Peat vs peat-free

[Thelma Sanders]

Good point BB

[Bill HH]

Follow the links in the second post Bill,or do a forum search the merits of various composts are well documented

Yes i know the reasons, just wanted to know if everyone else did lol.



.........../as noted /...........

[Martin H]

Like others, I've struggled to get things growing properly in peat-free mpc and the low-peat ones aren't much better.

Last year I started anything that is at all delicate in John Innes Seed and got infinitely better results.

I mostly pricked out into multipurpose and most things were ok although a few things, particularly ornamentals, just stood still and refused to grow for ages.

I'm sure that things will get better as the manufacturers sort out their quality control and continue to improve formulations, so I will persevere with the peat-free. When seedlings grow away nicely I can have another go with it for sowing.

[Potstubsdustbins]

I use peat in for my seedling and home made for much of the rest.

However If I have no problems during the year I over winter my used compost, then sweeten it with fertiliser and reuse it.

I grow in containers and therefore use a lot of compost so have to try and save somewhere. This year I have 800ltrs in dustbins at this time and I have little or no idea how old some of it is.

Colin

[Veggielot]

I much prefer peat based compost because the texture is better. However I understand that it is not sustainable so do buy peat free mpc. I used to mpc for seeds but now buy potting compost.

[Laura Hillier]

Hi All,

BB - embarrassingly enough, I don't know how to set up another option once the poll is posted but that is a really great point, it does seem like that option would be the compromise in an issue which seems to have no perfect solution currently available. I will do some research into incorporating that with the other options.

Laura

[Laura Hillier]

Hi All - update! Thanks to forum knowledge from the lovely scarey55, I have now added the requested fourth option to the poll and have learnt something new today!

Laura

[Two_Sheds]

I'm collecting dozens of black sacks of autumn leaves from neighbouring pavements & cycle lanes, to make leafmould. The council don't clear these away: they are left to become soil, into which weeds take root and cover the paving.
I have about 30 sacks at home, another 30 on the allotment, plus a dozen in my school garden plot. The leafmould is a bit weed seedy*, but no more than horsemuck; it's peat free; it's a waste product; it's top quality filling for raised beds.

I can get 3 sacks full in the car, or one on the bike (each way). I take a small bendy bucket & a trowel on each dog walk too.


* I use leafmould in the bottom half of my container, and top up with bought (sterile, non-weedy) peat-free or reduced-peat compost. I don't think my garden is more important than peat bogs, so I choose peat free. What you choose is up to you, just make an informed choice.

[arpoet]

I make my own for general use, using hos muck, leaves, hops, kitchen waste and garden waste, etc... but buy good quality peat based mpc for seed sowing and some pricking out.
Some MPC mixture and peat free compost are over priced rubbish that have too much non compostable items in them.

[grahamR]

The peat free compost I've had in the last couple of years (bagged different brands) has not been very good. Bits of wire and plastic, lumps of wood, smell of decay, very wet (so heavy) very coarse, some seedlings seemingly unhappy in it, are some of the problems encountered and paying a higher price doesn't seem to make much difference. Best I've had recently is Wickes own brand, though it does vary.


Sent from my iPad using Grow Your Own Forum mobile app

[Aberdeenplotter]

much of the propagation I do is with exhibiting vegetables in mind. To that end, it is vitally important that consistency of performance of the growing medium is achieved and although I have tried many different peat free or reduced peat alternatives they just cannot match the results achieved with peat based composts

[mothhawk]

I use John Innes compost for seed sowing, then generally pot on into garden soil or soil mixed with HM compost. JI is about one quarter peat.

[planetologist]

I shovel soil into my pressure cooker, put it on the stove to sterilise, next day I have 4 gallons of sterilised soil. If plants grow more slowly or have somewhat lower survival this way (I don't know but I accept that this has been other people's experience) I compensate by sowing earlier and where necessary sow more than one seed. Friends sometimes give me seedlings that have been grown on central heating and growing medium that is almost black, and although I'm grateful, I tend to think they look leggy. As Isaac Asimov wrote: "Sloan's Teddy wins the race".

I don't think my garden is more important than peat bogs, so I choose peat free.

In some sense I do think my garden is more important than peat bogs, it's just that I think you can have your peat bogs and eat your own vegetables too.
Maybe I should qualify the first bit. Over here:
7 billion for dinner? Here?s how to feed them
Vandana Shiva is quoted as saying: “research has shown, again and again and again, that bio-diverse small farms using ecological inputs produce three to five times more food than industrial monocultures.”
So if I was to choose, rather than turn peat bogs into gardens, I'd turn industrial monocultures into gardens, and have room to spare.

[plotman]

I would never use peat free, Its a total ineffective medium, no cheaper and loses you valuable time through lack of germination. I use a compost with reduced peat and recycle it. No good them preaching to us about the enviroment if they offer us a product that results in crop failure. How bad for the enviroment is that.. Its only my opinion but its about time the manufacturers produced a peat free material that doesnt resemble a bag of conker size medium. End of Rant )

[Alison]

I would never use peat free, Its a total ineffective medium, no cheaper and loses you valuable time through lack of germination. I use a compost with reduced peat and recycle it. No good them preaching to us about the enviroment if they offer us a product that results in crop failure. How bad for the enviroment is that.. Its only my opinion but its about time the manufacturers produced a peat free material that doesnt resemble a bag of conker size medium. End of Rant )

I don't understand your comment about price, nobody is saying that peat free is (or should be) any cheaper. You are right that there are some very rubbish peat free about but there are also some excellent ones. I haven't used peat for years and have pretty much 100% germination. You need to be more organised with your watering as if you let peat free dry out then it's difficult to rehydrate but proper watering is better for the plant anyway so a skill well worth gaining. I tend to use the New Horizon stuff and there's nothing in it remotely like a conker and I find it's find for seeds or potting on. Recyling compost with added home made compost is however a good idea as it saves money and product mileage.