plants but it is not good for most herbaceous plants.

Shredded bark can also be used as a path surface, with two additional disadvantages: (1) it looks folksy and not like a ‘proper path’ (2) it has to be replaced when it rots down.

So, as with most things, shredded bark is a great product when its used properly and a big disappointment when its used wrongly.

Download shredded bark photograph