JimsPlants Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 Has anyone had good results with this over a long period? Ive just noticed on the package "specially formulated to nourish roots" which is rather worrying. I really need to know as i have a lot of plants sitting in it and all i can think now is that they need repotting. Thanks Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I think it depends on the batch you get and where you get it from. The only peat i've used for the last 2 years has been westland and mine has been O.K. But many growers have used it with terrible results. How long have they been potted in it? ada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsPlants Posted October 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I think it depends on the batch you get and where you get it from.The only peat i've used for the last 2 years has been westland and mine has been O.K. But many growers have used it with terrible results. How long have they been potted in it? ada Some of them have been in it for about 1 month. They dont seem to have any problems as such nor do they seem to be thriving but its hard to tell as there probally getting ready to be dormant. I really just want to clear it up and get them repotted if they need it for the winter. But i had a search and it looks like people have mixed opinions on it, same with the shamrock brand which is my alternative. Im more worried about it having added fertilizers etc after reading the details on the packaging..a little too late maybe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I found it one of the worst I've ever used. Trev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsPlants Posted October 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I found it one of the worst I've ever used.Trev. Yeh im seeing a few people say that.. Did you find it to have detrimental effects or just not that good quality? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 You probably won't find out until next year,as you say everything is going dormant.I had a iffy batch once. What i found was--everything was o.k for a few months,then when the roots had grown down to the water level in the trays everything changed. The roots went all black,like they had been burnt and died,the plants then started to look ill,the longer i left them the worst they looked. so i ended up repotting everything,luckliy everything survived. ada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy 1973 Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I've only ever used Westland since I started collecting (about 3 years) and I haven't experienced any problems. Having said that I am going to start using Moorland Gold this year for environmental reasons. It looks to me as though there is no real bad Peat but it just is a case of being unlucky with certain batches. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy pandy Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I would AVOID using it!!! Ive used Westlands for a few years now with no problems, UNTIL NOW. The new bag i opened was alot darker, almost black, it was quite wet and had twigs and big lumps of stuff in it, i have lost a good few plants since potting them in that rubbish. I have been advised to invest in Moorland gold, i suggest you do the same. Sandra Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsPlants Posted October 19, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 thanks everyone. Ill see if i can get moorlands i have heard good things about it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trev Posted October 19, 2009 Report Share Posted October 19, 2009 I would AVOID using it!!! Ive used Westlands for a few years now with no problems, UNTIL NOW. The new bag i opened was alot darker, almost black, it was quite wet and had twigs and big lumps of stuff in it, i have lost a good few plants since potting them in that rubbish. I have been advised to invest in Moorland gold, i suggest you do the same. Sandra The twiggy stuff comes from the bottom of the bog. When I was younger we used to cut peat from the bog and dry it for fuel for the fire. When you got to the bottom you would find the stumps of the Scots pine trees that covered the lowlands of Ireland thousands of years ago before the bogs covered it all. You always new when you were getting close because there was a lumpy layer full of birch twigs just above it. Trev. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyoliver Posted October 20, 2009 Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Used Westland for a while but changed over now as results were not too good, but that could just be the batch I had. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsPlants Posted October 20, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 20, 2009 Ended up with some Shamrock and it looks so much better, a nice golden brown compared with the black sludge i pulled from out the pots. Thanks for your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyoliver Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 I changed to Clover peat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Westland is crap. It used to be fine, but the last batch really affected the VFTs. Sluggish growth, black traps before opening etc. Repotted in Shamrock and they're happy as larry, but their experience meant they lost about 6 weeks of the growing season. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wallsg7 Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 (edited) My experiences have been the same as sandy pandy...word for word.I too plan to repot in moorland gold this winter. Edited October 21, 2009 by wallsg7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
sandy pandy Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Yes Westlands is CRAP!! There is a bad batch going around, dont use it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Langy Posted October 21, 2009 Report Share Posted October 21, 2009 Hi, all Ive also had the 'bad batch' of peat from Westland, batch code number on the side of the bag is 90272C. I still have 3.5 100L bags that I cant use, thats after I went through 2.5 bags! I have also put a complaint in to Westland via their website, and they sent me a sample bag to fill and send back, and Im now waiting on the results to come back. Ive also had the pleasure of complaining in person to the Wesland area manager (not just a rep) when he came to my garden centre. In the meantime I have also switched over to Shamrock (which I told to the area manager!), with far better results. I would recommend that anyone having trouble with the Wesland peat, list all the plants that you have lost due to it, and formally complain to Wesland via thier own website! Regards Langy Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsPlants Posted October 22, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Dear Mr. Thank you for your e-mail, we do not intentionally add anything to our Irish moss peat and the information on the back of the pack refers to the beneficial effect the slow breakdown of the peat has on soil. However as we do recycle any out of spec or damaged bags of multipurpose into our peat we cannot absolutely guarantee that our Irish moss peat will be totally free of lime or nutrients so with very sensitive plants like carnivorous plants I would have to recommend that you proceed with caution Im so glad i got them out of that black sludge now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyoliver Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 Dear Mr.Thank you for your e-mail, we do not intentionally add anything to our Irish moss peat and the information on the back of the pack refers to the beneficial effect the slow breakdown of the peat has on soil. However as we do recycle any out of spec or damaged bags of multipurpose into our peat we cannot absolutely guarantee that our Irish moss peat will be totally free of lime or nutrients so with very sensitive plants like carnivorous plants I would have to recommend that you proceed with caution Im so glad i got them out of that black sludge now. Nice of them to let us know! Glad I changed when I did. Thanks for finding this out and posting it here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alexis Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 That explains it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mobile Posted October 22, 2009 Report Share Posted October 22, 2009 (edited) [edit]However as we do recycle any out of spec or damaged bags of multipurpose into our peat we cannot absolutely guarantee that our Irish moss peat will be totally free of lime or nutrients so with very sensitive plants like carnivorous plants I would have to recommend that you proceed with caution If they cannot guarantee that their Irish Moss Peat is purely Moss Peat, I can absolutely guarantee that I will never be using their product. Edited October 22, 2009 by mobile Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andyoliver Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 What do they mean "proceed with caution"? Add a little at a time to see what happens?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JimsPlants Posted October 23, 2009 Author Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 What do they mean "proceed with caution"? Add a little at a time to see what happens?? Kill one plant at a time? Well to me means steer clear. I want a product i can be confident in.. not proceeding with caution. Now what to do with 95 litres of westland peat?? Thanks for all your help Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ada Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 That's me finished with westland too after reading what they get up to.Certainly explains the mixed results which are getting worse. Now i only need to find a local shamrock supplier. ada Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Andy 1973 Posted October 23, 2009 Report Share Posted October 23, 2009 I've only ever used Westland since I started collecting (about 3 years) and I haven't experienced any problems. Having said that I am going to start using Moorland Gold this year for environmental reasons. It looks to me as though there is no real bad Peat but it just is a case of being unlucky with certain batches. Having read all your comments and the very interesting comment from the supplier it looks like I have been lucky over the last few years. It does indeed look like there is "bad Peat" . Hoping to collect my Moorland Gold this weekend so I think a bit of repotting is called for over the next couple of months. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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