THIS is the third year we have conducted these peat-free compost trials and we must stress that they are done on a comparative, rather than scientific, basis.
Test subjects
The plants selected were all geranium (pelargonium) ‘Dark Red’ peat-free mini plugs, pricked out into cell trays and potted on into 5in (12.5cm) pots. Geraniums were chosen because they are easy-to-grow plants that grow well, particularly in hot summers (predicted for 2023). Water retention has been an issue with some peat-free composts.
All the sample pots were placed in level plastic trays lined with capillary matting, which allowed each pot access to the same amount of water and prevented some samples becoming waterlogged (even though the surface of the compost appeared to be dry). The hot weather in June meant the samples did dry slightly, and then got wet
