Would you use a peat alternative?

Easy Green

Hi just wondering if many people are interested in alternatives to peat for gardening? I am out on the road trying to promote expanded clay as an alternative and the reaction is mixed. A lot of the garden centres are saying that they will not buy it in until people start looking for it... but people won't look for it if they can't see it... its a catch 22.

They are great for growing and are used in 48 countries in the world. Does anyone have any tips or addvice for me?

magicbastarder

i certainly avoid peat if possible; lidl had farmyard manure bales recently, which was handy.

how does expanded clay compare as regards price?

artieanna

I don't know anything about expanded clay...tell me more please
Surely advertising would be the way to go....

squire1

Marketing is your friend.. but I guess you already know that if you are on a Gardening forum...promoting a gardening product:D

Seriously, what is it exactly?

Easy Green

HI Magicbasterdar,
What was the price of the bales? My product is slightly more expsensive than peat. a 5Ltr bags retails at €5.50, a 10Ltr bag € 10.00, a 25Ltr bag € 18.00, and a 50 Ltr bag is €25.00.

The price is justified in the longevity of the product - they can be used over and over again as they do not rot away or degrade. Plus in using the products people need to water their plants less so they save on time and effort.

Easy Green

Hi artieanna,
Advertising is would be the way to go but I am only getting this company off the ground so i don't have a huge budget for addvertising. I am trying to get gardeners that feature on radio programes to feature the product or mention it. I am slao doing up some press releases for the gardening section in newspapers.

We are taking part in Bloom in the park in June which is a big gardening show in Dublin. One of the garden designers is using the product in his design garden so this will help and I have taken a stand myself which will have samples and examples on it.

The expanded clay comes from germany. Clay is taken from the ground and heated in rotary ovens which causes the clay to expand and pop like pop corn. The clay pellets and spherical in shape and ave a porous structure which allows them to hold huge quantities of their own weight in water and increase the oxygen levels in the soil around the root. There is minimal impact on the environment and for every 1 cubic mtrs of clay used 5 cubic mtrs of the product is produced.

Hydroton is the name of our expanded clay balls, Okostrat is the name of our crushed clay and Vitastrat is a mixture of the two. The products are decorative and functional in that they are clean, odourless and look nice (they can be used as an alternative to coloured stoes and gravel) and they increase the water holding level of the soil, inprove its structure and reduce the evaporation rate. They do not compact over time like Peat and are not as heavy when wet.

Easy Green

Hi Squire1,

I'm catching on to marketing being my friend lol. have a look at the reply i posted for artieanna explaining a little about the products. What do you think?

delly

Hello all. I have checked back on this user who has made about 6 posts since yesterday and feel that although he may have info to spread around, it is for business and advertising purposes. Therefore said user is banned from the Gardening/DIY forum.