Peat or Coir

Peat free here w-o-o. Home made compost and leaf mould in the garden,but now I have a Greenhouse I assume a sterile medium will be necessary for seeds etc; so it's something I'll have to look into.

 

I use peat based composts subsidised with home made compost.

I take your point about the damage to peat bogs but this is not (so I understand) all down to gardening.

One Peat fired power station uses more in a year than the total used by all of the gardeners in the UK in a year

I have used coir but it just not work as well as peat.

 

Hands off peat! 94% gone from Britain and so now gardeners are importing it from Poland. "That's all right", they say "plenty left in Poland and my plants need it" When will people understand that we live on one planet?

I don't use peat, coir, chocolate or any other soil conditioner except garden compost and leaves. You want a good soil conditioner? Go out now with some bin liners and gather up all the fallen leaves that you can. Spread them on your soil for the worms to pull down and decompose or keep till ready in a heap if you are tidy minded. Get real and ban peat.

 

I use JI compost in the main & I mix it myself so I use a peat free Multipurpose instead of Peat itslef. I would like to use Leaf ,ould but I just don't have the time I'm afraid.

 

Oh how I miss my horse for the end product! (rear end that is!)

I am experimenting with leaves, but not nearly the quantity of what I get from the horse in a year.

 

The only place i heard they were burning peat in a power station was Ireland. They would have to be pretty desperate - it has a low calorific value. Quite a few nurseries are turning to coir, shredded bark etc, but they do produce a lighter compost that dries out more readily and vine weevils love them.
I have never used peat as a soil dressing in the garden. I cannot see the point as it has a zero nutrient status. I have only used it as a sterile potting medium and for that leaf mould, garden compost etc are no use because of the lack of sterility and uncertain nutrient content. So i am leaning towards the waste products of shredded bark and coir.

 

Hornbeam how do sterilize the compost when you use it to pot up your plants? your not one of these guys that shouts green and drives round in a car are you like Jonathon Porrit

 

I know plenty of people who put it in the oven..... I don't myself, I just use it straight from the bag. Anything that doesn't cope with that, I don't do, as I haven't really got the time - maybe when I retire!

Most people I know use cheshunt compound - but although I bought some, I've never brought myself to use it.

What do you do, Walnut?

 

Yes Walnut - I drive a peat free car. You cycle everywhere do you?

 

steady on boys!

 

:D :D

So what is the option/product for me in the Grennhouse then please?

 

Anyone used these soil sterilising kits? they were advertised in the accessories section when I bought greenhouse.

My uncle used to put soil in the microwave.

I tried using well rotted compost, but all sorts came up in it.

 

You'll have to make your own decision, Pal! Based on all these opinions - do what suits you best.