Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Yana · « **on:** January 30, 2013, 20:08 »

Not sure I have the correct forum, so apologies in advance.
I've been watching several programmes of late where Carol Klein uses horticultural grit for almost everything. She covers the soil in pots (I get that ....... To conserve moisture), she adds it to compost (why?). Is this something I should consider? I tend to use vermiculite to cover the soil when transplanting / potting up seedlings (to conserve moisture) and assume that the compost I use for sowing and transplanting /potting on is OK without it.
Am I wrong on both counts here? I grow a lot of stuff in containers so to add grit would make the container even heavier.

mumofstig · « **Reply #1 on:** January 30, 2013, 20:29 »

You add grit to soil when you want the soil to have particularly good drainage, so it's good for herbs and Mediterranean plants

arugula · « **Reply #2 on:** January 30, 2013, 20:38 »

And she has heavy clay soil in Devon, but she does love her grit wherever she is filming.

Sparkyrog · « **Reply #3 on:** January 30, 2013, 21:12 »

Quote from: arugula on January 30, 2013, 20:38

And she has heavy clay soil in Devon, but she does love her grit wherever she is filming.

Hmm I would want evidence of that living on the Devon border I know most of the county has a nice red loam soil that's slightly sandy

mumofstig · « **Reply #4 on:** January 30, 2013, 22:15 »

In her programme of her garden, that's running over the last few weeks, it does look very claggy.

Ema · « **Reply #5 on:** January 30, 2013, 22:36 »

Improved drainage it rains nearly 300days of the year in Devon

Tom Hill · « **Reply #6 on:** January 30, 2013, 22:41 »

Cornwall beats Devon at everything. We have 350 days of rain.
We dont take many cuttings with veg. Most of her gardening is flowers & shrubs.

angelavdavis · « **Reply #7 on:** January 30, 2013, 22:46 »

I know she also uses it to add to compost for bulbs and Mediterranean plants as MoS says - which is for drainage.

You usually need a sharp mix for cuttings too as it prevents cuttings rotting off.

Like Ema suggests, I also think you have to garden for your own weather challenges. I am using horticultural sand under my onions because it is said it should help white rot developing. I am yet to prove this, but its worth a try as our whole site is infected and I am trying different approaches to see which is most effective.

Trillium · « **Reply #8 on:** January 31, 2013, 02:56 »

The late great Geoff Hamilton loved his horticultural grit as well. I read that he ordered it by the tanker load :blink:

New shoot · « **Reply #9 on:** January 31, 2013, 08:10 »

Grit is useful for slow germinating seeds as it keeps all the green gunk from growing on the top of the compost. I've used it for ornamental stuff, but don't for veg.

Carol has a background as a commercial grower, so its probably something she did all the time on her nursery when taking cuttings or sowing seeds and has just stuck with her

Hamani · « **Reply #10 on:** January 31, 2013, 09:04 »

As mentioned there are certain times where grit is better than vermiculite. But I think most of the time its just down to personal preference.

- Gary.

Bernard · « **Reply #11 on:** January 31, 2013, 15:56 »

The theory is that it slows down evaporation. The problem for me is that you can't tell whether it's wet or dry under the grit without constantly pushing it aside.

Trillium · « **Reply #12 on:** January 31, 2013, 16:12 »

Geoff Hamilton also worked as a commercial grower so I guess they were all taught to use grit and it's just become habit.

Chrysalis · « **Reply #13 on:** January 31, 2013, 19:26 »

It's also heavier than vermiculite, so will be better in windy conditions -

?

JayG · « **Reply #14 on:** January 31, 2013, 19:42 »

Dunno - she's a Lancashire lass and probably hasn't realised that true grit comes from Yorkshire (spoken by an Essex-born/Sussex-raised orangutan who has lived in Sheffield for the last 40-odd years!)

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Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Yana

Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

mumofstig

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

arugula

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Sparkyrog

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

mumofstig

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Ema

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Tom Hill

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

angelavdavis

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Trillium

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

New shoot

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Hamani

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Bernard

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Trillium

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

Chrysalis

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

JayG

Re: Why does Carol Klein use horticultural grit all the time?

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