Is Wickes peat free compost safe for veg & salad
30yearsalearner
Posts: 1
Wickes had a very attractive offer on peat free compost over Easter - so I decided to try it out. As others have commented, it has a very strong smell on opening the bag. Some say creosote, I thought more like ammoniacal stable bedding with chemical mixed in. Seems to have dissipated somewhat now it's in my troughs for a couple of days. The bag says it's suitable for all garden uses but... Is it safe for veg and salad? Will it cause any taint? I grow salad leaves and herbs in my troughs. Yes - I know it says not suitable for seeds on the bag - but what can you do without going back to peat? I use a mix of one part Wickes top soil to two parts peat free compost. I sieved some to remove the big bits and the fibrous fluff and then used this under and over the seeds - it seemed to have a better consistency. Too soon to report any germination. Just wondering whether I should abandon and try again with New Horizons (also mixed with top soil), which I have found is frequently of poor quality, mouldy, stinky, excessively fibrous and full of big chunks of uncomposted wood.
I've struggled with peat free seed compost this year. I tried the B&Q version but got very poor germination = about half what I usually get. Whenever we see Monty Don sowing seeds, his peat free seed compost looks lovely and quite similar to a conventional seed compost. What does he use? ALL the peat free compost I've tried is made up of flakes of bark / wood with added fluff of unknown origin and doesn't look in the least suitable for small seeds. Nothing like the stuff on Gardeners World. Has anyone found a good reliable consistent brand of peat free seed compost at a sensible price? (I.e. not £17 for 50L!!) I am sorely tempted to revert to the peat based seed compost, as I only use small amounts, until a suitable peat free seed compost is developed and affordable.
I've struggled with peat free seed compost this year. I tried the B&Q version but got very poor germination = about half what I usually get. Whenever we see Monty Don sowing seeds, his peat free seed compost looks lovely and quite similar to a conventional seed compost. What does he use? ALL the peat free compost I've tried is made up of flakes of bark / wood with added fluff of unknown origin and doesn't look in the least suitable for small seeds. Nothing like the stuff on Gardeners World. Has anyone found a good reliable consistent brand of peat free seed compost at a sensible price? (I.e. not £17 for 50L!!) I am sorely tempted to revert to the peat based seed compost, as I only use small amounts, until a suitable peat free seed compost is developed and affordable.
1
Posts
Lots of comments about peat-free compost recently -
https://forum.gardenersworld.com/discussion/1062800/peat-free-compost-disappointment/p1
Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.