Against my usual custom, I ended up buying a bag of peat free potting
compost from B&Q last week. And it is much, much better than the horrid
barely-composted bark chips that they used to sell. This stuff looks like
it might actually grow decent plants.

I also got some packs of dry coir blocks, which should be ideal for pots
once mixed with wormery doings.

Has anyone else noticed that the quality of peat-free has improved, or was
I just lucky this time?


Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

hi Victoria
Noticed that you garden in S.East Cornwall.
Can you grow Lapageria there ?
Tom Atkinson
"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
. 240.10...
Against my usual custom, I ended up buying a bag of peat free potting
compost from B&Q last week. And it is much, much better than the horrid
barely-composted bark chips that they used to sell. This stuff looks like
it might actually grow decent plants.

I also got some packs of dry coir blocks, which should be ideal for pots
once mixed with wormery doings.

Has anyone else noticed that the quality of peat-free has improved, or was
I just lucky this time?


Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"Tom Atkinson" wrote in
:

hi Victoria
Noticed that you garden in S.East Cornwall.
Can you grow Lapageria there ?
Tom Atkinson


I fear my first reaction to this was 'yer what'? ;-)

Having looked it up, it's not a plant I've seen growing locally, but we are
quite high up here and north-facing: our climate is probably closer to the
hills bordering Dartmoor than it is to the warm coastal villages. Even
Plymouth is usually a lot hotter than here.

I'm always amazed when I go to, say, St Ives, to see the things they get
self-seeding themselves there!

But up here I can just about overwinter pelargoniums outside if it's a warm
winter and a tough variety. On the other hand, because we are on the Tamar
valley and it's soggy wet a lot of the time, it's a great place for ferns.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

In message . 10,
Victoria Clare writes
Against my usual custom, I ended up buying a bag of peat free potting
compost from B&Q last week. And it is much, much better than the horrid
barely-composted bark chips that they used to sell. This stuff looks like
it might actually grow decent plants.

Has anyone else noticed that the quality of peat-free has improved, or was
I just lucky this time?

No I think you are right, the quality of the peat free composts has
certainly improved over the last few years.

--
Chris French and Helen Johnson, Leeds
urg Suppliers and References FAQ:
http://www.familyfrench.co.uk/garden/urgfaq/index.html

Chris French and Helen Johnson wrote
in :

In message . 10,
Victoria Clare writes
Against my usual custom, I ended up buying a bag of peat free potting
compost from B&Q last week. And it is much, much better than the
horrid barely-composted bark chips that they used to sell. This stuff
looks like it might actually grow decent plants.

Has anyone else noticed that the quality of peat-free has improved, or
was I just lucky this time?

No I think you are right, the quality of the peat free composts has
certainly improved over the last few years.


I used to hover between buying good peat-free online at vast expense ( Danu
Organic, excellent stuff, but delivery costs!), buying peat-based and
feeling guilty, and buying peatfree from a shed or GC and desperately
trying to keep water and nutrients from draining out. hoping this stuff
performs as well as it looks.

B&Q still had a lot more peat-based than not though, and no indication on
any of it where it came from or how it was harvested. I am prepared to
believe that some peat-based stuff is at least as environmentally friendly
as non-peat, but if they don't tell you you have to assume the worst, I
think.

I wonder what happens to brewer's grain waste in the UK? Danu is made from
that, but in Ireland, and is the best I've tried yet.

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--

"Victoria Clare" wrote in message
. 240.10...
Against my usual custom, I ended up buying a bag of peat free potting
compost from B&Q last week. And it is much, much better than the horrid
barely-composted bark chips that they used to sell. This stuff looks like
it might actually grow decent plants.

I also got some packs of dry coir blocks, which should be ideal for pots
once mixed with wormery doings.

Has anyone else noticed that the quality of peat-free has improved, or was
I just lucky this time?


Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--
Hi Victoria,

Have you tried the Fertile Fibre peat free compost? For £5 they will send a
catalogue and samples, see http://www.fertilefibre.co.uk/ for more
information. They only supply direct by mail order rather than going through
the sheds, but this does keep the price down.

My father has always used it in the seed kits he supplies and gets very good
results when trialling.

HTH

Nick
http://www.ukgardening.co.uk

Victoria Clare wrote:
::
:: I used to hover between buying good peat-free online at vast
:: expense ( Danu Organic, excellent stuff, but delivery costs!),
:: buying peat-based and feeling guilty, and buying peatfree from a
:: shed or GC and desperately trying to keep water and nutrients from
:: draining out. hoping this stuff performs as well as it looks.
::
:: B&Q still had a lot more peat-based than not though, and no
:: indication on any of it where it came from or how it was
:: harvested. I am prepared to believe that some peat-based stuff is
:: at least as environmentally friendly as non-peat, but if they
:: don't tell you you have to assume the worst, I think.
::

I was in B&Q yesterday, all their peat based stuff has an explanation on it
that it has come from managed peat bogs and that environmental damage has
not occured in it's production....whether you beleive it or not is another
question...

Chris French and Helen Johnson wrote in message ...
In message . 10,
Victoria Clare writes
Against my usual custom, I ended up buying a bag of peat free potting
compost from B&Q last week. And it is much, much better than the horrid
barely-composted bark chips that they used to sell. This stuff looks like
it might actually grow decent plants.

Has anyone else noticed that the quality of peat-free has improved, or was
I just lucky this time?

No I think you are right, the quality of the peat free composts has
certainly improved over the last few years.

Chris, Helen

I agree with you compleatly the organic composts on sale at B&Q today
are of excellent quality these are sourced thru the irish firm bord na
mona (shamrock horticulture) My only issue with organic compost is the
water retention but this can be helped with phostrogen swellgel or
similar crystals. FYI in the next 3-5 years most major sheds are
hoping to phase out ALL peat based composts as part of there
enviromental policies. Talking organic B&Q are now selling a range of
organic garden chemicals available is most stores.

Regards Mark

In message ,
writes
Chris French and Helen Johnson
wrote in message ...
In message . 10,
Victoria Clare writes
Against my usual custom, I ended up buying a bag of peat free potting
compost from B&Q last week. And it is much, much better than the horrid
barely-composted bark chips that they used to sell. This stuff looks like
it might actually grow decent plants.

Has anyone else noticed that the quality of peat-free has improved, or was
I just lucky this time?

No I think you are right, the quality of the peat free composts has
certainly improved over the last few years.

Chris, Helen

I agree with you compleatly the organic composts on sale at B&Q today
are of excellent quality

Err, I never said any such thing. I just said that the quality of
peat-free composts (in general) had improved. I've never used the B&Q
stuff so would not comment on that. Mostly I've used the JA Bowers New
Horizons stuff.

these are sourced thru the irish firm bord na
mona (shamrock horticulture)

he same company that is digging up all the Irish peat then :-)


--
Chris French and Helen Johnson, Leeds
urg Suppliers and References FAQ:
http://www.familyfrench.co.uk/garden/urgfaq/index.html

Chris French and Helen Johnson wrote
in :

In message ,
writes

I agree with you compleatly the organic composts on sale at B&Q today
are of excellent quality

Err, I never said any such thing. I just said that the quality of
peat-free composts (in general) had improved. I've never used the B&Q
stuff so would not comment on that. Mostly I've used the JA Bowers New
Horizons stuff.


I would use that, and it is good stuff, but it's hard to get hold of round
here. Peatfree is still definitely a minority product in this area, and
where you can find it it is often old and manky. :-(


these are sourced thru the irish firm bord na
mona (shamrock horticulture)

he same company that is digging up all the Irish peat then :-)

I suspected something of this kind might be the case :-(

Victoria
--
gardening on a north-facing hill
in South-East Cornwall
--