Didn’t mean to make anyone feel guilty for growing veg in modules, some good reasons have been put forward and I understand that. Perhaps my four-legged sentries are more effective than I give them credit for - I have lots of the same wildlife here, plus deer, boar and badgers. Though I do think we are encouraged to think of this as the norm by gardening programmes. Traditional methods that work in many circumstances, such as mesh, cloches, seed beds etc., are rarely mentioned. Parsnips in modules seems ridiculous.
Mountainous Northern Catalunya, Spain. Hot summers, cold winters.
As some of you may know from other threads I I volunteer at Capel manor college gardens. Yesterday I was talking to the head of their propagation unit, and she is finding the same problems even with commercial grade products. These are often superior to the products that are available to us amateurs. Some of the gardening Which trials are conducted there, they will report later in the year, it will make even more interesting reading than usual.
As someone who buys large quantities of compost each year I can honestly say untill gardeners world has talked about peat I didn't realise it was In most composts. I just thought it was a product that you bought in its own bag not mixed into MPC.
Feel rather foolish now as having looked at the bags I have left it has a peat content of over 60%. New plans are being laid for next year now.
Has anyone bought any of the large bulk bags available of peat free compost ? Although I make lots of compost at home I still use about 1500lt of bought in stuff which has a better texture for seeds etc.
At the start of the article he states banning peat use will increase CO2 emissions and reduce the sequestering of carbon, but gives no explanation of why. At the end he suggests using peat will encourage people to stay at home instead of flying abroad on holiday. Not much in there to inform or sway the debate.
I was interested in the fact that peat moss can be farmed, like any crop, but until forced big companies will only go for the easy option. I think the CO2 @Slum is the fact that if we all turned to coya or such the travel miles plus rainforest destruction will increase it. A much better way of helping would be a reduction of palm oil use.
I believe coir is a waste product from the coconut industry, not palm oil. Coir is very compressed for shipment and will arrive here on an enormous container ship. Not environmentally insignificant, but my assumption would be far less damaging than peat extraction and use.
Surely the huge amount of green waste in our own country should be used before ever outsourcing imports of anything, but yet again the infrastructure has never been invested in.🙄
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Feel rather foolish now as having looked at the bags I have left it has a peat content of over 60%. New plans are being laid for next year now.
Has anyone bought any of the large bulk bags available of peat free compost ? Although I make lots of compost at home I still use about 1500lt of bought in stuff which has a better texture for seeds etc.
I found this article by Peter Seabrook interesting @Wilderbeast and thought I would post it for you.
I think the CO2 @Slum is the fact that if we all turned to coya or such the travel miles plus rainforest destruction will increase it.
A much better way of helping would be a reduction of palm oil use.