Short answer: No — they serve similar roles but are very different in composition, biology, and behaviour.
What’s the difference?
| Aspect | Multipurpose Compost (MPC) | Home / DIY Compost |
|---|---|---|
| Purpose | Formulated, consistent growing medium for containers and pots | Recycled organic matter used as a soil improver |
| Ingredients | Peat-free blends of wood fibre, coir, composted bark, green waste, plus added fertilisers and lime | Kitchen waste, grass cuttings, leaves, shredded prunings, paper/card etc. |
| Biological activity | Usually microbially inactive | Highly biologically active, rich in living microbes |
| Nutrient profile | Factory-blended and short-term — nutrients last ~4–6 weeks | Slow-release, variable — depends on inputs and composting process |
| Structure and stability | Lightweight and porous | Denser, heavier, continues to decompose after use |
| Main use | Seedlings (if labelled), pots, containers, growbags | Soil improvement, mulching, garden bed enrichment |
Key takeaway
MPC is a manufactured substrate, designed to be clean, consistent, and ready-to-use for container growing. Home compost is a biological soil improver, better for enriching soil rather than filling pots.
Using home compost alone in pots or seed trays often leads to compaction, over-wetness, or nutrient imbalance. Conversely, using MPC as a soil conditioner adds short-term structure but little long-term biological benefit.
Soil Food Web (SFW) lens
From a Soil Food Web perspective, the contrast is fundamental:
- Multipurpose Composts are microbially quiet — they contain organic matter but very few active organisms.
- Home composts are teeming with life — bacteria, fungi, protozoa, and microfauna — primed to form humus and soil aggregates.
When a small portion (10–25%) of living home compost is mixed into MPC, it can reseed the biology, jump-starting natural nutrient cycling and improving plant resilience. This creates a “living compost blend” that merges the physical structure of MPC with the biological vitality of home compost.
See more in Biological Activity (P4) and Humus Pathways – Healthy Soil Series.
Best practice
- For pots and containers → use quality MPC.
- For beds and borders → mix home compost into the soil (20–30%).
- For best of both worlds → blend a portion of home compost or humus-rich material into MPC for a biologically “alive” growing medium.
Footnote: Compost standards
Home / DIY compost is closer in nature to PAS100-certified compost than to commercial MPC. Both are derived from aerobically decomposed organic materials, whereas MPCs are typically formulated blends of fibrous substrates and nutrients designed for short-term use.
If you’ve ever used council green-waste compost, that’s effectively industrial-scale “home compost” made under PAS100 standards.
