[bayleaf]

Anyone know of a decent brand of peat free Compost? I bought some Westland and it's basically sand and pine needles. Terrible stuff.

[Snow]

Sylvagrow and dalefoot wool compost are  both good

[rowlandwells]

there's  interesting write up in the RHS  mag the Garden January issue its title £1M RHS project will lead to a peat-free future without going into to much detail it looks like the manufacturers of pet free compost's need to get there finger out to offer a good alternative to peat based because it looks like those in the Horticultural industry are looking for a good peat-free alternative before the ban comes into force for the commercial growers as you know the deadline for them using pest based composts is extended to a further twelve months as for the home gardener well that's much sooner its about time the compost manufacturers got there act together to produce a decent peat-free compost as an alternative to peat- based  I add at  affordable price I would be the first to change to peat-free if it was as good as peat-based see if you can borrow a copy of the RHS mag and give me your replies on what you think about what's said in this article

[Goosegirl]

I got two bags of Sylvagrow last year as a user I met in my local garden centre recommended it to me and it was lovely stuff. I just hope they keep the same formula and quality for this year's supply. Personally, though it cost a bit more than some peat-free stuff, what's the point in trying to save some money by buying cheaper if your plants don't grow in it.

[Kleftiwallah]

Good morning everyone, 
just a pointer rowlandwells, people find it difficult to read a large block of text, better to bung in a paragraph break or two.  (City & Guilds 5360-01 and 5360-02  Technical Communication Techniques distinction).

I cannot help thinking that the 'peat free' producers are getting rid of a load of rubbish that has been gathering dust in the yard for years!

Cheers,  Tony.

[Subversive_plot]

For the life of me, I can't fathom why achieving a top-quality peat-free compost would be that difficult.  Never mind whether it's necessary (it isn't over here).

Properly processed municipal compost works perfectly well as a soil amendment. The material I have access to is inexpensive ($20 fills the bed of my full-size pickup truck heaped to overflowing).  Foreign materials (plastics, etc.) are well-managed and kept out.  With a little more screening, it would look better than anything offered in a bag from garden centers.  This material is mostly made from composted green waste and municipal biosolids; rigorous testing and temperature control keeps it safe with respect to metals, pathogens, and herbicides (there has never been a concern over safety of this material).  The compost plant that produces this material is run by my city-county government, and I live in one of the poorest counties in Georgia. A compost facility manager that can't manage to do the same or better should consider employment in the fast-food industry.

I did a little experiment with composts for starting seed, results here: https://chat.allotment-garden.org/index.php?topic=136112.30  The same municipal compost (no peat) performed a little better than the peat-based seed-starting compost.

[rowlandwells]

I take your point Tony will try to do it better next time  honest I think its because I didn't get to the grammar school only secondary modern 

anyway I like your replies RW

[Christine]

For the life of me, I can't fathom why achieving a top-quality peat-free compost would be that difficult.  Never mind whether it's necessary (it isn't over here).

Properly processed municipal compost works perfectly well as a soil amendment.

So long as you don't get the dreaded Mare's Tail which is rampant up here added to your municiplal waste. People dig it out regularly locally and take it to the appropriate collection point to be composted.

[Subversive_plot]

Properly processed compost will be hot enough for a sustained period to kill any vegetation, as well as pathogens.  If seeds or clippings are sprouting, including mare's tail, then the compost plant manager does not know what they are doing (I was in environmental consulting for many years, and some of my projects included monitoring and oversight of composting facilities).

[missmoneypenny]

Certainly we need better peat free compost. Last years offerings were woeful and cost me decent tomato and aubergine plants. Interesting to think that the professionals , the RHS and the like are panicking a little now they have to follow their own advice and go peat free.

[Kleftiwallah]

I take your point Tony will try to do it better next time  honest I think its because I didn't get to the grammar school only secondary modern 

anyway I like your replies RW

Grammer school,  what's that then?   When as a serving crabfat rigger I oftrn wondered hoe the documentation I used was produced.  After my career with HMtQ ended I went to college part time for three years and then found out that rather than spend money on documentation manufacturers just gave the job to R & D wallahs.   Which may explain why product doc's are so 'unuseable'!  Cheers,  Tony.

[meterman]

I've stopped buying compost 5 year's ago. I bought 6 75lts bags £2 each end of season sale and just use for small seed sowing and still have 4 bags left.
All other compost I make and I use a lot 3x 4x4x3ft potato towers upto 15x60lt boxes also potatoes and 11 more boxes for toms and cucumbers
All fresh each year (could not afford to buy it

[New shoot]

All other compost I make

Would you mind sharing your recipe 

I do mix up compost for various jobs, but have until now bought a fair bit of multi-purpose each year.  I have soil from taking out a raised bed, spent compost from planters, coir blocks and a few other possible ingredients at hand so interested in your method.

[meterman]

Privett cutting, cardboard (shopping always comes home in boxes)) grass cuttings mine and neighbours they even deliver to my door, wood chips, all paper ie paper towels serviettes anything that's not glossy, all non meat kitchen waste, all garden waste, chicken waste
With weeds I treat them to a bath first 2bins of water fill bin1 till no more room then bin 2 when bin 2 is full empty 1 onto compost and refill when full empty 2 and so on
I also collect horse manure 1 bucket well rotted manure to 2 finished compost
I stop adding to my bin in October and start a new one, all compost used this year 2023 was stopped Oct 2021 and left 12 months
Sorry for such a long post but hope it helps

[Learnerlady]

Soz if this is obvious to everyone but was chatting to a small grower about this and seems that I may have been blaming poor quality compost when I've actually been over watering as I go more by surface dryness whilst they found checking below gave better quide re watering. I'm going to try this and also set-up capillary mat.