Rhipsalis compost

[ragamala]

Snag is, Dave, there was never such a thing as an "original JI compost".

[DaveW]

There was originally a JI formula for these mixes in the 1930's when the JI institute first made them. Obviously some producers without access to the proper materials often adulterated it, but still called it JI composts.

https://www.gardeningdata.co.uk/soil/jo ... _innes.php

Most of the peat substitutes seem to be rubbish though. I bought some so called JI Ericaceous compost which instead of peat contained poorly rotted garden waste, you could still even see the blackened privet leaves from the hedge cuttings in it. I had to bury it in the garden as unusable.

How green some of the peat substitutes are is also questionable? Coir is obviously waste from the coconut industry, but Britain does not grow many coconuts, therefore it has to be dragged half way around the world in polluting ships burning fuels which are often too dirty to be legal to use in road transport. Since peat is more local to us it may even be "greener" for us to use peat for horticulture than drag coir around the globe. The "green lobby" often only gets half the story and forgets to add the long distance transport pollution in, particularly regarding human health.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/ ... world.html

And we bother about comparatively clean diesel cars on land. In fact I read since the Government discouraged diesel car ownership actual pollution levels have gone up. Not the same as diesel pollution, but that from increased sales of petrol cars which produce the ozone layer destroying type of pollution.

https://www.wired.com/story/container-s ... to-change/

One of the main users of peat next to the British mainland used to be the Irish Power Stations, more so than the quantity of peat Ireland sold for horticulture'

http://www.landscapejuice.com/2011/03/h ... erves.html

Which even said all the peat substitute composts were rubbish in their trials.

https://www.independent.co.uk/property/ ... 01705.html

[MikeT]

Labelling JI but ignoring the JI formula extends beyond using peat substitutes. There doesn't seem to be any discernible loam in many brands, and the requirement to sieve the loam and peat is ignored to judge by the size of the large pieces of wood and stone - or large piece of slate in the bag I used on Tuesday.

[ragamala]

Wow Dave, that's quite a rant developed from an innocent and accurate statement that some people have ethical objections to using peat. And not a very well-supported rant on pollution imo, but I really am not entering a discussion on diesel versus petrol etc. Anyone can these days produce stuff from the web to justify any opinion, however absurd.

[KathyM]

I have read that loam is often replaced in John Innes compost these days. I haven't bothered to check the ingredients of the JI compost I'm using at the moment; the compost I used last year was so terrible that anything would be an improvement!

[Andyh]

Hi Ive been growing a few rhipsalis, epiphyllums, and other epiphytes for 3 seasons. Ive been mixing equal parts sieved peat free compost (to remove sticks), purchased top soil (loamy), orchid bark and vermiculite. Works well. Its well drained and has some organic matter. The topsoil adds weight helping to keep pots stable. Wilkinsons sell cheap dry bags of peat free compost, topsoil and vermiculite. I dont measure too accurately and if I havnt one ingredient substitute something similar eg sand
In summer drenched daily. Dry and just misted in winter. Growing fast and nothings rotted and most flowered.
Andy

[BryanW]

Labelling JI but ignoring the JI formula extends beyond using peat substitutes. There doesn't seem to be any discernible loam in many brands, and the requirement to sieve the loam and peat is ignored to judge by the size of the large pieces of wood and stone - or large piece of slate in the bag I used on Tuesday.

Even in some of the brands that are known for their quality I'm getting large particles in JI1 & JI2 IE root fibre, stones, lumps of clay and the odd piece of plastic. I've come to the conclusion that it's either being bagged up on a Friday afternoon or a Monday morning OR there are very large holes in their grading riddles.

[DaveW]

Not intended as a rant Ragamala, just pointing out that if you intend to be "green" you have to take every ramification of the change into consideration, not just a single aspect in order to be sure you don't cause more environmental damage than you solve by using the replacement. Longer distance polluting transport of the replacement product is often overlooked by the so called green lobby and politicians.

We are urged to replace our old cars with newer supposedly more efficient ones, but the energy used and pollution caused by new car production often exceeds that of running the slightly less efficient one for twice as long. Of course politicians will cover that up, since hanging onto your car for much longer would cost car industry jobs. Therefore political "greenness" is not always the same as actual "greenness".

"A 2004 analysis by Toyota found that as much as 28 percent of the carbon dioxide emissions generated during the lifecycle of a typical gasoline-powered car can occur during its manufacture and its transportation to the dealer; the remaining emissions occur during driving once its new owner takes possession.

And don't forget that the new hybrids‚ despite lower emissions and better gas mileage‚ actually have a much larger environmental impact in their manufacture, compared to non-hybrids. The batteries that store energy for the drive train are no friend to the environment‚ and having two engines under one hood increases manufacturing emissions. And all-electric vehicles are only emission-free if the outlet providing the juice is connected to a renewable energy source, not a coal-burning power plant, as is more likely."

https://www.scientificamerican.com/arti ... ofriendly/

https://www.wired.com/2016/03/teslas-el ... een-think/

As the above says, changing to electric cars before our old petrol or diesel ones are worn out probably causes more pollution than it saves. Also if we all go electric where will all this clean electric power come from, we are not a hydroelectric country? We simply move the pollution to the power station that often burns a coal and oil mixture. If we change to atomic power we produce toxic waste that keep increasing and has to be stored for thousands of years, so leaving a toxic legacy for our children and grandchildren to deal with.

I am all in favour of being green, but it should only be after full consideration of all the implications of doing so, not just a superficial consideration of a single aspect. Sometimes being seemingly "less green" is in fact greener, and less toxic to humans in the long run.

[KathyM]

Hi Ive been growing a few rhipsalis, epiphyllums, and other epiphytes for 3 seasons. Ive been mixing equal parts sieved peat free compost (to remove sticks), purchased top soil (loamy), orchid bark and vermiculite. Works well. Its well drained and has some organic matter. The topsoil adds weight helping to keep pots stable. Wilkinsons sell cheap dry bags of peat free compost, topsoil and vermiculite. I dont measure too accurately and if I havnt one ingredient substitute something similar eg sand
In summer drenched daily. Dry and just misted in winter. Growing fast and nothings rotted and most flowered.
Andy

I think a potting mix made up of things that can be bought from Wilkinsons is a real plus. and it looks like you've got a jungle! I have to grow mine in the house but I'm still hoping I can create a jungle.

[ralphrmartin]

Trying to revert to the original question - my entire collection is now being grown in a compost which is
1/3 coir
1/3 coarseish granite grit
1/3 John Innes ericaceous compost
(with perhaps a few limestone chippings on top / gypsum for the odd North American limestone cactus).

The ephiphytes seem to be doing very well in it, with strong growth and a very good show of flowers on Rhipsalis, Schlumbergera, Disocactus, etc.

Every watering is done with Miracle Grow Ericaceous fertiliser, at perhaps 1.2 strength.