There
is much debate regarding the demise of peat compost and how poor results are
being had by using the peat free range of composts now available to nonprofessional
gardeners and allotment holders.
There
are many discussions on gardening and allotment forums with complaints of composts
being over woody and full of un-composted materials whilst we all look for
something akin to what we used to be able to purchase.
I've found this new organic peat free seaweed enriched compost / soil improver and I will be adding it to the soil and compost I'm using on a number of my vegetables.
Below is a little about the man, the company he formed and the product he is selling and I'm going to trial this year.
The Atlantic has
played a pretty significant role in Guy Grieve’s life. From living at sea
aboard a boat with his family to working as a scallop diver for 12 years
running the Ethical Shellfish company in the waters surrounding his former
island home on Mull.To
assisting in the formation of a 3km sugar kelp farm on the Isle of Mull &
working with the Scottish Coastal Clean-up charity. In 2023 Guy formed Atlantic Garden and started creating 20% Seaweed compost & soil improver ready to
start this year.
“For twelve years, as a scallop diver, I swam
through Kelp forests in the pure beautiful waters of the North Atlantic around
my home off the coast of the West of Scotland. I used to gather seaweed on the
beach beside my house to fertilise a little veggie patch on the Isle of Mull.
The results were
always wonderful. It got me thinking…
I now want to bring
the incredible benefits of seaweed to anyone, anywhere who is growing anything!
No chemicals just pure natural goodness. My compost even makes itself-aged
naturally in Scotland, like a fine whisky, for every gardener in the UK.”
Atlantic Garden’s compost ingredients are 100% UK sourced, including seaweed
grown and gathered off the West and East coasts of Scotland. They use seaweed
from storm wash onto harbour facilities and infrastructure where it has to be
removed, so are helping the community by keeping the harbours clean and clear.
20% Seaweed and 80% brown and green horticultural clippings are from
parks and gardens from twelve council areas of Lowland Scotland are added
together. These natural composting ingredients are shredded, mixed, stirred, aerated and
formed into composting windrows. Atlantic Garden monitor the process to ensure that
temperatures are achieved which kill off any weeds or pathogens.
The rest is up to Mother Nature, they just wait, like Master Whisky
distillers, for the natural ingredients they bring together to gradually form
into a very lush looking special soil improver. This seaweed enriched compost
contains 80 minerals, essential trace elements, vitamins and natural plant
hormones including Cytokinins, which all stimulate plant growth and so much
more.
There’s nothing artificial in their compost it is organic as they add no
inputs at all during the growing and collecting and processing of their
compost. As the company is newly formed they aren’t certified yet… But they
will be as soon as they can.
Atlantic Garden is working closely with partners on the West coast of Scotland to grow
seaweed. They have already established a 3km sugar kelp farm on the Isle of
Mull from which they hope to harvest 30 tonnes of gorgeous kelp this
summer. They also bring in sustainably hand gathered seaweed and seaweed
from other farmers in Scotland.
By buying
a bag of beautiful seaweed enriched compost from Atlantic Garden you are
helping them to play a small part in repaying our great debt to the sea.Without the sea, Atlantic Garden is nothing. So they decided that
every bag they sell will lead to a serious contribution to The Scottish Coastal Clean-Up which is an incredible charity which is profoundly dedicated to clearing
marine plastic waste from beaches in Scotland.
Atlantic Garden hope that you will be proud to know that you help
them, to help this great charity with every purchase you make.
Atlantic Garden Organic Peat Free Seaweed Enriched Compost (40 Litres) Cost £13.99 and that price includes the shipping costs. If you order two of more boxes then there is a 10% Discount applied to your order.Your order for each 40 litres will be packed into two bags of 20 litres each, and placed in a single box. The bags, box, tape and label are all 100% home compostable. thus Zero waste. Atlantic Garden are not interested in flashy packaging or shiny plastic. It’s what is in the bag that counts.
In fact Atlantic Garden are one of the only compost suppliers who has taken the
time to ensure that you can compost your bag. However you need to help them too. When your beautiful Atlantic Garden compost arrives you have one
week to keep it in the bag… Any longer and it will actually start to
compost!! If you don’t plan to use it straight away just pour the contents
into a holding bag or container and cover it. Atlantic Compost packaging will home
compost in 180 days. Please do tell them how it goes as they are
somewhat obsessed by the subject!
The Atlantic Garden website has a FAQ (Frequently Asked Question Page)
which you can get to by Clicking Here
If you are already sold on buying some of Atlantic Garden’s
compost Click Here
The Small Print I
have not been paid for this article, Guy has very kindly sent me some Atlantic Garden
Compost to trial and I will be writing about it again on manvslug.uk and going into more depth on how it is made etc. I will be posting about it again, especially when I use it on my tomatoes, and I may even do a bit of a trial against other composts this year..
I
love to see an ethical, newly formed UK based companies launch and thrive and as
someone who formed his own company ten years before I retired, I’m always happy to assist in promoting new
companies that have a great service or product, and I wish Guy and Atlantic Garden every success.