garyhove Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 To my horror I went to my local nursery to grab a bale of peat the Irish Peat Moss for about £4 only to be told the EU has now banned this and I could not get a one! I know I can get Moorland Gold but that is very expensive! So this is now going to turn in to a very expensive hobbie if I cannot find another source! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 I bought an 80 litre bag of local peat from a garden centre last week with no such problems. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyhove Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 maybe it was the brand I was buying has been stopped but its annoying as many of the stores that sell compost around me do not sell peat moss! It took a while to find what I have been using! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 Big companies don't sell it for ethical / marketing reasons. Your local nursery might now be doing the same, but its not been banned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 I bought a 100L bag (shamrock) yesterday - they had a pallet load. The main garden centres haven't done any for a couple of years, but this smaller nursery does. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 As more and more large garden centres withdraw from stocking peat, I would imagine that many of the peat extraction companies will withdraw from extracting it. It can't be very financially viable for some of the large peat extraction companies to be supplying solely small garden centres. That said, some of the larger DIY stores still sell peat products, for example, one of the large UK DIY stores sells 'Garden Soil Improver' which actually consists of peat with 20% or more other stuff added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manders Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 B&Q still sell it last time I Looked Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted March 7, 2009 Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 B&Q still sell it last time I Looked That's the product I refer to above. It used to be 100% peat but now it has at least 20% other stuff added. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyhove Posted March 7, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 7, 2009 well hopefully its just the garden centre I have been using.... I will be off scouting again to find another source! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gotcher Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 In the uk peat as to be reduce by over 80% by next year so you are going to find it very hard to find 100% pure peat . As someone said the less is use it won't be worth digging it and bagging etc . And for morland gold the more demand the more they will change in the future . If I were you I would get a very good stock while it's still east to get hold of it . Also with the above you will find that pure peat will get more expensive now as time goes on . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenofeden Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 peat is going to be harder to come by, which is why we should be exploring serious alternatives....I have Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-=Joel=- Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 What are the alternatives ? I wouldn't consider moorland gold as an alternative at present due to cost. I have cut my peat bill in half this year by re-using most of my peat. Throw the manky top layer & keep the soil underneath. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Phil Green Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 I have cut my peat bill in half this year by re-using most of my peat. Throw the manky top layer & keep the soil underneath. I always reuse mine - all of it. I just tip all the old compost into my new batch & mix it up. There is no need to throw away any of it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyhove Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 all very interesting like some of you I recycle my compost where I can too...... so Stephen what alternatives have you been using? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-=Joel=- Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 (edited) There is no need to throw away any of it. It does go to use in the flower beds but I would rather not use it again in my potting mix. The top "crust", about 1cm thick, in my conditions tend to be full of life. Algae, flowers, moss, insects etc. If I where to re-use this as a potting media I feel I could be creating problems as it breaks down meaning I would have to re-pot more often, yearly, and not give the best conditions for the roots of the plants. I reckon I have re-used more than half of my peat this year thinking about it more like 3/4's of it. Edited March 8, 2009 by -=Joel=- Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gardenofeden Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 so Stephen what alternatives have you been using? read my "No peat..." link below Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manders Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Although over the years i've always a peat/perlite mix for nepenthes, over the last year i've found coco peat works just as well, as does lawn moss or just about anything else that's free draining, no need to use peat at all for nepenthes really. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
garyhove Posted March 8, 2009 Author Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 I found 100 ltr bale today so I am happy again! but I think I am going to save up some money and order a good load of Moorland Gold to keep its price down! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsivertsen Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 For my conditions, peat seems to get too acidic, and stays too wet for too long, and also seems to be a magnet for pill bugs and sow bugs, along with millipedes and other things. I've started using pure NJ Pine Barrens sand, and it seems to be working rather well, although not yet commercially available, but something to keep in mind. ;) - Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Too acidic? Is that possible? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rsivertsen Posted March 8, 2009 Report Share Posted March 8, 2009 Too acidic? Is that possible? Absolutely! Many Nepenthes, and especially Pings do NOT do well in media that gets too acidic. - Rich Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyoliver Posted April 20, 2009 Report Share Posted April 20, 2009 What brands of peat do people use? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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