peat free compost

[kate&rob]

i try my best do do my bit for the environment, even buying peat free compost. i bought a big bag from b&Q but find that it dries out much quicker than ordinary compost and water seems to just run straight through it. has anyone got any ideas to get it to retain moisture or is there a better type of peat free compost.

[Gwen11ian]

You could work in some well rotted leaves (from last year or the year before) or your own compost if you have a bin. Another option would be water-retaining crystals, which work pretty well.

[bluemoon]

I find that B&Q's own brand peat-free is appalling (as is Homebase's). They do now stock Westland, which is better, but the best by far is New Horizon. The trouble is, whatever brand you buy it comes in plastic sacks. I'm currently researching into recipes and hope to make my own next year.

[kate&rob]

i do have my own compost bin at the allotment but i use that soley for the plot.
where did you get the new horizon from bluemoon? the plastic sack is a problem but i put all my plastic bags in the recycling bin at the supermarket. i always end up with loads of carriers etc i always forget to take my reuseable bags when i go shopping! memory like a sieve.

[bluemoon]

I get it from a local garden centre K&R. Many of the independents sell it. Humax make a reasonable one too.

[kate&rob]

thanks for that bluemoon, i'll have a look for them.

[Snadger]

I always make my own JI compost because I can't afford to do otherwise.

I just ad lib it a bit and it always seems to be ok!

[nick the grief]

I always make my own JI compost because I can't afford to do otherwise.

I just ad lib it a bit and it always seems to be ok!

I do the same Snadger. If you live close to some woods then this time of year you can go and get a few sacks full of leaves to make leaf mould to replace the peat and thats really good, trouble is you need an awful lot of leaves as they rot down to about 1/10 of the original volume.

As to peat free compost - never tried them myself but you don't have to give up on peat as there are some that are "reclaimed" from the northern reservoirs where they filter it out of the water in the treatment works so it's not quite so bad as digging it up