Change of heart regarding peat - a trial

[smallblueplanet]

Basically, peat based composts gave the best results, so I shall not be changing.

valmarg

Well there's always a reason to destroy the environment - but sometimes we have to try not to anyway. I shall be sticking with peat free even if growing is more difficult.

[Alison]

As I see it one of the main things that people complain about with peat free is that if you let it dry out then you can find it difficult to get damp again. Well, maybe I'm being over simplistic but if you water properly then it won't dry out and regardless of the type of compost then the plants will prefer proper watering rather than drown and drought. I've been using peat free (mainly New Horizon) for several years now and find it great. Several surveys show that it out performs the top peat composts (although if you look hard enough you can always find ones to say what you want to justify you're choices) and I'd agree entirely with those findings.

[Two_Sheds]

Basically, peat based composts gave the best results, so I shall not be changing.

Oh go on, be a devil

Peat free has beaten 7 of the peat composts : Container compost - February - 2011 - Which? News

[gojiberry]

I usually use Wicks Multi purpose compost at £13 for 4 X75lt bags which works out at 4.4p per lt. They have just started selling a peat free also at £13 but only 60lt bags which works out at 5.4p per lt. I think I am going to give it a whirl and see how it does.

Ian

[teakdesk]

As I see it one of the main things that people complain about with peat free is that if you let it dry out then you can find it difficult to get damp again.

That is certainly what I'm finding.

Well, maybe I'm being over simplistic but if you water properly then it won't dry out and regardless of the type of compost then the plants will prefer proper watering rather than drown and drought.

No, you are no being over-simplistic but I got caught unawares by having two completely different types of compost in the greenhouse.

As usual, I had been lifting a couple of pots to check for dryness and either watered or left alone ALL the examples of that type of plant.

I realised when some tomato plants wilted badly that I had checked peat based plants and correctly found they didn't need watering so didn't water any plants including the peat-free varieties.

Now I know to check peat-based and peat-free plants separately I'm sure the plants will be back on track.

[Alison]

No, you are no being over-simplistic but I got caught unawares by having two completely different types of compost in the greenhouse.

As usual, I had been lifting a couple of pots to check for dryness and either watered or left alone ALL the examples of that type of plant.

I realised when some tomato plants wilted badly that I had checked peat based plants and correctly found they didn't need watering so didn't water any plants including the peat-free varieties.

Now I know to check peat-based and peat-free plants separately I'm sure the plants will be back on track.

Yes but the point I was trying to make (probably badly) was that plants need the same amount of water overall regardless of what compost they are in. If you use peat based compost then you can often get away with being lazy and not watering properly as it will allow you to rehydrate from really overdry. However, in reality the plant would have benefitted from an earlier bit of water. With peat free you have to be more careful but the plants will thank you for it

[Nik]

I'd just like to assure anyone who is reading this thread wondering whether to go peat free that it really is no more difficult to use than peat based compost. A recent Which Gardening study showed it works just as well. New Horizon is a good buy - and garden centres often have a three for two offer so it isn't any more expensive.
However the cost to the environment is negligble compared to peat which is extracted from wildlife rich peat bogs in Ireland and the Baltic states and results in large amounts of carbon emmissions.
It's a no brainer really.

[Potstubsdustbins]

The biggest user of peat in Ireland are the power stations.

Colin

[chris]

I usually use Wicks Multi purpose compost at £13 for 4 X75lt bags which works out at 4.4p per lt. They have just started selling a peat free also at £13 but only 60lt bags which works out at 5.4p per lt. I think I am going to give it a whirl and see how it does.

Ian

The Wickes in Caerphilly's batch is crap, Ian.. all woody.. I bought a load of bags of it last year - stupidly did it again recently.. I'm mixing it with other stuff at the mo, and re-composting whatever else looks "partially" cooked.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Thats strange Chris because their peat in compost I find to be a very good standard and I would have thought they would have had similar standards for their peat free.

In fact when I found out they were producing it I must admit I was tempted so thanks for the heads up.

Colin

[mrpaulbradley]

Just bought a couple of bags of B&Q peat-free and I must agree it looks extremely woody. It's actually the standard of my second youngest compost bin. Not at all impressed. I've used it to mulch up some things but that's as far as I would throw it. I'm doubly disappointed because I also bought a few of their peat-free growbags; and if it's the same standard, then I'm doomed . I may risk some courgettes in them - they'd grow in anything right?
I need to give this new horizon stuff a bash. Sounds good and if it's highly recommended by Two Sheds? .... That'll be good enough for me !

[mrpaulbradley]

Ps Teakdesk I'll happily share my progress with the courgettes ..... If I remember!

[chris]

Well, picked up some B&Q peat free the other day. Used it today, and boy does it STINK. Not sure that's quite right. Mixed in a bit of a grow bag, only repotted 4 toms - gonna give them a week before doing the others to see if they curl up their toes or anything!

[mrpaulbradley]

Pps.... We really do need to find alternative substrates, because at the rate the world is burning it... There'll be sod all left.
No pun intended
(well, maybe a wee bit )

[solway cropper]

The simple answer for gardeners is to make your own. There's really no excuse for not having compost heaps and leaf mould cages. I currently have over 100 assorted containers filled with healthy veggies and the bulk of the compost is home-made with a few cheap grow-bags chucked in. It does take a few years to get it all organized but it's worth it for the cost benefit alone.