Date: 12 May 99 11:35:35 +0100 From: "Nigel Hurneyman" <NHURNEYM@uk.oracle.com> To: cp@opus.hpl.hp.com Message-Id: <aabcdefg1643$foo@default> Subject: Re: Moss Peat Substitutes
Hi Mike,
I believe various institutions have tried peat substitutes for CPs
with limited success. Some things definitely seem to need peat eg
most Droseras, but things like Sarracenias and Nepenthes seem to be
happy with reduced or even peat-free mixes. The last time the UK
CPS was at Kew, they said they were trying 50% peat and 50% coir.
Last year's UK CPS AGM had a talk by someone extremely anti-peat but
a lot of the content seemed ill-considered.
In my opinion the optimum compromise for plants, gardeners and peat
bogs would be for everyone to compost their vegetable waste rather
than using peat as a soil conditioner - something the peat
extractors actually boast about on their packaging. Cut sensibly,
(as the Irish did for centuries), peat is a renewable resource.
Unfortunately the commercial extractors are now getting their fangs
into the virgin wetlands of the Baltic Coast.
What was most depressing about the recent CPS meeting at Wisley was
seeing the huge stack of bales of peat in the fenced-off area, and
the huge chunks of tufa in the alpine house.
Regards, NigelH
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