Product review: Earth Cycle Composts

This year, I’m trying out some Earth Cycle composts, made from recycled green waste and cow manure

When I stopped using peat-based compost many years ago the alternatives were often disappointing. Large pieces of woody material in the compost were common, it had a tendency to dry out quickly and I was uneasy about the carbon footprint of coir products. There is now more choice but I’m always interested in trying something new so the offer of some Earth Cycle composts to test was welcome.

I was sent two bags by Earth Cycle: the compost soil conditioner and the cow compost. Both can be used as soil conditioners – always a bonus on my sandy ground – or mixed into soil when planting to give shrubs and trees a boost.

The Cow Compost is also recommended for fruit and vegetable growing either as a mulch around fruit bushes or for when planting beans, brassicas and other veg.

How are Earth Cycle Composts made?

The immediate appeal was that these products use waste. The Earth Cycle composts started when a family-run dairy and arable farm in West Sussex decided to diversify into waste recycling, taking in garden waste from across the region.

This is shredded, composted and sieved – removing stones and pieces of plastic – to make a range of products. The Cow Compost, as the name suggests, is based on manure from the farm’s organic dairy herd.

Putting it to use

I’ve decided to use the Earth Cycle composts on a bed that is going to have beans on it this year. They are hungry, thirsty plants so soil preparation is key. I’m also using part of the bed for sweet peas – another greedy crop.

So far, I’ve spread the soil conditioner on the bed and lightly forked it in. The Cow compost will go into the bottom of the trenches when the bean poles go up.

First impressions are good. Both the compost and the soil conditioner are easy to handle, free of lumps and a rich dark colour – the contrast against my light soil was marked. It will be interesting to see how the beans fare.

• For more information on Earth Cycle composts, see the website.

• The soil conditioner and cow compost were supplied free by Earth Cycle in return for an unbiased review.