Tweet for peat

[alan refail]

There is a a peat-based compost approvedby the Soil Association.It is called "Moorland Gold",produced by West Riding Organics.Stockists are quoting £5-99 for 40 litres retail.

Hi snooky

Depends where you buy it from

http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/p ... cts_id=494

[pdblak]

Hi snooky

Depends where you buy it from

http://www.organiccatalog.com/catalog/p ... cts_id=494

Crikey, £12 a bag. That's hardly inspiring people, more making a fast buck from the situation.

Personally I've tried peat free and, the ones in my price range anyway, found it to be lacking. I don't doubt there are reliable ones out there but as no one seems to be saying what they are then I'm doubtful they'd fit my pocket. If they were affordable and readily available then they company who produces them would be screaming it from the rooftops and making a killing from them. But they're not.

[Nature's Babe]

In my experience it is not just a choice between two evils, eg importing coir and adding to emissions, or using peat and destroying the environment, there is another alternative that is environmentally friendly, and helps sequester carbon, it also improves water holding capacity and nutrients in the soil.
Make your own compost and return all vegetable waste to the soil as a mulch including weeds (dry off on the paths first } as long as they haven't seeded you can use it. At first I thought this might be easier in the country than in the town; even in town there are sources of vegetable waste, veg shops have waste, coffee shops too, waste paper card, lawn clippings, the neighbour who doesn't garden might save veg waste for your compost, all this would reduce landfill too. Even the fish shops have waste, and this does not smell if buried, the worms will make short work of it under mulched soil and till the ground for you. Mulching conserves water in the ground too during periods of drought like that we have just experienced.

[peter]

Any fish waste will attract rats and/or foxes.

[glallotments]

In my experience it is not just a choice between two evils, eg importing coir and adding to emissions, or using peat and destroying the environment, there is another alternative that is environmentally friendly, and helps sequester carbon, it also improves water holding capacity and nutrients in the soil.
Make your own compost and return all vegetable waste to the soil .

I have avoided being dragged into this 'discussion' but felt the need to respond to this suggestion. In an ideal world we would make our own compost but we really could never make sufficient to fulfil our needs I'm afraid.

[JohnT]

Personally I've tried peat free and, the ones in my price range anyway, found it to be lacking. I don't doubt there are reliable ones out there but as no one seems to be saying what they are then I'm doubtful they'd fit my pocket. If they were affordable and readily available then they company who produces them would be screaming it from the rooftops and making a killing from them. But they're not.

New Horizon Organic Peat-Free is probably the best generally spoken-of, and has done well in a number of trials. Price-wise; B&Q were doing a three-for-two offer on the 50L bags (normal price £5.98) - effectively bringing the price down to £3.99, or 8p a litre, as opposed to the 9p a litre that the local Morrisons was selling their own-brand peat-based for. I also believe that B&Q's own-brand peat-free is the New Horizon product.

The only problem with that though; is that NH's manufacturers William Sinclair, are presently showing themselves not to be the ethical, nature-friendly, or indeed law-abiding company that many of us would wish our 'green' suppliers to be. See here

John

[pdblak]

Unfortunately I'm nowhere near a B&Q and don't have a car anyway. I usually carry them back one at a time from the local Wilko or Focus. Now the latter has all but gone bust I'll have to start looking at the local Tesco too.

These places offer two choices usually, dirt cheap or rip-off expensive

[JohnT]

Unfortunately I'm nowhere near a B&Q and don't have a car anyway. I usually carry them back one at a time from the local Wilko or Focus.

Shame; I know Focus used to stock it at some of their stores - and on-offer as well.

Wilkinson's have small bags of NH on their website (link) certainly pricey in those volumes; but could be worth a trial? Other than that; there are a few suppliers on the net, that will do delivery of the large bags.

John

[alan refail]

Hi NB

A counsel of perfection for which you are to be commended.

Just a few quibbles, however.

If everyone had always made their own satisfactory compost the demand for commercial products, from John Innes formulations in the 1940s to peat-based composts in the 60s and 70s would not have arisen. Serious gardeners may make their own; the legions of new gardeners will go to the nearest outlet and buy a ready-made bag.

I produce large amounts of compost, but, as it is 50% or more poultry manure and wood shavings, I am not confident that it is suitable for making seed compost. I do, of course use it all as soil conditioner and fertiliser, and think the use of any bought compost for such a purpose is unsustainable (and a pointless expense).

And one final point: the use of peat is not "destroying the environment"; it has an impact on parts of the environment. No doubt someone will label this a semantic quibble, but I am convinced that the continued use of such exaggerated language is ultimately what will turn most peat users away from consideration of the arguments in favour of peat reduction.

[Nature's Babe]

Alan, yes, agreed new gardeners will probably do that, but with a little encouragement it is not difficult to make compost, and mulching is easy, the worms work it in without my help. Like you I make a lot of compost, and have three big wooden bays, the benefits in moisture retention and fertility of the soil are soon apparent.
I save enough compost for my seedlings, it can be seived for fine seeds, but things like beans will happily sprout in it as it is. I have several fruit trees and vines which gives a lot of leaves for mulch, spent runner beans and tall peas are laid on the ground as mulch, topped with lawn clippings straw etc, the worms do a good job of taking it into the soil. I just plant through the mulch
next year I hope to start some kamut grain early which should give more straw for mulch too. Interestingly I have never had a problem with seedlings damping off though I don't sterilise the compost. the compost is returned to the soil with the new seedlings. A plant takes only a quite small percentage of nutrients from the soil, most it makes from the sun, so returning all that is not consumed back to the soil makes sense in increasing soil fertility and humus

[Colin Miles]

Hi NB,

The problem is sadly that probably more than 99% of gardeners or would-be gardeners have neither the space nor the facilities for making their own. Even more sadly my 2 trays of Sweetcorn, 1 in peat, 1 in the Coop Professional Bullrush non-peat, have turned out markedly different. Both gave near enough 100% germination but the peat tray are very healthy and about an inch taller - indeed I have planted them out. The non-peat tray looks rather sad, with yellowing lower leaves and generally paler complexion. Possibly not enough food - have just given them one - or maybe ph not quite right.

[Nature's Babe]

Hi Colin, yes probably PH or lack of nutrients. they do sell some rubbish these days, at least with home made compost you know what goes into it nutrient- wise.