Isn't any peat in compost an environmental no-no?

If you are referring to When to cut hedges... @Redwing, you may wish to re-read the post in question as it actually says 'insufficient information' and not 'insufficient understanding' - quite a difference between the two, particularly as you have taken offence.

 

Only the person who wrote the post would know that, Redwing. I have seen too many business meetings and ordinary domestic discussions where a person took offence while misinterpreting an remark that everyone else seemed to understand and yet saw not offence.

 

Then all I can do is remind you that should you take offence at something to such a degree that you remember to it and refer to it almost eight weeks later, that you should report the post using the report link below the post concerned. This is valid whether the poster is a member or staff, and in the case that it is a staff member the person being reported must and will step out of the decision making process to allow a fair decision to be reached.

As a general reminder to everyone - part of 'forum life' is that we cannot hear each other speak nor can we see each other as we do so, therefore there is no intonation of voice or body language to lead the way; we are working purely with the written word here and the fact is that if you showed a short paragraph to 50 different people, you would likely have 25 different interpretations of what was meant. None of us, myself included, are able to fully determine what was meant from forum text 100% of the time, and it is possible for us to rub each other up the wrong way even when agreeing or not intending any offence - that is why we hold a consensus on each and every decision that is taken as staff to ensure that things are dealt with as fairly as possible.

 

This sort of breakdown in communication detracts greatly from the main subject of any thread and is also detrimental to the general bonhomie of GC which is something that members should bear in mind when posting or, if they decide not to, then for Peats sake please sit on the Naughty Step and regain their Humour and sensibilities.

 

Could that be the key here, and in many circumstances @Redwing - that we can all do something to effect change? Should we not champion those who compost their own, even it is used in conjunction with purchased compost that contains peat as that will reduce the purchased volume overall? Perhaps the all or nothing approach is merely going to switch people off from even considering making the change, particularly when they are experiencing substandard results when they are using peat free?

My composters are yet to produce anything that is suitable for potting with - the little I have had seems to have put some structure (much needed currently) back into the soil. We also have to consider ability in all of this - first of all, not everyone knows how to successfully make compost (I freely admit I am not great, but I am learning and that will hopefully improve after we move our composters this week), but many people find that home compost and even some peat free purchased compost leads to them having an explosion of weeds - - there are folks, like myself, who are disabled and this additional weeding is a significant problem; significant enough that it may well deter them from even bothering growing anything more than grass, and that in turn has its own detrimental impact on wildlife.

 

Actually, it is a realistic comparison, and not in the least ridiculous
To be honest, I can't see how you can pose as a complete advocate of the non use of Peat added compost and then admit you have actually bought and used it this year which, if you will forgive me, sounds hypocritical and makes your previous comments rather "thin".
I have, over the years, over the years reduced the use of Peat added compost to around two thirds of what I used to by using a mixture, as I said earlier, of sand, grit, and compost. I and others must obviously garden more intensively than yourself in that I have several thousand hardy perennials, shrubs,etc, in my garden, which although it resembles a relaxed Cottage style garden needs great maintenance and care. I also contribute to the plant sales of several local Charities and Gardening Clubs at no charge trying to keep the joy of gardening alive. I know as fact that the Big House estates near me also only use, with one exception, peat added compost as a growing medium and their own produced compost is used as a mulch and to invigorate the soil and they too would be the first to buy an affordable peat free growing medium which I will repeat is not available.

Actually, it is not a realistic comparison and perhaps ridiculous from the lack of facts and use of idealism rather than realism. One of my neighbours runs a Plastic Waste Company who buys such waste from the Councils and is now finding to more difficult to find companies in the UK who can covert plastic waste into granules for reuse. We used to turn a blind eye to exporting plastic waste to China and Asia not caring that it was just being dumped in the countryside of those countries. Now, Councils are in the position of not being able to sell on their plastic domestic waste to as many recycling companies as before and so are now turning to burying it or leaving it parked in bales on Farmers fields in the hope of selling it on. So, whether you, as I do, faithfully and perhaps naively, put our plastic waste into the Council Recycling system or...

it is not being recycled in the manner we would wish it to be. So, perhaps you are ignoring or not wanting to find out what the true facts of what happens to your plastic waste and happy with the fact that it is no longer your responsibility once it has been put in the Council Waste Bin.

I don't think that there is a person on this planet that hasn't heard that much used phrase and doesn't agree with it. But, just quoting it is not a badge to put on your Conservation collar. I try to garden responsibly as conditions will allow me. I don't need to just focus on Peat extraction or plastic waste to be aware of the environment damage being done, I'm also using organic methods of gardening that have brought Nature and it's wildlife into my garden and my neighbours whilst not lecturing them or my friends on their lack of knowledge or their sometimes use of damaging insecticides and pesticides.
I've never thought that pointing fingers at people and trying to make them feel guilty or environmental vandals while putting myself forward as a leading light of narrow environmental focus was the way to go. I've been gardening for decades and I'm still learning from novices and experts and listening to reasoned arguments and facts, not those who basically are saying "do what I say, not do as I do".

 

which retails at around £9.89p for 60 litres. Let us know how you get on with it, pete. To be honest Jack's Magic hasn't been viewed all that well, with some liking it and some not.