Peat Free Compost

A letter in my gardening magazine caught my interest, it was a complaint about peat free compost.

The reader was saying about how her tomatoes failed miserably in peat free growbags a while back, but hoping the boffins had improved this compost by now, she decided to risk trying it again.

This was part of her letter:

"What a complete waste of time and money that was. Far from thriving - as my seedlings always have in peat-based compost - they struggled to survive.
The peat-free smelt unpleasant and was horrible to use, having quite large lumps of bark and what looked like pieces of branch in it.
In the pots, the top inch would turn to concrete while the rest of the compost would be soaking wet.
It was only when I rescued them and repotted into normal compost , that they began to pick up."


Interesting I thought.
I haven't tried the peat-free but that has put me off anyway now. Have you tried it, and how did you get on?

Re: Peat Free Compost

Hi

I personally would not go near the stuff.

It is the composted contents of wheelie bin garden waste and the stuff people chuck in the green bins at recycling centres.

It can have all sorts of nasty stuff in it.

Re: Peat Free Compost

Like what, Swims?

What goes into 'normal' compost?

Re: Peat Free Compost

I've never used peat free compost and Swim's reply has definitely put me off ever using it in the future now...

Re: Peat Free Compost

We briefly tried it last year all my failures were in pots filled with it. Transferred them into proper compost this year and they are thriving. Water couldn't get to the roots until we soaked them as it set solid on top.

You could see bits of twig etc as it hadn't rotted properly.

Waste of money IMO

Re: Peat Free Compost

Never mind folks while your happy with your gardens you are contributing too.

THIS.

http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/peatlands

Re: Peat Free Compost

I'm not saying we should use peat but surely a decent compost can be made that's peat free ? Also yes we love our garden, it's what we have always dreamed of having. I think a garden can mend souls, just looking at ours makes us feel better in our bodies and minds. We have contributed to a wilder area that has millions of creatures living in it. Our buddlias bring masses of butterflies and we grow as many flowers to bring bees in as we can.

Bees are in danger, if taking peat to improve our chalk helps them I'm not going to feel too guilty. Without them we'd have very few crops or plants.

Re: Peat Free Compost

Hi

I compost stuff from my garden at home which has not been treated with weedkillers etc.

The hard twiggy bits, like shrub and rose prunings, go into the recycling bin which goes off for composting.

So do any weeds I have sprayed on my paths and driveways.

People put all sorts of chemically treated stuff into recycling bins, many are not as careful as perhaps we are.

I know one of my neighbours bungs her cat litter into her recycling.

Re: Peat Free Compost

It's amazing how many put meat and dairy in the recycling bins too that can't do it any good.

Re: Peat Free Compost

People also put diseased plants, virus plants, and perennial weeds in also.