Should i be so appalled? .

[bobbin]

Like lots of you I empty my seasons annual baskets and pots onto my allotment to compost them. However this year I was aghast to see the soil in one of the pots had contained polystyrene beads. Hundreds and hundreds of them! I couldn't work out where they came from as I always repot everything into its new location. The only possibility is they came from a trough of sempervivum my husband planted up. We bought about 6 potted plants at a plant fair last year. I've tried to pick them out but it's not easy!
I just cannot believe how irresponsible a practise this is. I certainly don't want them in my soil.I realise they are to open up he structure of the soil but they will not breakdown. Is this common practise? Introducing this into the soil can't be good.

[hamamelis]

It's fairly common- it's a lot lighter than grit, so much cheaper to transport. I've had a few alpine plants that came with polystyrene balls in the mix. Do you have a garden sieve? That'd probably be the best way.

[Jungle Jane]

I use polystyrene in the bottom of my large pots,so I don't have to fill them with compost,it's never been a problem for the plants in them...

[bobbin]

Oh I know,I use polystyrene blocks in pots too...to bulk out and so reduce the need for unnecessary compost and of course it's a bit less to shove in landfill. It's just it seems such an alien thing to introduce to the soil. Grit and similar are naturally occurring and I expect that in pots but polystyrene is an artificial substance and isn't going to break down anytime soon. I will try to sieve out the remainder but wish I'd known it was present before I purchased the item. I'm not being precious here I am just really consciously night a pile of cabbage leave about how we introduce unwanted stuff into natural mediums.��
That said I am amazed at the stuff people dump on our communal (lit twice a year) bonfire. I noticed last night someone had dumped a pile of nice healthy compostable cabbage plants ..no sign of club root ... that I may go and recycle onto my heap! ...minus their roots. Sadly I think some of its laziness though maybe often it's just because folk haven't read up on composting! I'm desperate for composting material.

[Nicos]

Know the feeling bobbin.
I get so frustrated over here that near enough all potting compost is peat based.
For goodness sake!

Ah well...the leaves have started to fall- there's going to be plenty enough to make our own compost - it's just finding the time in reality!

[ESBkevin]

I hate that polystyrene in pretty much all its guises. Buy something new and the box has chunks with small floaty bits goind everywhere and even littering the drive when you tru and dispose of the stuff.

I have a pet hate of plastic in my soil, I used some shredded paper in my worm bins a while ago and this weekend I found bits of 'window' plastic strips from envelopes throughout the castings. Broken pots, labels, netting, string, bottles, caps, it annoys me and is the reason I have a bin in the plot shed and filthy pockets where I put the stuff whenever I find it.

[Grumpy Gardener]

Are you sure it's polystyrene and not perlite which is a perfectly safe material that has been added to compost for many years in order to aid with the drainage?
The two materials are very similar.
John

[Grumpy Gardener]

I might add that perlite is a naturally occurring sileocous Rock and isn't man made like polystyrene.
John

[Dalrimple]

are you sure perlite is a natural ? I worked at afactory at Doveholes that made and labled it as Perlite.
atb Dal.

[Grumpy Gardener]

Very sure.
It's volcanic glass which is heated to over 1500F and at this temperature it turns in to small white balls that you find in compost. Yea it is manufactured in to these balls but form from its natural inert state.
Horticultural perlite will have no additives and it has the added benefit of superb water retention.
John

[Dalrimple]

yes but it's man made and uses a lot of energy to produce it !
so in my way of thinking it' not so green is it ?
Dal

[bobbin]

Hi Grumpy Gardener ....(I'm sure you're not!)
It's not perlite as I've ever seen it. I've often used perlite but I'm sure this is polystyrene. Ok I know this is disgusting but I rinsed one of the balls and bit on it, if it's not polystyrene I don't know what it is.
I just don't fancy it in the soil somehow..