A Homemade Life
Welcome to Homemade Life.

To take full advantage of everything offered by our forum, please log in if you are already a member or join our community if not ....

Chilli-head
A Homemade Life
Would you like to react to this message? Create an account in a few clicks or log in to continue.
Who is online?
In total there is 1 user online :: 0 Registered, 0 Hidden and 1 Guest

None

Most users ever online was 112 on 8th October 2020, 7:09 am
Latest topics
» Champion the Lumber Horse
by Chilli-head 18th August 2024, 6:24 pm

» Hungry Birds
by Dirick55 7th December 2023, 6:04 am

» PRESENTATION
by Chilli-head 23rd November 2023, 2:55 pm

» New Kiva loan
by Chilli-head 21st July 2023, 12:35 pm

» A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial
by Dandelion 25th April 2023, 9:42 pm

» New gardening year 2023
by Chilli-head 5th March 2023, 10:15 pm

» What have I done in the workshop today?
by Dandelion 2nd December 2022, 1:12 pm

» What are you harvesting today?
by Dandelion 2nd December 2022, 1:12 pm

» Wartime marrow casserole
by Dandelion 18th October 2022, 4:42 pm

» Late sowings in August ... beans ?
by Ploshkin 11th August 2022, 9:29 am

» Come August, come night in the garden
by Chilli-head 4th August 2022, 3:29 pm

» Welcome guest
by Ploshkin 31st July 2022, 9:16 am

» The Jolly July Garden
by Ploshkin 19th July 2022, 11:38 am

» More mead ...
by Chilli-head 13th July 2022, 12:52 pm

» The June garden thread
by Dandelion 25th June 2022, 9:55 pm

» Plastic bags
by Dandelion 5th June 2022, 7:28 pm

» The merry May garden
by Dandelion 31st May 2022, 10:04 pm

» Fooling around in the April garden
by freebird 1st May 2022, 8:33 am

» March into the garden
by Dandelion 1st April 2022, 7:26 pm

» Mow Suggestions
by freebird 29th March 2022, 5:48 pm

Statistics
We have 271 registered users
The newest registered user is Phil Morris

Our users have posted a total of 48047 messages in 2416 subjects
Pages we like:

A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial Hca_button


A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial

3 posters

Go down

A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial Empty A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial

Post by Compostwoman 14th March 2011, 7:43 pm



The results for the container compost trial are in - and as ever
there were big differences between the best and worst. This year, two
composts share the top spot - and one of them is peat free.

This is significant as peat-free composts often get a bad press. In Which? Gardening's recent trial of composts for seed sowing and growing on young plants,
we found that peat-free composts have a way to go to match the
performance of peat for sowing seeds and growing on young plants. However the picture is often more positive when it comes to container composts, and this year is no exception. Our Best Buy peat-free compost outperformed seven peat-based composts - and was the cheapest in our trial too.

What's the problem with peat?

The
use of peat is the subject of much debate in the horticultural world.
Some professional growers and gardeners are adamant that peat is
essential for growing healthy plants. However environmentalists say that
peat is a valuable store of carbon and a precious wildlife habitat. The
previous government set a target for growing media, mulches and soil
improvers to be 90 per cent peat-free by 2010, but this was not met by
the horticulture industry. Although the 2010 target wasn’t
reached, good in-roads were made and many manufacturers are looking at
peat alternatives. Meanwhile Defra has recently launched a consultation
on proposals to phase out the horticultural use of peat by amateur
gardeners in England by 2020 and to eliminate peat use by all gardeners,
growers and procurers by 2030.



Read the full article here
avatar
Compostwoman

Posts : 5688
Join date : 2009-11-08

Back to top Go down

A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial Empty Re: A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial

Post by Chilli-head 14th April 2023, 11:36 am

So, still struggling with peat free potting composts.

They are a miserable bunch. New Horizons ceased to be organic, and the wood chips got bigger, then seemed to be made from shredded kitchen cupboards, complete with laminate.

Melcourt was good for a couple of years, now is heading down exactly the same route - bigger bits of uncomposted wood, causes nitrogen depletion and stalled plant growth.

What - as far as you know - is the current least worst option ?
Chilli-head
Chilli-head
Admin and Boss man

Posts : 3306
Join date : 2010-02-23
Location : Bedfordshire

Back to top Go down

A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial Empty Re: A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial

Post by Dandelion 25th April 2023, 9:42 pm

I'm still using New Horizons, mainly because I haven't found anything else. I agree about the nitrogen depletion - I've been mixing it with homemade compost which is made using chicken poo, so I'm pretty sure it's OK for nitrogen. It does seem to have fewer bits of actual wood in it now - it's a better consistency, and I haven't come across any laminate this year.
Dandelion
Dandelion
Admin

Posts : 5416
Join date : 2010-01-17
Age : 68
Location : Ledbury, Herefordshire

Back to top Go down

A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial Empty Re: A peat-free compost is top in UK Which? magazine trial

Post by Sponsored content


Sponsored content


Back to top Go down

Back to top

- Similar topics

 
Permissions in this forum:
You cannot reply to topics in this forum