Bord na Móna (Shamrock) to cease harvesting peat by 2030

[Trev]

Bord na Móna (Shamrock) to cease harvesting peat by 2030

 

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/bord-na-m%C3%B3na-to-cease-harvesting-peat-by-2030-1.2379624

[SoLongFairWell]

Oh dang it. WTF am I gonna do?

[Trev]

You've got 15 years, could start stockpiling now :)

 

Actually I've had an idea for a few years of how to recycle the peat but haven't got around to trying it out yet. Basically the reason we discard the peat and use new stuff every year, is the build up of salts from all the evaporated water. What if we had 2 lots and left the previous years outside in the rain to leech the salts out before reusing it the following year? My idea was to use something like those large plastic mesh crates that supermarkets use for vegetables or maybe onion sacks. Cant see why it wouldn't work.

[billynomates666]

Actually I've had an idea for a few years of how to recycle the peat but haven't got around to trying it out yet. Basically the reason we discard the peat and use new stuff every year, is the build up of salts from all the evaporated water. What if we had 2 lots and left the previous years outside in the rain to leech the salts out before reusing it the following year? My idea was to use something like those large plastic mesh crates that supermarkets use for vegetables or maybe onion sacks. Cant see why it wouldn't work.

 

 

 

You will probably also need to increase the acidity with sulphur, pine bark or similar.

Cheers

steve

Edited October 6, 2015 by billynomates666

[FredG]

Actually I've had an idea for a few years of how to recycle the peat but haven't got around to trying it out yet. Basically the reason we discard the peat and use new stuff every year, is the build up of salts from all the evaporated water. What if we had 2 lots and left the previous years outside in the rain to leech the salts out before reusing it the following year? My idea was to use something like those large plastic mesh crates that supermarkets use for vegetables or maybe onion sacks. Cant see why it wouldn't work.

 

I think it's more like you change the peat every year because you think you have a build up of salts. 

I don't change the peat as an annual ritual and I don't have any problems. Admittedly, new arrivals will get fresh medium when potted up and if I split plants again it's fresh peat

I've had some plants in the same medium for 25+ years, they don't seem to mind. I suppose if you include Cephalotus, the original "Big Boy" still has the original compost around its centre.That would be 33 years.

Perhaps you need a better source of water.

[SoLongFairWell]

I recycle my own potting media but not other peoples.

[gricey]

will the little choo-choo that runs round the place be up for sale? have a few years pocket money to save in advance

[Trev]

 

I think it's more like you change the peat every year because you think you have a build up of salts. 

I don't change the peat as an annual ritual and I don't have any problems. Admittedly, new arrivals will get fresh medium when potted up and if I split plants again it's fresh peat

I've had some plants in the same medium for 25+ years, they don't seem to mind. I suppose if you include Cephalotus, the original "Big Boy" still has the original compost around its centre.That would be 33 years.

Perhaps you need a better source of water.

 

 

Fred,  You're right not everyone does it but that's the main reason it's done by the people that do it. I'm a 100 yards from the Atlantic Ocean, so even my rainwater has salt in it.

Edited October 8, 2015 by Trev

[FredG]

Is that rain or just heavy spray Trev?

Edited October 9, 2015 by FredG

[SoLongFairWell]

Trev I'm surprised your rainwater doesn't have fish and sea eagles in it.

[Trev]

Often sounds like it does, Richard.

 

Fred, In the winter it's actual sea spray but any time of year the rain can have a small sea salt content:

 

 

Every rain drop has some piece of "something" in the middle that the water attaches to (or condenses on, to be more correct). Generally, this is a bit of dust or something and is referred to as the "condensation nuclei."

The particles may be composed of dust or clay, soot or black carbon from grassland or forest fires, sea salt from ocean wave spray, soot from factory smokestacks or internal combustion engines, sulfate from volcanic activity, phytoplankton or the oxidation of sulfur dioxide and secondary organic matter formed by the oxidation of volatile organic compounds.

A typical raindrop is about 2 mm in diameter, a typical cloud droplet is on the order of 0.02 mm, and a typical cloud condensation nucleus (aerosol) is on the order of 0.0001 mm or 0.1 micrometer or greater in diameter.

Now, here's the kicker!

"Rainwater gets its compositions largely by dissolving particulate materials in the atmosphere (upper troposhere) when droplets of water nucleate on atmospheric particulates, and secondarily by dissolving gasses from the atmosphere. Rainwater compositions vary geographically. In open ocean and coastal areas they have a salt content essentially like that of sea water (same ionic proportions but much more dilute) plus CO2 as bicarbonate anion (acidic pH)."

 

 

 

Edited October 9, 2015 by Trev