The Garden Network - plantlover - Peat free/green waste compost - Just wondered what your views are on the use of green waste compost in horticulture and have any of you had experience of using it. Do you think

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plantlover's blog

Peat free/green waste compost

10:28 AM on 30 June 2008

Filed under: My current maintenance project

Just wondered what your views are on the use of green waste compost in horticulture and have any of you had experience of using it. Do you think it's the way forward especially with all the hype surrounding the use of peat recently.

It would be a shame if it was treated more like a gimmick rather than a proffesional uesable product. Let me know your thoughts please.

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plantlover - 6:46 PM on 4 July 2008	[ message ]
The price diff is approx 15% on both green waste and coir based products over peat (per m3)

LinetteApplegate - 9:00 PM on 3 July 2008

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Cant comment on the compost product, but we use Green Waste as a spring mulch on all the beds at Toddington Manor and cant recommend it enough. Weve been using it now for about 8 years, and never had a problem with weeds or contamination, apart from the odd bit of plastic in the earlier batches, but they seem to remove it more effectively now. Stops the weeds effectively and we dig it in to improve the soil each winter.

What is the cost difference for green waste compost and peat compost, and alternatives?

plantstogo - 11:32 AM on 30 June 2008

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Hi Lee,
Last Autumn we switched to peat free production, with the exception of Ericaceous stock.
We now use composted bark with 12/14 month slow release feed. I have to say the results have been brilliant.
We potted our main production last Autumn, including things like Lavandula, which don't really like over Wintering, without a single loss.
The bark is very free draining, so you can imagine at this time of year we are watering more than normal. However there is an option for us to add 10-20% green waste to increase moisture retention which we are considering.
The other advantage with bark, is that we do not have a weed or moss problem on our plants. There is however some residual weed in the liners, but that is solved fairly easierly.
Overall I think that we have made the correct choice to go peat-free and there should be the option this Autumn to drop peat altogether when our suppliers introduce their product for Ericaceous stock.

regards,
Steve

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