In the UK manure is animal excrement, more often than not from the back end
of a horse. Compost is rotted vegetation, exactly the same as over there.
The difficulty you seem to be having is that we have potting composts, which
are mainly composed of peat or coconut fibre.

----- Original Message -----
From: "Billy M. Rhodes"
To:
Sent: Sunday, March 27, 2005 5:36 PM
Subject: [IBC] Soil Language Problem


In a message dated 3/26/2005 10:20:59 PM Eastern Standard Time,
writes:

Be careful of bonsai books and articles written in or translated to
British

English. Most Americans (I hope) have figured out by now that what the
British
mean by compost (potting soil) is not what we mean by compost (rotted
vegetation used to improve garden soil).

And when the British say "manure" they mean the American equivalent
of
"compost."

Loam means loam in the older Bonsai books, they just didn't water
as
often. Loam means a soil that holds together when damp and squeezed in the
fist. There is a technical definition that includes moisture content and
how long
it holds a clump.

But I was puzzled for a long time by British soil recipes which include
"loam." In the US, loam is rich heavy garden soil.


Billy on the Florida Space Coast


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