Best Supplier Of Compost 2021

At this moment in time, my only source of peat is coming in from Lithuania.
It comes in on pallets of 4.5 cube and has been through a 0-10mm screen, ideal for seed compost but I personally believe it is to fine for Multipurpose. Below is an image of the peat from Lithuania, there is also images of peat that has come out of the end of the trommel screen, this we would use when containerising ornamental trees in large pots.

When I make John Innes N02 & N03, I add a percentage of fraction 2 peat (0-25mm) I never get any complaints from the semi or commercial growers, yet Joe public will complain stating that there is debris in the compost and all compost should be fine.

 

Very interesting gks. Re my perhaps just a bad batch of Jack’s. I, being Joe public,do not think it right that what is deemed to be quality multipurpose compost should contain lots of hard lumps of peat about the size of Brazil nuts that are so hard they did not break when I jumped up and down on them.
I have a friend who is a commercial grower and I have seen the quality of the compost he has delivered loose by artics. What I saw looked considerably better than what I got recently! I am going to ask him if I can fill some bags of what he gets and that way I can see exactly what I am getting. Thanks gsk, would never have thought of asking him had it not been for your post. A decent bottle of whisky should encourage him to part with a few bags!

 

I contacted our local MP regarding the phasing out of peat and could she clarify which sectors. I have had a response and its very clear they are wanting to phase out peat to the amateur sector by the end of the current parliament term.

Yet, Defra secretary of state George Eustice's new peat strategy proposes introducing a ban or “a point-of sale charge for the purchase of growing media containing peat, using the plastic bag charge as a model”.

 

I wonder what is the % of peat used in horticulture by the amateur in comparison to commercial? Why should there be a distinction anyway? This does not make sense to me other than the commercial growers would be up in arms and make loud noises while us amateurs do not really have a platform to be heard. This smacks of the politicians being apparently seen to be trying to save the planet but in reality just lip service as per usual. Bit like new social housing being built not far from here. Each property has 2 solar panels about the size you could stick in your eye positioned on each roof.......snag there is a large hill behind them which will block out any sun between about October and April, saving the planet my backside just box ticking.

 

If they go down the route of a levy at point of charge, then it will be more like £4.80 on a 100L bag of compost if there is peat in the mixture. Would I support it, yes but only if it is imposed to all sectors. If it is only going to target the amateurs, I will not be supporting it.

 

Typical, 'peat free' still wont be good enough for home veg productions and gardens, but 'amateurs' don't matter and will be allowed to struggle/fail, only business matters and will continue using peat until a suitable alternative is available.

And the commercials will be able to make a huge amount of money selling plants to amateurs using exactly the same amount of peat the amateurs would have used to do it themselves.

I intend stockpiling a huge amount of peat based compost, but I'm a bit short of space in my garden as I've got a huge stockpile of coal bought for my open fire at £1/bag the day before sales were banned.

 

I've probably said this before.
But I wonder what is used as potting compost in parts of the world that don't have peat deposits.

 

Like Shiney I save all the compost bags. They get used for collecting kindling for our wood burning stoves and as a good weed suppressor/ soil warmer on my veg patches. I haven’t thrown a bag out in years.