Personal peat vs peat-free experiment

[alan refail]

No no Alan, don't fear boring us. Far more interesting to hear results of someone's trial than perpetual belief-based argument !

Thank you so much for your encouragement, Tony.

[Nature's Babe]

Hi Alan, light can definitely make a difference, I have planted the same seeds the same way, in the same compost, at the same time and had them germinate at different times. in different light. It also makes a difference to growth. I planted four achocha seeds at the same time, in the same compost, in pots in the same place, they all germinated and grew unifomly as seedlings. As I wasn't sure what conditions they like I planted two in the more shady lean-to greenhouse and two in the more sunny outside greenhouse. The achoka vines in the more shady greenhouse are now more than twice the height with much longer sideshoots, than the ones in the sunny greenhouse. It's not down to the potting compost - they all had the same.

[alan refail]

Dear NB

Apologies in advance for sounding rather sharp with you,

Difference in light levels is irrelevant here; as I pointed out earlier, my comparison sowings are all in the same light.

Please try not to drift the thread - something I asked in my original post.

Alan

[oldherbaceous]

Alan my dear fellow, forgive my slight drift to the good but, from the amount of views this topic has had, it certainly is not boring us.

Keep up the good work.

[alan refail]

Some pictures as promised. Photographed two weeks after sowing. In each case the Clover peat compost is to the left, the New Horizon to the right.

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BASIL

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LETTUCE

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ONION (the ones on the left are looking a bit tatty as a mouse seems to have given them some attention overnight)

[alan refail]

...and the other two

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BEAN

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COURGETTE

[Johnboy]

Good morning Alan,
You started this wonderful experiment when I was on my holiday and it has been fascinating to read about the progress.
I cannot understand NB's reluctance to accept what you are doing is a parallel experiment because this of all experiments is the one people want to see most at this present time. Side by side is exactly what is says.
Heat may play a part in germination but light and nutrition have very little to do with it at the initial stage with the exception of Basil which may need light to aid germination.
Looking at the photographs this morning I see the coarseness of the pot of NH sown with the Lettuce and really declare that it is not really fit for the purpose of sowing anything.
I make my own compost (which is pretty well known of pulverized straw and Comfrey) but even when used for seeding is put this through a small grid riddle to get an even texture.
Roots are initially not capable of taking up nutrition and it is only when the seeds own supply of nutrition is nearing depletion do the plants own roots come into the equation.
To me, the question is if the compost is too coarse and hard for the seedling roots to penetrate they have a difficult job and is the nutrition in a state for the roots to take it up the juvenile stage because of the coarseness?
Root structure is the all important factor for a successful plant.
Time will tell.
I do not find this is the slightest way boring and I wish we had many more postings of this like.
JB.

[peter]

Read Steve, KG Editor, Ott's comment on peat in the latest edition, a very reasoned viewpoint.

[alan refail]

Mini update #5

Following on from Friday's photos: some more beans are about to appear in the NH, but so much slower than the Clover peat. Onions are about equal between the two both in germination time and germination percentage. Probably 80% germination of basil in both, though again the NH rather slower. Still no sign of lettuce in the NH.

[Elle's Garden]

My personal experiment has not been nearly as scientific as yours Alan, last year I grew Broad beans in Westlands MP, this year I used New Horizons. They seem to be growing just as well and look very healthy. As I say, in no way scientific - far to many variables, but as to my own satisfaction - I am happy with the results!

I think your thread is very interesting - thank you for keeping it updated.

[alan refail]

The experiment a week on from the last pictures. The order is the same and again the Clover peat is on the left and the New Horizon on the right

Basil 10 June 2011

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[alan refail]

Bean 10 June 2011

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[alan refail]

Time for some results from this trial.

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[alan refail]

A final observation on this trial. I have compared the beans this morning prior to planting out. The New Horizon ones are half the size of the Clover ones; they are also yellowy green as compared to the dark healthy green of the Clover beans.

I will post a picture of the beans later.

edited to add picture

Bean Cherokee Trail of Tears 18 June 2011

Clover to left - New Horizon to right

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One conclusion from the past few weeks: I shall not be using New Horizon again.

Now on to trial #2.

[Johnboy]

Hi Alan,
New Horizon was made for the organic market which means because they do not recognize man made fertilizers as legitimate they are absent and therefore they are relying on composted material plus probably forest waste which is obviously insufficient.
So what is really missing from your the New Horizon trial is nutrition.
Beans should have sufficient nutrition stored in the cotyledons so there is also something else that is amiss.
JB.