We all know of the ever present pressure to continue with short term exploitation of resources and use of chemical fixes. And in our present economic circumstances those in charge are more vulnerable to wavering.
I want to highlight just one issue.
The use of Peat in compost. In England measures were taken to reduce peat in garden compost. Our well-known gardener Geoff Hamilton pioneered the force for change.
Now they are saying that he was mistaken. That Irish peat is mainly used for burning. And gardeners are complaining that they can't grow anything without peat.
Peat is clearly an example of a limited resource. But most importantly it provides wildlife habitat.
If it's being exploited for burning that's something else to take care of. But I can't go back to using it.
And for a very good reason that any organic gardener worth a cabbage should know about.
Because there's a very good alternative that is wholly organic and sustainable.
Yes I do find that compost made from recycled materials are not working out too well. When is the horticultural industry going to get it's act together? Yes we have loads of poor quality compost under the erroneous name of multi-purpose. So what's the answer?
I've tried and tested it and it's really simple. It's home-made leaf mold. You don't have to pay a penny for it. But it can be made into ideal seed sowing compost.
Just a few tips. Remove any woody, fibrous or strawy material because fungus may grow on those bits.
Pure leaf mold contains very few weed seeds. But you can flame over the surface first.
Another method is to mix it with organic fertilizer and leave it in trays as a stale bed for a couple of weeks before sowing.
All plants turn into leaf mold and garden compost when they die. It's what the soil's made of and it's what plants like most. And it works pure and simple.
Happy gardening.
No comments:
Post a Comment