Where to buy cheap compost online for delivery or click and collect: do B&Q, Wickes and Homebase still have stock?

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published 6 April 2020

Spring has sprung: cue the annual search for cheap compost deals. This year, more people than ever are looking to buy compost online either for delivery, or click and collect, for obvious safety reasons. Many mainstream retailers have currently sold out - you can't currently order compost for delivery or click and collect from B&Q online or Homebase online, and Wickes online is down to very limited stock.

But you can still buy compost online for delivery. We've curated the best cheap compost deals currently available here on this page.

Where to buy plants online

Which seeds give the fastest yield?

Basil - from £2.15 at Crocus
Courgettes - from £1.79 at Crocus
Cucumbers - from £1.99 at Suttons
Green beans - from £2.29 at Crocus
Kale - from 69p at Van Meuwen
Mint - from £1.29 at Dobies
Radishes - from 69p at Van Meuwen
Salad leaves - from £1.49 on eBay
Spinach - from 69p at Van Meuwen
Turnips - from £1.49 at Dobies

No matter whether you have a garden, courtyard, balcony or even just a windowsill, now is the optimum time to start your grow-your-own endeavour. If you're planting on your balcony or windowsill, things like peppers, herbs, tomatoes and salad leaves are really good options. You could also try a potato grow bag on a balcony; or even kill two birds with one stone and try ‘tomtatoes’ – an innovative plant that yields both tomatoes and potatoes.

Seeing the first seedlings sprouting can be very exciting, and having the fully fledged veg on your plate is even better. If you're looking to reduce plastic and scale-down reliance on supermarkets and big chains, get those seeds in now. Plus, growing your own veg is a great way to pass the extra time we all have at home now - but it all starts with that first bag of cheap compost, delivered right to your door.

The best gardening tools

How to choose the best compost

Multi-purpose compost is the all-round safe option for getting started with most fruit, veg and flowers. Spend a bit more and you can buy multi-purpose composts with slow-release fertiliser from brands such as Osmocote. These are particularly good for good for growing plants in pots and hanging baskets. You could also splash out on multi-purpose compost with moisturiser-retaining gels or crystals so you don't have to water them as much. Again, these are good for pots and hanging baskets, but not necessary for gardens.

Seeds will grow in anything, but to give them the best start you could opt for seed compost. This is less aggregated - which means there are fewer open gaps of air, helping provide the perfect environment for germination.

Next comes the soil or peat question. Peat in compost has become quite unsustainable in recent years, as it has stripped many habitats of their peaty home and does not regenerate quickly – it's said to take up to 100 years to regrow. If you want to make the environmental choice, then peat-free or reduced-peat is recommended.

The best cheap compost deals we've found online

SOLD OUT Melcourt SylvaGrow Multipurpose Compost | Various retailers | From £3.99 for 15 litres
If you're simply after a brilliant all-rounder for most situations, then Melcourt SylvaGrow Multipurpose Compost comes up time and time again in top compost round-ups. The peat-free mix of bark, wood and coir is the perfect fit for young plants. Handily, it's available for delivery from loads of outlets, although it's much more common to see the great value 50 litre bags rather than the cheaper 15 litre option:

Buy from Dobies for £16.99 for 50 litres
Buy from Suttons for £16.99 for 50 lites
Buy from eBay for £19.99 for 50 litres
Buy from Waitrose for £3.99 for 15 litres

SOLD OUT Verve Multi-purpose Compost | B&Q | From £4.60 for 50 litres / 3 for £12
An excellent compost from a familiar store, B&Q's own Verve brand compost is one of the cheapest around. The award winning multi-purpose compost is especially good for sowing seeds in the garden and greenhouse, promising to give them a six-week feed. Delivery's a fiver, unless you add your compost to a bigger B&Q order as delivery is free when you spend £50. It's worth noting that Verve compost does contain peat, and isn't so good for acid-loving plants such as Rhododendrons, Heathers and Azaleas.

Browse more cheap compost deals

Adam is the Content Director of Subscriptions and Services at Future, meaning that he oversees many of the articles the publisher produces about antivirus software, VPN, TV streaming, broadband and mobile phone contracts - from buying guides and deals news, to industry interest pieces and reviews. Leading and developing a great team, Adam can still be seen dusting his keyboard off to write articles for the likes of TechRadar, T3 and Tom's Guide, having started his career at consumer champions Which?.