You might want to explain yourself in more detail :-) Compost here means something entirely different from compost in the UK. And are you addressing container gardeners specifically, as your compost/our potting soil has zero relevance to farmers and only minor relevance to hobby gardeners........unless they also garden in containers.

Compost as compost bought in gc to amend existing soil in raised bed or borders or CONTAINERS. That's what I mean. I'm not being pedantic or pretentious to refer to the horticultural definition of compost or the American version of compost, although some know-alls would like to split hair or attack well-established institutions. I read in Gardening Which? that some growers in allotments or gardeners actively seek out COMPOST with peat to ameliorate their soil although the trend in gcs is to promote peat free alternatives in a bid to protect the enviornment.

Crikey!! No need to get your knickers in a twist!! Compost is also how the vast majority of UK gardeners refer to what we call potting soil....I was only asking for clarification.

FWIW, I am unaware of peat ever intentionally being added to compost/decomposed organic matter. And I can think of no particular need to add peat to any inground soil except to lower pH.

And compost/decomposed organic matter (NOT compost/potting soil) is not a recommended additive for container gardening.

Gardengal, I assume that this person means potting medium, don't you think? I looked up Gardening Which and discovered that it's a British publication. MYAL, you seem offended by GG's wish for clarification but the simple matter is, we need to know what your definition of compost is in order to answer your question.

I prefer bark fines as a soil amendment in my garden and a bark based potting medium for containers. I will also incorporate perlite and peat into the mix for containers. My favorite commercial bagged potting medium is bark based.

When I had my 11 acre container nursery, I used a pine bark fines and perlite mix, delivered to me in bulk in a big high walled eighteen wheel truck.

Rhizo, that's why I asked for clarification :-) But then MYAL offered this: "Compost as compost bought in gc to amend existing soil in raised bed or borders or CONTAINERS. That's what I mean." With the exception of the bolded containers reference, the 'existing soil in raised beds and borders' sound like regular inground gardening to me.

and I think MYAL is just miffed with me period as I have corrected several confusing misstatements......... :-)

Ah, that's different in the UK. What kind of plants did you sell, if you don't mind my asking, rhizo_1 ? You see, here in the UK, we have been encouraged not to use peat as it is very difficult to replace peat. Using peat or peat based compost is always being frowned upon. However, some people, like those growing and selling streptocarpus, would use peat or peat based compost. Gardening Which? have studied and researched and found out that some growers prefer to use peat-based compost or add peat to improve their soil to produce better plants. I guess if you grow a lot ericaceous soil loving plants, you will have a very different requirement.

What misstatements? I have also corrected one of yours. According to you, RHS have spewed a lot of misstatements as well. .. Perhaps, you could make it your mission to CORRECT all RHS's MIS-STATEMENTS!

MYAL, I grew ornamental woody shrubs and trees, plus a few things like daylilies and ornamental grasses.

Your comment about the Fargesia, for one. And the RHS is not perfect - no single source is. I never said they spewed a lot of misstatements......but they are not necessarily on the cutting edge of horticultural science. Pretty much all their container gardening information is very old school and shows very little scientific understanding of the process.

What do people in England call compost—-the decomposed organic matter type of compost?

Haven for good bugs and bad bugs. And disease. We’re often advised to remove foliage to promote garden hygiene. I got stuck with dozens of lace caps—-literally—-and they don’t seem to care about having their flowers left or removed. I’ve never not had them bloom—-even after winters with many, many 10 F. days.

I suspect that you’ll find that you have more to learn from Gardengal than you’ll impart. Regardless, your experience with her is not that of the majority. I don’t think anyone thinks she claims to be your disparaging “fountain of information“. She certainly has more horticultural experience and education here than most. And if you can actually point out an example where she has been wrong, I’d be kind of surprised.

We are in the UK, not in the US, so let's not argue about one person's depth of knowledge. People should know that gardening success hinges on a lot of factors and timing, and to openly attack institutions like RHS which refer mostly to UK horticulture is like Hilary Mantel attacking princess Diana, not that I think Diana is a saint. Let it rest, you follow your gardengal and I will find my garden hero(s).

I just want to know if people would like to use peat-based compost as in compost shop bought or materials they add to border, not to extol your gardengal's knowledge. Humility speaks volume.

Please do not distract from the topic as I really want to find out people's response to peat or peat-based compost in their germinating seeds, growing their crops. Do they add peat to their composting or do they buy compost (bagged( with peat inside? Not a topic to eulogise any person.

I guess when you began it by calling people names—-know-it-all, etc., etc.,—-is when I got annoyed. From Junior High on, I started to notice that people who complain about “cliques” usually just feel left out because of their own insecurities. Gardengal thinks it’s ok to compost bread products, but you don’t see me confronting her, and getting all hot under the collar over it. I just do my little Mona Lisa smile and confidently move on.

I use peat based potting soil for seed starting and my plant pots because I have no easy options that appeal to me. Because I don’t think it’s a sustainable product, and I think it’s of archeological interest, I quit buying peat as a garden plot additive, but I’m not so wed to my conviction that I’m willing to make my own peat-free potting soil. I used to love to till peat in my garden, but I have given up both practices—-tilling and applying peat—-and now just satisfy myself by dumping my plant pots into the garden every year or so.

What I really want to talk about, though, is that 52 years ago yesterday night, Gretchen Allen and I were backstage touching Jimi Hendrix.