seems I have 2 local options: New Horizons which I can get from the local Wilko, or B&Q brand. Which would you buy??
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I don't use peat free but I do know that some grapes speak very highly of the New Horizon compost.
I would wait for 2Sheds I am fairly sure that is what she uses.
ColinPotty by name Potty by nature.
By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.
We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.
Aesop 620BC-560BC
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Did anyone here see the episode of Countryfile recently where a guy from the peat extraction industry put a very powerful argument for continuing with peat based compost.
His argument was two fold. Firstly, the ground from where the peat is extracted from is often reclaimed land and is usually poor quality farmland and very little can be grown on it. The second argument is the fact that when the peat is extracted, the land is then turned into a nature reserve. In fact one such area has just been given an award or been given special scientific status or something. Whatever it was, the place is beautiful and wild now.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't use peat free compost wherever possible though, but I find its pretty poor for potting etc. At the moment, I mainly use the stuff as a soil improver. From what I've seen of the stuff, I'm sure more effort could be made to make the product much better.
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You'll get many thumbs up for New Horizon, and very few for B&Q which is quite coarse and lumpy
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ase_55554.html
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...post_8278.html
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ial_55574.html
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ree_58156.html
You don't need to sterilise potting compost. Fungi DO grow on rotting wood (which is what is in the compost) but they aren't a problem, just pick them offAll gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.
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Originally posted by Dynamo View PostDid anyone here see the episode of Countryfile recently where a guy from the peat extraction industry put a very powerful argument for continuing with peat based compost.
His argument was two fold. Firstly, the ground from where the peat is extracted from is often reclaimed land and is usually poor quality farmland and very little can be grown on it. The second argument is the fact that when the peat is extracted, the land is then turned into a nature reserve. In fact one such area has just been given an award or been given special scientific status or something. Whatever it was, the place is beautiful and wild now.
I'm not saying that we shouldn't use peat free compost wherever possible though, but I find its pretty poor for potting etc. At the moment, I mainly use the stuff as a soil improver. From what I've seen of the stuff, I'm sure more effort could be made to make the product much better.
I find it fine for seed sowing, potting on and growing in; otherwise I'd not have been still picking tomatoes outside still in December...you just have to adapt it to suit and remember to feed plants in pots throughout the growing period.
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Originally posted by Dynamo View Postthe ground from where the peat is extracted from is often reclaimed land and is usually poor quality farmlandAll gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.
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I can't comment on the B&Q but didn't have any problems with the New Horizons. I used it for sowing seeds in pots, I used some to part fill our new raised beds and also used their giant grow bags. As previously mentioned, I did have quite a healthy crop of mushrooms popping up in the raised beds - I'm not sure if they were from the NH compost or horse manure that I also used though.
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Digging up carbon rich natural habitats that are home to rare plants, birds and other species just so that I can grow some tomatos in it in my garden makes no logical or environmental sense. Peat forms incredibly slowly over thousands of years. It takes a a decade or two to destroy a peat bog through extraction. If it were taxed to reflect the damage it caused then the peat industry would disappear overnight.
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Originally posted by Two_Sheds View PostPeat doesn't come from farmland, it comes from ancient peat bogs, which are in themselves natural wildlife habitats
The peat in the article on Countryfile was from farmland.
I got the impression that John Craven was in favour of what the guy was saying, so bearing in mind how the programme is usually very enviroment friendly, I'd be inclined to believe that what he said was correct. Have a look to see if the article is still available on BBC iPlayer and judge for yourselves.
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The RHS have been testing growing seeds and cuttings without peat. They used coir, green waste and woodfibre multipurpose composts. Best result came from sieving the composts (except coir which did not need it) and adding either vermiculite, perlite or grit. For small seed growing they liked Coir + vermiculite 8:1 ratio; green waste & vermiculite 4:1 was next.
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Originally posted by Dynamo View PostDid anyone here see the episode of Countryfile
Originally posted by Dynamo View PostFrom what I've seen of the stuff, I'm sure more effort could be made to make the product much better.
Or just ordinary leafmould (the cheapest option for seed sowing)All gardeners know better than other gardeners." -- Chinese Proverb.
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Not getting into this argument again but the Country File program was about the Somerset Levels. Where peat has been extracted for years, the man did admit that in the past natural habits have been destroyed. However they have now turned into their own new form of beautiful habitat which is about to receive World Heritage Status.
The small scale extraction now going on is in fact poor quality farm land and the claim is that it is better to extract the peat and then create new wild life habitat than to leave it as farm land. Those are the facts of the program now I will leave the argument to others.
ColinPotty by name Potty by nature.
By appointment of VeggieChicken Member of the Nutters club.
We hang petty thieves and appoint great ones to public office.
Aesop 620BC-560BC
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Originally posted by Two_Sheds View PostNo, and google's not giving me owt either. Can you post a link?
Originally posted by Two_Sheds View PostHave you actually tried New Horizon? Or Vital Earth, the one Zaz likes?
Or just ordinary leafmould (the cheapest option for seed sowing)
I've just bought 280 litres of B&Q peat free compost and I've been busy microwaving it as someone here suggested earlier in the thread. It is very course though so I'm going to buy a sieve to sort out the finer stuff for planting.
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