Anyone watch the GW special on Friday ?
The general idea of devoting so much time and resources to perfect
looking vegies is silly enough but Joe Swift didn't mention "peat free"
in the compost that he was using and another contributor seemed to be on
a personal crusade to eliminate peat-lands. (I didn't catch whether she
was using ground up babies as fertiliser )
The sainted Geoff Hamilton will be rotating in grave.

--
CTC Right to Ride Rep. for Richmond upon Thames

"Paul Luton" wrote
Anyone watch the GW special on Friday ?
The general idea of devoting so much time and resources to perfect
looking vegies is silly enough but Joe Swift didn't mention "peat free"
in the compost that he was using and another contributor seemed to be on
a personal crusade to eliminate peat-lands. (I didn't catch whether she
was using ground up babies as fertiliser )
The sainted Geoff Hamilton will be rotating in grave.


All very non-PC, wasn't it wonderful.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

On 02/10/2010 23:06, Bob Hobden wrote:


"Paul Luton" wrote
Anyone watch the GW special on Friday ?
The general idea of devoting so much time and resources to perfect
looking vegies is silly enough but Joe Swift didn't mention "peat
free" in the compost that he was using and another contributor seemed
to be on a personal crusade to eliminate peat-lands. (I didn't catch
whether she was using ground up babies as fertiliser )
The sainted Geoff Hamilton will be rotating in grave.


All very non-PC, wasn't it wonderful.


Actually no ; Geoff was my all-time favourite GW presenter.

Paul

--
CTC Right to Ride Rep. for Richmond upon Thames

Paul Luton wrote:
On 02/10/2010 23:06, Bob Hobden wrote:


"Paul Luton" wrote
Anyone watch the GW special on Friday ?
The general idea of devoting so much time and resources to perfect
looking vegies is silly enough but Joe Swift didn't mention "peat
free" in the compost that he was using and another contributor
seemed to be on a personal crusade to eliminate peat-lands. (I
didn't catch whether she was using ground up babies as fertiliser )
The sainted Geoff Hamilton will be rotating in grave.


All very non-PC, wasn't it wonderful.


Actually no ; Geoff was my all-time favourite GW presenter.

Seconded. And preserving peat-lands has nothing to do with so-called
"PC": it's just a matter of intelligence. We had somebody here a while
ago apparently equating protection of limestone pavements with this
so-called "PC" as well: it's a dangerous attitude, and shouldn't be
encouraged. Caring for these sensitive natural features is simply
rational, regardless of one's political stance -- and I'm sure the Duke
of Edinburgh agrees with me!

--
Mike.

"Mike Lyle" wrote
Paul Luton wrote:
, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Paul Luton" wrote
Anyone watch the GW special on Friday ?
The general idea of devoting so much time and resources to perfect
looking vegies is silly enough but Joe Swift didn't mention "peat
free" in the compost that he was using and another contributor
seemed to be on a personal crusade to eliminate peat-lands. (I
didn't catch whether she was using ground up babies as fertiliser )
The sainted Geoff Hamilton will be rotating in grave.


All very non-PC, wasn't it wonderful.


Actually no ; Geoff was my all-time favourite GW presenter.

Seconded. And preserving peat-lands has nothing to do with so-called "PC":
it's just a matter of intelligence. We had somebody here a while ago
apparently equating protection of limestone pavements with this so-called
"PC" as well: it's a dangerous attitude, and shouldn't be encouraged.
Caring for these sensitive natural features is simply rational, regardless
of one's political stance -- and I'm sure the Duke of Edinburgh agrees
with me!

Caring for and protecting a peat extraction mine, why should we protect
that? My understanding is non of our peat comes from virgin peat beds it
come from long used peat mines so what's the problem? Common sense should
prevail over the PC brigade, it's a good resource and obviously
irreplaceable in compost if my experience with "green" composts is anything
to go by.
The protect this and protect that faction would have us go back to before
the stone age, cant mine flint might damage the countryside!
Yes protect virgin peat beds and certainly the more finite limestone
pavements but existing peat mines? Use them for composts not for burning.
As for Geoff, he was one of the better ones although a bit "mend and make
do" sometimes, Percy was the real deal IMO.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

"Janet" wrote ((Snip))
It makes no sense to squander peat while at the same time we throw away
a far better and more sustainable resource, the countless tons of
biodegradeable waste which could be turned into fertile and water
retentive plant composts.

Composts which at the moment are worse than useless IME. How good for the
planet is me planting all my veg seeds, only a few weeks later to throw it
all away and start again with new seed and new compost. Zero germination or
very weak plants is all I got.
The expensive bag I bought looked more like mushroom compost after a short
while, clumps of fungus in the compost, it obviously hadn't be sterilised
which with such rubbish ingredients is a must. Which also means more
resources needed for that process.

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

I'm really puzzled with your experience. I've been using non-peat compost for over 10 years, for vegetables, ornamentals and cacti. The quality is now excellent and I certainly can't recognise your description of "zero germination or very weak plants".

On Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:54:35 +0100, Paul Luton
wrote:

Anyone watch the GW special on Friday ?
The general idea of devoting so much time and resources to perfect
looking vegies is silly enough but Joe Swift didn't mention "peat free"
in the compost that he was using and another contributor seemed to be on
a personal crusade to eliminate peat-lands. (I didn't catch whether she
was using ground up babies as fertiliser )
The sainted Geoff Hamilton will be rotating in grave.


We watched it in hysterics about how mad they all were (apologies if
any of them are reading this)
I'm always just glad when something grows!
--
http://www.bra-and-pants.com
http://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

On 4 Oct, 14:06, mogga wrote:
On Sat, 02 Oct 2010 17:54:35 +0100, Paul Luton

wrote:
Anyone watch the GW special on Friday ?
The general idea of devoting so much time and resources to perfect
looking vegies is silly enough but Joe Swift didn't mention "peat free"
in the compost that he was using and another contributor seemed to be on
a personal crusade to eliminate peat-lands. (I didn't catch whether she
was using ground up babies as fertiliser )
The sainted Geoff Hamilton will be rotating in grave.

We watched it in hysterics about how mad they all were (apologies if
any of them are reading this)
I'm always just glad when something grows!
--http://www.bra-and-pants.comhttp://www.holidayunder100.co.uk

Since around 90% of the growing area was sand and just the dibbed
holes filled with compost I would be more worried about the denuded
sand bars that are dredged to get the sand and the disruption of the
fish who are loosing spawning grounds.
They have already had to stop dredging sand in parts of the Bristol
channel.
David

"kay" wrote ...

Bob Hobden;901955 Wrote:


Composts which at the moment are worse than useless IME. How good for
the
planet is me planting all my veg seeds, only a few weeks later to throw
it
all away and start again with new seed and new compost. Zero germination
or
very weak plants is all I got.



I'm really puzzled with your experience. I've been using non-peat
compost for over 10 years, for vegetables, ornamentals and cacti. The
quality is now excellent and I certainly can't recognise your
description of "zero germination or very weak plants".


Either you have been lucky or I've been unlucky.
It's put me off ever using that stuff again, a whole seasons veg seed had to
be re-bought and re-planted also putting me behind at the start of the
season. I know (hope) they will be improving it each year but "once bitten
twice shy".
Left the remainder in the shed as usual and there were lumps of rot/fungus
in the compost after a couple of months, I just emptied it into our compost
bins which was another waste of money. Obviously it was still rotting.
I have used New Horizons in the past, back to back with my normal stuff as a
trial, with not quite such bad results, just stunted and yellowish plants
and germination was only delayed by a few days compared to the normal but
still enough of a difference for me not to want to repeat the trial. If it
does that to seeds would I want my plants in it? No.

Used as soil improver it would do a good job but for seeds etc I am yet to
be convinced it can come anywhere near a peat based compost. Certainly it
needs to be fully sterilised before sale which would make it not so "green"
..

--
Regards
Bob Hobden
W.of London. UK

In article , Bob Hobden
writes
Composts which at the moment are worse than useless IME. How good for
the planet is me planting all my veg seeds, only a few weeks later to
throw it all away and start again with new seed and new compost. Zero
germination or very weak plants is all I got.
The expensive bag I bought looked more like mushroom compost after a
short while, clumps of fungus in the compost, it obviously hadn't be
sterilised which with such rubbish ingredients is a must. Which also
means more resources needed for that process.


Yes i have to say peat free compost has some way to go before it induces
me to spend time potting up and /or planting only to risk finding
disappointing results
best stuff i ever had for potting up small cuttings of shrubs however
was a bale of coir |i got from some freeby thing. The coir was in a
block and grew to enormous size when water was added. The resultant
fibrous material make the small cuttings romp away for some reason,
maybe it was easier for them to develop roots? Anyway it was my best
result ever. Of course I then had to pt them up into ordinary compost as
they grew too big for their pots!
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In article , Bob Hobden
writes
Either you have been lucky or I've been unlucky.
It's put me off ever using that stuff again,


Same here Bob, perhaps it matter a). which compost you use or b)what
type of plants you are potting up or c) at which stage you are using it.
--
Janet Tweedy
Dalmatian Telegraph
http://www.lancedal.demon.co.uk

In message , Mike Lyle
writes

Seconded. And preserving peat-lands has nothing to do with so-called
"PC": it's just a matter of intelligence. We had somebody here a while
ago apparently equating protection of limestone pavements with this
so-called "PC" as well: it's a dangerous attitude, and shouldn't be
encouraged. Caring for these sensitive natural features is simply
rational, regardless of one's political stance -- and I'm sure the Duke
of Edinburgh agrees with me!

After many walks in the Yorkshire Dales I can confidently say that the
best way of preserving limestone pavements is to carefully place glacial
erratics on top of them. These would protect them for millions of
years. :-)
--
Gordon H
Remove "invalid" to reply

Bob Hobden wrote:
Either you have been lucky or I've been unlucky.
It's put me off ever using that stuff again, a whole seasons veg seed had to
be re-bought and re-planted also putting me behind at the start of the
season. I know (hope) they will be improving it each year but "once bitten
twice shy".

I've had the same (zero germination or weak plants) thing with JI compost.
Which I will never be buying again.

Bob Hobden wrote:
"Mike Lyle" wrote
Paul Luton wrote:
, Bob Hobden wrote:
"Paul Luton" wrote
Anyone watch the GW special on Friday ?
The general idea of devoting so much time and resources to perfect
looking vegies is silly enough but Joe Swift didn't mention "peat
free" in the compost that he was using and another contributor
seemed to be on a personal crusade to eliminate peat-lands. (I
didn't catch whether she was using ground up babies as fertiliser
) The sainted Geoff Hamilton will be rotating in grave.


All very non-PC, wasn't it wonderful.


Actually no ; Geoff was my all-time favourite GW presenter.

Seconded. And preserving peat-lands has nothing to do with so-called
"PC": it's just a matter of intelligence. We had somebody here a
while ago apparently equating protection of limestone pavements with
this so-called "PC" as well: it's a dangerous attitude, and
shouldn't be encouraged. Caring for these sensitive natural features
is simply rational, regardless of one's political stance -- and I'm
sure the Duke of Edinburgh agrees with me!

Caring for and protecting a peat extraction mine, why should we
protect that? My understanding is non of our peat comes from virgin
peat beds it come from long used peat mines so what's the problem?
Common sense should prevail over the PC brigade, it's a good resource
and obviously irreplaceable in compost if my experience with "green"
composts is anything to go by.

I just cannot understand how you can regard it as a political issue:
it's a scientific question (and remains one even if I'm wrong about it).
Relegating it to the political category makes it a matter more of
emotional preference than of evidence: that's why I bothered to comment
on it. "PC" is the derogatory way of describing such things as not
calling women "girls": it's completely unrelated.

The protect this and protect that faction would have us go back to
before the stone age, cant mine flint might damage the countryside!

That's just rhetoric, Bob: it's fun, but doesn't contribute to the
discussion.

Yes protect virgin peat beds and certainly the more finite limestone
pavements but existing peat mines? Use them for composts not for
burning.

Well, if that's the choice; but it's still destructive of essentially
irreplaceable habitat for an unnecessary purpose. I doubt if you'd have
your bad experience with the present kinds of peat-free media.

As for Geoff, he was one of the better ones although a bit
"mend and make do" sometimes, Percy was the real deal IMO.

I liked Geoff's slight off-the-wallness. I also particularly admired his
insistence that a satisfying garden could be affordable.

--
Mike.