Plants struggling this year

[hamesy]

Is anyone else's plants struggling this year, mainly courgettes, pumpkins and runner beans?

I normally sow mine mid April to plant out mid to late May and they never fail. However this year, they started off well, I planted them into their final positions and haven't grown. Quite a few people on our site are having the same issues.

[Plot70]

All my squashes and beans stalled for a month after planting but have now begun to grow.
There was a long cold period that held them back.

[quanglewangle]

Yup. Lower germination rates, more pests, generally later.

Won't go down as a good year.

[Dynamo]

I think a lot of problems are being caused by peat free composts. Someone on YouTube did a video comparing plants grown in peat free compost with those grown in regular peat compost and the results were staggering. The peat free plants were less than a quarter of the size of those in regular compost. There's far too much undecomposed stuff in the peat free compost and it uses too much of the nitrogen available. I'm getting around it by feeding my plants sometimes twice a week. It's not perfect but the results are better.

[ameno]

I think a lot of problems are being caused by peat free composts. Someone on YouTube did a video comparing plants grown in peat free compost with those grown in regular peat compost and the results were staggering. The peat free plants were less than a quarter of the size of those in regular compost. There's far too much undecomposed stuff in the peat free compost and it uses too much of the nitrogen available. I'm getting around it by feeding my plants sometimes twice a week. It's not perfect but the results are better.

It depends heavily on the compost, and it's irresponsible to just sweepingly claim "peat-free compost is bad because..." when that really only applies to specific products, not peat-free compost in general.
Several of the Which best buys this year are peat-free, and have been for several years. You just need to know which are the good ones, and which are the ones to avoid. But the same is true of peat-based composts. Peat-based and peat-free composts are also among the worst scoring in Which Gardening's latest trials, so it's not even as if peat-based ones are more reliably good. It depends entirely on the specific product and formulation.

[quanglewangle]

I'll give up using peat in compost when they give up running power stations on it.

Yes, there are three power stations in Ireland that burn peat.

http://ireland2050.ie/past/peat/#:~:...0West%20Offaly.

[greenishfing]

Up to this year I've used Clover compost (peat) for several years. This year, for some reason, I bowed to the omnipresent green pressure and tried a couple of different peat free composts.

I can't believe I didn't realise, until now, what has probably been my main problem. Next year, regardless, it's back to clover if I can get it.

[Nicos]

We have found ( so far) most French compost are rubbish unless mixed with normal topsoil.
Having spoken with other veggie growers here they all seem to say the same thing and start feeding plants much earlier.

They seem to be mostly peat and quickly get soggy when wet and ultra dry very quickly. Not ideal for young plants.
Maybe as with most things, a good combination is best?

[quanglewangle]

I have always mixed compost with sterilised top soil, mostly because it aids re-wetting in case of drying out. Pure compost is almost impossible to re-wet all through if it dries out.

[Snoop Puss]

Thanks, Nicos and quanglewangle. I shall start to do the same. I've tried three composts this year, all three rubbish.

[quanglewangle]

Actually John Innis composts have never been pure compost ...

JOHN INNES SEED COMPOST: The traditional mix for sowing almost any type of seed, with sufficient nutrient for early development. May also be used for rooting soft cuttings.
2 sterilised Loam 1 Peat 1 Sand	The loam and peat is put through in 9mm (3/8 in) sieve. For each cubic metre of mix, add 0.6kg ground limestone 1.2kg superphosphate

JOHN INNES POTTING COMPOST No.1: for pricking out or potting-up young seedlings or rooted cuttings. This composts has a carefully balanced nutrient content to suit most young plants.
7 Loam 3 Peat 2 Sand	For each cubic metre of mix, add 0.6kg ground limestone 1.2kg hoof and horn meal 1.2kg superphosphate 0.6kg potassium sulphate

Courtesy https://www.gardeningdata.co.uk/soil...john_innes.php

[Snadger]

The beauty of John Innes type compost is its weight, especially for pots in windy conditions. They retain water better as well. Those Victorian gardeners new a thing or three about composts,(peat wasn't an issue to them) but JI type composts can be made without peat, it's such a shame they weren't so enviromentally friendly with chemicals!

[annie8]

Did I not hear that Debbie’s had produced a peat free JI? Sure it as mentioned on one of the RHS Chelsea shows.

[bikermike]

I'll give up using peat in compost when they give up running power stations on it.

Yes, there are three power stations in Ireland that burn peat.

http://ireland2050.ie/past/peat/#:~:...0West%20Offaly.

https://m.dw.com/en/end-of-an-era-ir...ogs/a-59482726

you'd best start looking at alternatives then...

tbh I have never used peat, never felt the need. The idea that 100% peat is a good thing is a modern idea (driven AIUI by peat marketeers). As above John Innes mixtures are 25% peat.

[quanglewangle]

https://m.dw.com/en/end-of-an-era-ir...ogs/a-59482726

you'd best start looking at alternatives then...

tbh I have never used peat, never felt the need. The idea that 100% peat is a good thing is a modern idea (driven AIUI by peat marketeers). As above John Innes mixtures are 25% peat.

I guess I had then.

Agree with your comments about JI.
I've only ever used peat in mixtures. Apart from the re-wetting issue with pure peat, it dissappears in a season leaving the pot more or less empty apart from roots.