Leonardite alternative?

[SuperColey1]

Hello

I have been using Leonardite under all my substrate for a few years now however the one company that 'manufactured' it seems to have disappeared and the only alternatives in the UK are the 'hydroponics' store which sell it in tiny 75g packets for using in plant pots to grow......flowers. lol

So would using crushed up coal be a reasonable alternative? I know its not quite the same but would it cause any problems?

The only 'Leonardite' to be found in the UK otherwise are liquid solutions 'derived from Leonardite'.

I still have enough of my original 2.5kg box for a couple of substrates but am looking further on for when I run out

Regards
Andy

 

[Tom Barr]

Activated carbon and peat, similar.

 

[SuperColey1]

Is that Pure Peat or sphagnum moss peat?

AC

 

[Tom Barr]

Ground peat, you might also be easily able to buy Diamond black leonardite via hydroponics supplier.

http://www.google.com/search?client...=1&bav=on.2,or.r_gc.r_pw.&fp=a64581d9a5faaba4

Many have little issue shipping over seas.

 

[SuperColey1]

many thanks. does look like Overseas is the only option at the mo

AC

 

[Biollante]

Brown Coal and Black Peat

Hi Andy,

If it is available “Liqhumus,” a liquid concentrate or “Powhumus,” a dry concentrate used sparingly mixed with sand or soil should work well. These are quite the favored amendment with many hydroponics sorts; as well as the growers of a certain Mexican ditch weed (for medicinal purposes only, I am sure).

I would think that a combination of black peat (low moor peat?) and/or Sapropel peat or clay and brown coal would work well, the poorer the quality of brown coal, the better. When I say “poor quality” brown coal I mean from a fuel point of view, the good for growing brown coal is very crumbly stuff, the harder the coal the less desirable for this purpose.

I would think something of a good muck mixture of 3 parts black peat to 2 parts brown coal and 2 parts sphagnum peat. I would be tempted to mix in a couple of parts of plaster of Paris or Calcium something, but that is just me.

I would mix the muck with an equal amount of any or a combination of top soil, sand, clay or silt.

Good luck, I hate when stuff we are used to disappears!

Biollante