Wilma Conifer plant-Do i really need peat free?

[BladeDD 10]

Hi.

 

I just bought a small ball shaped tree called a wilma double ball. Its says to put it in peat free compost.

 

Anyway, B&Q did have any big bags of it (and i have to big planters to fill). Does it really have to be peat free? everything i have ever planted has gone in normal garden soil or multi purpose compost This might be a stupid question but im not green fingered lol

[Hayley1 10]

nah. Most places suggest peat-free to be enviromentally friendly I reckon. I would however choose a John Innes no 3 compost if it's going to be grown in a pot, as multiP may dry out.

For most of my long-stay container plants, I use a mix of JI3 and MP compost, with some water retaining granules for good measure.

[BladeDD 10]

wish i'd have read this first hayley, i just bought peat free multipurpose

[Hayley1 10]

well look at it in the spirit it's intended, you're saving the peat bogs

[BladeDD 10]

cool lol lol

[Dhimmi 10]

It's likely to do better in peat. They're just putting that on the label to be PC, and probably to qualify for some European environmental grant of some kind!