Peat

Sinclair

Fine Peat

Fine peat is ideal for seed sowing in trays and smal pots, and for propagating seeds and cuttings in modules. It can be mixed with fine perlite to increase aeration or fine vermiculite to aid even germination of seedlings.

Sinclair

Medium Peat

Medium peat is used for potting-on plugs and cuttings into pots and bedding packs. Sinclair markets a range of additives which can be mixed with medium peat such as fine bark and coarse perlite to increase aeration, and vermiculite to increase buffering of nutrients and aid water retention.

Sinclair

Medium-Coarse Peat

Medium-coarse peat is used to grow container nursery stock and has a higher air filled porosity than medium peat. This is important for crops grown for longer periods in order to avoid waterlogging. Sinclair nursery grade bark can be added to medium-coarse peat in order to open up the compost and help aeration and drainage.

For Pot Plants in Larger Pots

A mixture of medium and medium-coarse peat will help to increase the aeration and drainage, particularly for slower growing and longer-term species such as cyclamen, poinsettia and chrysanthemum. These species will also benefit from additions of perlite or bark.

Lime Requirement

The peat is unlimed and lime needs to be added so the compost achieves the correct pH. It is recommended that a finely ground Dolomitic limestone should be used for this purpose. As an approximate guide the table below indicates the amount of lime required to raise the pH of 1m³ of peat.

At higher inclusion rates of lime it is beneficial to use a mix of 50% Dolomitic limestone and 50% finely ground limestone.

Fertiliser Requirements

Peat contains very low levels of available nutrients and a good quality base fertiliser should be added. As plants develop liquid feeding may be required and the Sangral range of soluble fertilisers is ideal for this purpose. For longer term crops such as nursery stock controlled release fertilisers such as Sincrocell will feed for 6,9,12 or even 15 months. For detailed application rates for the above products please see the Sinclair Fertiliser Guide.

Wetting Agent

A good quality wetting agent should be added to the mix in order to aid re-wetting if the peat dries out. This is particularly important for germinating seedlings, which can produce uneven growth if peat is allowed to dry out too much. Overwatering should also be avoided as this reduces the amount of air in the compost and can encourage damping-off diseases.