Can you mix peat and compost?

Can you mix peat and compost?

Sphagnum peat moss, a common ingredient in potting soil, also works well as a carbon source in a compost pile. You can put peat moss in a new compost pile or add it to an existing pile. Compost piles require a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of around 30 parts carbon for one part nitrogen.

Why should gardeners use less peat-based compost?

Nowadays, with more awareness around peat-bog depletion, and peat as a limited resource, many gardeners prefer to use peat-free composts. Peat-free composts are great for water retention but, for plants that require good drainage, adding a bit of grit and sharp sand to the mix will help support growth.

What is wrong with peat compost?

The carbon in peat, when spread on a field or garden, quickly turns into carbon dioxide, adding to greenhouse gas levels. 3. The unique biodiversity of peat bogs is lost. Rare birds, butterflies, dragonflies and plants disappear.

How do you speed up the decomposition of a compost pile?

How To Speed Up Composting

1. Make a larger pile. The way your organic waste turns into nutrient-rich fertiliser for your plants is with heat.
2. Have the proper ratio of brown materials to green materials.
3. Shred everything.
4. Turn your pile over and aerate.
5. Keep your pile moist.
6. A few more fast composting tips:

Is peat bad for plants?

Is Peat Soil Good for Plants? Peat soil can be good for some plants. It is typically acidic, it provides good root structure and it holds a lot of water. So, plants that love moisture and don’t mind acidic conditions can grow well in peat soil.

Is peat good for the garden?

Around 70 per cent of peat is used in horticulture, much by amateur gardeners who have long considered it the best way of encouraging plant growth. It is rich in nutrients, being made up of partially decomposed plant material that has not decayed fully because of local conditions.

Is Richmoor compost peat free?

We have a range of growing media from Peat Free Compost to Soil Improvers and Bark. At The Greener Gardening Company, we compost green materials to produce a sustainable, quality compost according to the Compost Quality Protocol and PAS100.

Is peat a good compost?

Peat is best! Gardeners have relied on it for years – it retains both moisture and air and is pretty much free of pests and diseases. This gives a consistent growing experience so that gardeners know when to water and how to go about growing.

Is peat good for plants?

What is a good compost activator?

Suitable greens will have a high nitrogen value and be ‘easy’ for the composting microbes to breakdown. The “natural” activators include: Green Plants, e.g. comfrey, clover, grass clippings, nettles, or alfalfa.

What can I add to my compost to speed it up?

16 Ways to Speed Up Your Compost

1. Add a layer of branches at the bottom.
2. Add old compost/soil.
3. Use a hot water bottle to kick start your compost.
4. Use a compost duvet.
5. Turn your compost.
6. Create Free Air Space in your compost.
7. Adding nitrogen rich materials.
8. Getting the moisture ratio right.

How do you use peat moss in a compost pile?

If you’re using peat moss to start a new compost pile, spread a layer of eight inches of peat moss, then cover it with a few inches of soil from the garden or finished compost.

What is the best peat-free compost?

RIP: Vital Earth Multi Purpose Compost. Vital Earth’s packaging was one of the most recognisable of all, meaning this top-performing peat-free compost stood out amongst the mountains of nature-wrecking peat-based (some of it 100% peat) composts that still loom tall in most garden centres and other outlets.

What is the difference between peat and compost?

Peat moss is a natural product that’s formed as layers of moss grow over one another. (Peat moss is the bottom layer.) Compost is made as everyday waste materials decompose into nutrient-rich soil. Peat moss is sterile, has an acidic pH, and is not high in nutrients or microorganisms.

What has happened to New Horizon peat-free compost?

Since then, they have reformulated this peat-free compost so that it no longer contains any ‘green waste’, which is what the old tried and trusted New Horizonwas based on. The new-look bags of New Horizon(below) now contain the same basic mix that’s also sold as Gro-Sure Peat Free All-Purpose Compost(a blend of coir, wood fibre and bark).