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Re: [SG] peat moss alternatives

-- [ From: Dale Neil * EMC.Ver #2.5.3 ] --

Hi All,

While I have not gone over to the peat moss nonusage camp, I have been
looking into alernatives that might be better.

I do like coir but right now the price of it is a little too high for my
pocketbook to use on a large scale.

I have noticed a high concentration of bark of some sort in potted
hostas that I buy and wondered about that until I read Tony Avents web
pages (which are packed with a lot of wonderful info based on his
experiences. These articles can be found at http://www.plantdel.com/ and
if you have web access, I highly reccommend reading them.).
He says one soil amendment that is being used a lot now is composted
ground pine bark. "This product, which differs greatly from the shredded
mulch makes a wonderful soil amendment. Since it is slow to decompose,
but low in nitrogen robbing cellulose, it is wonderful for adding
aeration to clay soils." (quote from Avent )

I haven't looked at the economics of this product yet but it might be
something well worth looking into.

RE: Gypsum wallboard. In the May/June 1996 Organic Gardening Magazine
there is an article on organic fertilizers. One of the materials
discussed is gypsum but it was stated  that using wallboard as a source
will introduce many more undesirable elements into your soil and and
recommended that the granular gypsum be used as a soil amendment. Good
source for calcium and sulfur without upsetting the PH balance.

I hope this helpful.

Dale Neil
Zone 5, Rock Island, Ill
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