Performance of peat-free vs peat-based?
All peat-free composts, including the Vital Earth range will give just as good a performance as any peat-based product. They do tend to behave slightly differently however, so it’s good to know what to look out for! For example, seeds and young plants may appear to get off to a slightly slower start with peat-free, but they soon catch up. We say that Vital Earth’s composts are “marathon runners rather than sprinters”! A very good consequence of this is that the resulting plants are more sturdy and compact than with peat-based. Peat-based composts can result in apparently vigorous, but overly lush plants which are more prone to disease/pest and frost/wind damage. Peat-free composts may also appear drier in the pot than peat-based, so to avoid possible over-watering, always check with a finger test to see if more moisture is required. Don’t just rely on visual evidence. Peat-free composts produce just as many flowers, veg or fruits as peat-based, with the possible exception of slight red
