BilgePump Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 Morning guys. Last week I blagged a bag of the above mentioned media from a rep and my first impressions are it could potentially be as good as peat moss based compost. To the touch it has a lovely texture , it's very airy and fluffy like pm soil supreme , little bit of perlite or fytocell mixed in for visual interest I'm just about to side by side test it against my go to Erin malloy's multi purpose. For the test I'll be using plants I'm extremely familiar with , capsicum chinense paper lantern and I'll also be trying to root some cuts of bpb's creations in it along side the Erin's (which is pretty good at striking cuts imho). I know some of you guys are dedicated to ditching peat completely before the ban comes in and I've not seen any mention of this compost by anyone other than myself here so I thought I'd throw this up so you can follow along with my findings! @MindSoup @Lux_Interior you guys spring to mind as likely interested parties I'll update this thread with info as and when guys. ATB BilgePump 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 Never heard of it, so I'm intrigued to see how it does. I've been using Dalefoot which I'm quite happy with but it can be a bit tricky to find round my way so always happy to have more options. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 This stuff's pretty new tbh , I saw it doing the rounds in houseplant groups on face ache during lockdown touted as brand new. A fifty litre bag will set you back around a tenner , give or take. Iirc Dalefoot comes in 30L bags similar to j.i doesn't it? (I know that's not an issue for you micro grow lads) First impressions are this is a use once and sack off media whereas the Dalefoot looks more suited to no dig/living soils from what I've read from various sources. Thanks for stopping by dude. ATB BilgePump Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MindSoup Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 Yeah Dalefoot comes in at about 7-8 quid for 30L so not the cheapest stuff about, but it has a lot more residual fertiliser than brands I've previously tried, it will be interesting to see how this stuff performs in that department, hopefully quite well. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 It might be a gimicky bag of shite , it might be absolutely banging. This is why I'm taking one for the team and giving it a spin, I'll be brutally honest with my findings , I've no vested interest/affiliation and it didn't cost me anything this stuff so this is purely a fact finding mission for the benefit of everyone here. Heck I feel like a true pioneer ATB BilgePump 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lux_Interior Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 1 hour ago, BilgePump said: @MindSoup @Lux_Interior you guys spring to mind as likely interested parties I think you have mentioned Brontë heritage peat free compost to me before. Let us know how you get on with it. It seems reasonably priced. I'm plobably going to move on from Sylvagrow Peat Free, mainly because it calls itself multipurpose but the texture is far to woody for raising seedlings unless you sieve it properly. However, the two grows I have done with it were OK. it seems a little light on nutrients for Cannabis. I also added Frass & a few handfulls of perlite. Peat free is the future of compost so we might as well get a head start with using it. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 @Lux_Interior yeah man I sent you a pm about it based on the little chat we had about sylvagrow and the shoddy pH ... Incidentally I messaged melcourt about the high pH on the 6th of January , still waiting on a reply ... There's bound to be a rep through the door at work at some point so I'll corner them as and when. Given the Coco content of some of these new peat free blends (evergreen miracle gro etc) I'm wondering if there's gonna be a move towards using Coco specific nutes in peat free media. It's all food for thought!! ATB BilgePump 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newcouch Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 (edited) i have seen a number of extensive studies on peat free vs peat soils / composts. they all say the same thing. Nothing, but nothing is as good as peat, esp for seedlngs and young plants. not just for the plants, but also for handling and cost. However, many things are close 'enough' and there really is no excuse not for changing, except possibly the prices. Peat cost is relatively stable, but peat free are noticeably better as you pay more, and the extra cost for the decent ones is considerable. Me, i dont think there is any reason to buy peat at all. Buy a cheap, well draining, open peat free and augment it. a purpose built compost will be better than a general one anyhow. good luck with the compost, i wil be interested to see how you get on with it. Edited March 17, 2022 by Newcouch 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
grooving Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 @Lux_Interior I’m trying Sylvagrow for the first time. I naively tried a packet of Oldtimes seeds straight into it un-riddled and they all failed. I now riddle every bag and it has a better feel to it. I agree the nutrients didn’t seem to last as long as I thought they might before I had to start giving grow feed. It reminds me a bit of growing in John Innes since I find it a good idea to wet the rootball a bit and let it soak in before fully watering otherwise it feels like the water skates off the rootball and down the sides. Overall it is OK but would be happy to try a decent alternative, let us know how you get on with the Brontë stuff @BilgePump Some roots loving the Sylvagrow. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 @Newcouch the problem with the majority of peat frees right now is quality control. I sell around 12 different formulas of pf compost on the daily (depending on what we have in obviously) and some of them are just plain shocking. Take Westland new horizon for example , 2 years ago it was banging straight out of the bag. The last pallet we had in was basically wood chip and grit , I potted a couple of c.annums into it as a test , they struggled even with a decent feeding regime. The purpose of this exercise is to see if there's a suitable option that behaves like a traditional mtp without having to hoof loads of amendments into it. ATB BilgePump 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Newcouch Posted March 17, 2022 Share Posted March 17, 2022 @BilgePump apologies, i forgot you work in a garden centre etc. I couldn't gree more. i suspect the extra is quality control, which is why the standard disappears. when i said 'handling' i specifically meant nurseries and also hoofing amendments. All the studies say that for nursey use, peat is the only option because it is reliable and doesnt need playing with. Results are reliable. peat free will have to up its game due to the qc issues. For me; i just need bulk. i buy peat free, but then i am happy to take it to the greenhouse, strain it, chuck the residue (10%) into the next door compost heap, and amend it - i have three compost heaps (and chickens - so it is very very rich), natural clay soil and unlimited sand. Not everyone has that availablity or set up and nurseries cant afford the faff. i like building my own soil. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 @Newcouch no need to apologise for owt squire , s'all good. I talk to our growers about media quite a lot , if yer looking for bulk our veg man recommends icl peat free potting compost , he also confirmed suspicions about melcourt ph'ing over 8. On a separate note I'm noticing lots of galerina marginata fungi popping up in things in pf media , as much as they look like wavies don't eat them folks! ATB BilgePump 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BilgePump Posted March 17, 2022 Author Share Posted March 17, 2022 So I just knocked up a rudimentary slurry with the Brontë compost and whacked a few litmus strips into it. Somewhere between 7 and 8 is where it's sat according to the paper. Out comes the bluelab meter and we get a reading of 7.5 on the nose! I really don't like plunging the bluelab into slurries but needs must , quick swish under a tap and a refill of kci and all's good So that's round one of testing complete , I'm quite happy with that if I'm honest. I'll pH my usual peat base at some point for a comparison too folks. ATB BilgePump 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lux_Interior Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 10 hours ago, grooving said: I’m trying Sylvagrow for the first time. I naively tried a packet of Oldtimes seeds straight into it un-riddled and they all failed. Yes this was my thought. I have just planted some tomatos & chilli seeds in Sylva grow and thats when I thought it looked a bit chunky. Established plants seem to do well, but, for planting seeds ... no! You have to sieve Sylvagrow multipurpose peat free compost to make it a better consistency (multipurpose). IMHO. There are worse peat free composts & options will improve, as we try to save our planet from - mankind. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lux_Interior Posted March 18, 2022 Share Posted March 18, 2022 9 hours ago, BilgePump said: @Newcouch the problem with the majority of peat frees right now is quality control. I sell around 12 different formulas of pf compost on the daily (depending on what we have in obviously) and some of them are just plain shocking. Take Westland new horizon for example , 2 years ago it was banging straight out of the bag. The last pallet we had in was basically wood chip and grit , I potted a couple of c.annums into it as a test , they struggled even with a decent feeding regime. The purpose of this exercise is to see if there's a suitable option that behaves like a traditional mtp without having to hoof loads of amendments into it. ATB BilgePump Boom. I agree. I might order some Dalefoot Peat free tomorrow there can not be wood in a wool compost an there? At the end of the day the whole peat free argument is that there are already many non-peat based ways to grow <<favorite plant here>> already. I used to grow NFT & there was not a bag of compost in sight. Peat is the past & the grass still grows. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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