Thanks everyone for making this such an interesting and informative discussion. Update on my moldy compost, I contacted Westlands yesterday and they came back with:
"There will always be some level of fungal activity in growing media which are based on organic material like this. Saprophytic fungi have evolved to live on dead organic matter and wont harm living plants, in fact they help release vital plant nutrients which would otherwise be locked up in the dead organic matter. Generally they go about their business unseen deep in the compost but if conditions are very favourable, such as warm and wet, higher levels of fungi can be present and can be easily visible." They asked for some pics, which I duly sent over, and if they can't decide what it might be, they'll then send me a bag to post them a sample for analysis. Call me cynical, but they can then tell me whatever it suits them to tell me, it's not like I'm a chemist and can do my own analysis! I take their point about the presence of fungi, but whatever this is, it did NOT help my seedlings in any way. Really don't want to go back to peat-based, but still smarting a bit over the loss over all those plants
It's knowing what to do with things that counts - Robert Frost
And will gladly use it but until then I'm not prepared to part with hard earned cash to be a guinea pig for an industry that's had decades to develop consistent good quality peat free compost but has only done so when it became 'fashionable'.
Get what you're saying @Chris-P-Bacon but your statement is not strictly true. In the case of 'New Horizon', William Sinclair Horticulture developed a superb peat-free compost that was used by many of us for many years and was widely available. As with many products the big players don't like a small player producing something that is better and more popular than their own offerings, so they make them an offer they can't refuse and effectively remove the competition.
Clay soil - Cheshire/Derbyshire border. I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
I take their point about the presence of fungi, but whatever this is, it did NOT help my seedlings in any way. Really don't want to go back to peat-based, but still smarting a bit over the loss over all those plants
I'm not saying you seedlings weren't harmed as a result of this compost (although I have to say Westlands responce is logical) but they could have been killed by a lot of other factors - damping off is equally likely I would (respectfully) suggest. Not to worry tho..not too late to re-sow...and like you, if peat based compost is on sale I'll carry on buying it. Although in my defence I've started to buy peat free - from Lidl (Grandiol) and up to now it's not been too bad. I do mix it with other stuff though.
Personally I love dalefoot wool compost, it’s always been very consistent and is lovely and rich, but can be hard to find in garden centres (although they are good at updating their stockist list) I’m fortunate to have a stockist 5 mins away now, and another 20 mins away that sells sylvagrow too, so that’s me set! I had a bag of new horizon a month or so ago and it was fine. Dalefoot is my number 1 though, the seed sowing compost is also gorgeous!! They do a lot of work restoring peat bogs too so not just a passive effort.
I swear this isn’t an ad I just really love their compost 🤣
Over the years I have had some terrible compost. I once bought some from a well known chain of garden centres which was supposed to be the best of the best. It was the worst of the worst. My twin brother bought some from a well known chain of DIY stores full of ants. They asked him to return it in his car full of ants . He set fire to it along with the ants. I use my local allotment association even there one of the companies has changed the makeup of one of the compost. They used to use coconut but because of Covid they changed to bits of wood. Now I still use my association but I only buy Clover multi purpose compost and Clover professional seed compost both exceptional quality. It only costs me £1 for membership and it is a non profit organisation. I would check if there was something in your area to see what they can offer rather than being ripped off by the garden centres. £5 for a bag of manure whilst I pay £15 for a trailer load.
I really want to try Martin's TLC compost (coir and wormcasts) as a peat free alternative but I haven't found a local stockist yet. I've emailed them an enquiry but haven't heard back yet.
i posted this on another discussion on compost earlier
I bought some “new and improved” Jacks Magic last week I opened it today and it’s awful, it’s like a bag of recycled rubbish from the council, it’s full of sticks, lumps of bark, hard lumps of I don’t know what something like stones and bits of white shredded plastic. If this is what going peat free is then I’m not impressed!
Just recently purchased some John Innes no2 compost, this is no more than sugar beet washings that has been graded slightly better than the wetlands top soil. Still on the hunt for a nice compost.
I also purchased another product earlier this year and again its no more than recycled council compost, all the cuttings I took last year and potted on died all had good health and a good root system died, I bought this up with the garden centre I purchased from and they said we have two suppliers who have noted they had a problem with a herbicide.
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They asked for some pics, which I duly sent over, and if they can't decide what it might be, they'll then send me a bag to post them a sample for analysis. Call me cynical, but they can then tell me whatever it suits them to tell me, it's not like I'm a chemist and can do my own analysis!
I take their point about the presence of fungi, but whatever this is, it did NOT help my seedlings in any way. Really don't want to go back to peat-based, but still smarting a bit over the loss over all those plants
Get what you're saying @Chris-P-Bacon but your statement is not strictly true. In the case of 'New Horizon', William Sinclair Horticulture developed a superb peat-free compost that was used by many of us for many years and was widely available. As with many products the big players don't like a small player producing something that is better and more popular than their own offerings, so they make them an offer they can't refuse and effectively remove the competition.
I play with plants and soil and sometimes it's successful
I swear this isn’t an ad I just really love their compost 🤣
I bought some “new and improved” Jacks Magic last week I opened it today and it’s awful, it’s like a bag of recycled rubbish from the council, it’s full of sticks, lumps of bark, hard lumps of I don’t know what something like stones and bits of white shredded plastic. If this is what going peat free is then I’m not impressed!
I also purchased another product earlier this year and again its no more than recycled council compost, all the cuttings I took last year and potted on died all had good health and a good root system died, I bought this up with the garden centre I purchased from and they said we have two suppliers who have noted they had a problem with a herbicide.