Wool compost

[ChrisB]

After doing a stint at the Gateshead Flower Show, my reward was to wander around the exhibits for the afternoon.  I stumbled upon a chap selling wool compost.  He told me its made from a blend of wool and bracken.  I  bought some and am trying it out.  I've taken his advice and am mixing it 50-50 with ordinary compost then making my mix from that, using grit and whatver, as one does, based on what one is planting up.  It holds water like nobody's business, so I shall make sure I add in more grit than usual and will be monitoring how often I have to water the pots in which I have used it too.  It also contains a lot of slow release nutrients which ought to mean less need for feeding as well.  Won't be good for things that like fast drainage, but has anyone else tried this for moisture loving plants, and if so, what do you think?

[Maggi Young]

Completely new one on me, Chris. I'll look forward to seeing how it goes for you. What does it look like? Is it chopped up?

[ChrisB]

Yep, looks just like real compost.  Smells a bit 'woolly' when wet, as you might expect.  I'm amazed at the water it holds, making me think again about how much I mix into other compost.  It came in a 30 ltr bag and was quite light to lift  .  £5.99 per bag from my local garden centre, but I don't think it is widely available as yet.  I expect he'll be making the rounds of the shows to try to sell it at first, but from what its done so far for me, I reckon it will make a good additive to my basket pots and suchlike for nutrition and water retention.

Its  been trade marked, by a farmer near Penrith who was losing money selling his wool to the marketing board, found an ancient tome that referred to using it as compost and took it from there.  Good use of bracken too I guess.  Loads of that in the Lakes.  Hope it works out for him.  Just wondered if anyone else was using it.

He also sells something called Lakeland Gold, a soil conditioner that uses the bracken as one of its constituent parts and another conditioner he calls Horsepower (nice marketing name lol).

[Maggi Young]

I'm amazed at the water it holds,

I always knew it was no fun being a sheep

[David Shaw]

Hmmph

[Mick McLoughlin]

Found a news link to it here.
http://www.bsn.org.uk/view_all.php?id=12078

[Susan]

When  I have my sheep shorn,  (all four of them)I take the fleeces down to sell and exchange them for a thing we call "crushed dags". Which is what you get when you shear around their nether regions, usually before tupping and lambing.  It is brilliant on the garden, although wouldn't use it in pots or potting mix myself,  but it  also keeps possums off tasty plants as they hate the wool in their claws.  The remnants of the manure attached to the wool is crushed and becomes quite fine. I use it on perennials and often before I put down winter mulch.

Susan

[Lesley Cox]

Thanks Susan, I've often wondered about dag manure but this lets me know I should try it, especially as our possum population seems to have exploded lately. Roger shot 3 last weekend. I was going to mention dag manure but thought maybe our northern relatives wouldn't be familiar with the term - or the product