peat free compost

**Potstubsdustbins** · 23-01-2012, 10:42 PM

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.

Colin

**Dynamo** · 24-01-2012, 12:33 AM

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.

**MissKittin** · 24-01-2012, 07:26 AM

I use New Horizon (with some perlite) for everything, from seeds to grown plants, it's wonderful stuff!

Just remember to sterilise it in the microwave, if using for seed sowing: Mushrooms in the propagator are never good!

**Two_Sheds** · 24-01-2012, 08:21 AM

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 off

**zazen999** · 24-01-2012, 08:26 AM

Originally posted by Dynamo View Post

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.

I'm not going to get into an argument at this time in the morning - however 'he would say that, wouldn't he'...

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.

**Two_Sheds** · 24-01-2012, 08:37 AM

Originally posted by Dynamo View Post

the ground from where the peat is extracted from is often reclaimed land and is usually poor quality farmland

Peat doesn't come from farmland, it comes from ancient peat bogs, which are in themselves natural wildlife habitats

**salome2001** · 24-01-2012, 09:46 AM

thanks for those threads- I did have a look on the search but missed half of them, no idea why. looks like I'll cross my fingers and go for the NH then....

**HeatherL** · 24-01-2012, 10:09 AM

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.

**Nik** · 24-01-2012, 10:10 AM

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.

**Dynamo** · 24-01-2012, 11:41 AM

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

Peat 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.

**veggiechicken** · 24-01-2012, 11:49 AM

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.

**Two_Sheds** · 24-01-2012, 01:36 PM

Originally posted by Dynamo View Post

Did anyone here see the episode of Countryfile

No, and google's not giving me owt either. Can you post a link?

Originally posted by Dynamo View Post

From what I've seen of the stuff, I'm sure more effort could be made to make the product much better.

Have you actually tried New Horizon? Or Vital Earth, the one Zaz likes?
Or just ordinary leafmould (the cheapest option for seed sowing)

**Potstubsdustbins** · 24-01-2012, 05:21 PM

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.

Colin

**Dynamo** · 24-01-2012, 05:24 PM

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

No, and google's not giving me owt either. Can you post a link?

Unfortunately it seems that its expired. It was an item in last weeks show and they only keep the shows available for a week.

Originally posted by Two_Sheds View Post

Have you actually tried New Horizon? Or Vital Earth, the one Zaz likes?
Or just ordinary leafmould (the cheapest option for seed sowing)

I admit that I haven't tried New Horizons. Our local Wickes store closed down about three years ago and I wouldn't know where else to look for it.

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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