2022/23 - Seeds & Stuff I've ordered/bought/acquired

My concern with controlled release fertilisers is the polymers they coat the granules with not being biodegradable. I've found empty blue plastic shells in pots, and the last time I bought compost with blue granules in was over 3 years ago.

We did tests and found the stuff we used totally degraded? We used it for many years and I can't say I ever found any 'shells' remaining in the substrate.We did add 100 tonne of Messingham sports sand to each pitch each year as a topdressing so thats maybe why I never found any spent fertiliser shells? I have seen slow release fertiliser with masive granular size from Sierrablen (which we tried and discarded) but ours were micro grans and not in the fluerecent colours I have seen sold in GC's.
I like to grow organic but it isn't feasible on Sports pitches? (not then ,anyway) We once tried organic chicken manure based pellets on the cricket outfield. It was great until we had a shower of rain where all the criceters came off the oval holding there noses!  We had rat problems in storage with it as well!

I don't think all controlled release granules are coated in plastic polymers, it seems to vary between brands. Some of them use a coating which is broken down slowly by microbes instead. I think the longer lasting granules (Osmocote for example sell ones which feed for 9 months) are more likely to contain plastic. So far I've found blue, green and orange/yellow ones. 

I think to fertilise sports pitches organically you'd need to use liquid feeds or a fine powder which disappears quickly. There is a football club called Forest Green whose pitch is full organic. You can read about some of the things they use here - https://www.carbongold.com/forest-green-rovers/

My concern with controlled release fertilisers is the polymers they coat the granules with not being biodegradable. I've found empty blue plastic shells in pots, and the last time I bought compost with blue granules in was over 3 years ago.

We did tests and found the stuff we used totally degraded? We used it for many years and I can't say I ever found any 'shells' remaining in the substrate.We did add 100 tonne of Messingham sports sand to each pitch each year as a topdressing so thats maybe why I never found any spent fertiliser shells? I have seen slow release fertiliser with masive granular size from Sierrablen (which we tried and discarded) but ours were micro grans and not in the fluerecent colours I have seen sold in GC's.
I like to grow organic but it isn't feasible on Sports pitches? (not then ,anyway) We once tried organic chicken manure based pellets on the cricket outfield. It was great until we had a shower of rain where all the criceters came off the oval holding there noses!  We had rat problems in storage with it as well!

I don't think all controlled release granules are coated in plastic polymers, it seems to vary between brands. Some of them use a coating which is broken down slowly by microbes instead. I think the longer lasting granules (Osmocote for example sell ones which feed for 9 months) are more likely to contain plastic. So far I've found blue, green and orange/yellow ones. 

I think to fertilise sports pitches organically you'd need to use liquid feeds or a fine powder which disappears quickly. There is a football club called Forest Green whose pitch is full organic. You can read about some of the things they use here - https://www.carbongold.com/forest-green-rovers/

We used liquid feeds based on seaweed along with fungicides and iron applications as well as boom sprayed  selective weedkiller on the most prestigeous pitches.We even tried  a powdered weed & feed on some of the lesser pitches until we noticed because of 'drift' we stifledt the growth on the bottom of the surrounding hedges. Being a University we had an obligation to try and be as 'green' as possible within budget, We did use products that through Risk Assessments and COSHH assessments were deemed to minimalise risk to people and the environment. I thought I had raised the profile of Grounds Maintenance from what it was when I took over and I am proud at what I achieved in a relatively short period, giving the Students a first class outdoor sports facility.
Unfortunately they have now reduced the Grounstaff considerably and switched a lot of the pitches to 3rd generation all weather surfaces to save on maintennce costs.

Just had a look at the link!

You have to remember we had 12 football and 4 rugby pitches, a lacrosse pitch,a Gaelic football pitch and a cricket square and outfield to maintain.All situated on two sites. The floodlit first team football pitch and  first team rugby pitch were a one man job on there own and a lot of similar procedures to the article were carrid out on those pitches, although the others were also maintained to an exceptional IOG (Instirute of Groundmanship)standard,of which I was an active member.

Visited a local garden and brought dogwood, rosemary, golden marjoram. Got a free dogwood & aquilegia.

Gave away a large unwanted quince tree (Vranja) and was given a dozen cosmos Purity seedlings, a shooting star courgette and a little pot of French tarragon.
Both of us really pleased.

Took advantage of T&Ms free p&p and bought cheap carrot seeds.

I also took advantage of T&M free postage.
Just ordered two packets of nasturtium seeds for 89p each.
“Orchid Flame” and “chameleon”.
Love the common orange ones, but thought I’d try a couple of different ones too.

Mr Fothergill & DT Brown offer free P&P for the forseeable future.

My bean seeds I won with a fb competition finally arrived. So I’ve split the packets equally and will be send half of them to a friend. Just as soon as we have a working vehicle again   ( just fantastic timing! )
Also brought myself a new strimmer recently. Bob hasn’t got time to go earn money (mowing & strimming), build, move house and keep on to of the gardens. And I couldn’t use his strimmer when he wasn’t using it. Far to big for me and it’s obvious not set up for someone vertically challenged   . So unfortunately it was a necessary expense. It is very nice having a working strimmer again.

I finally received my seed order from Mr Fothergill's, only took them three weeks:

CFB Golden Gate
DFB Purple Queen
Runner bean Hestia (dwarf)
Sweet Pepper Redskin F1
Winter Squash Honey Bear F1
Courgette Summer Holiday F1
Kale Nero di Toscana
Cactus Dahlia
Ipomoea Versicolour (Mina Lobata/Spanish Flag)
Tithonia Torchlight (Mexican sunflower)

I've only sown some of the Tuscan kale so far as these were things on my ongoing wish list that I decided to order early for next year, but even so, three weeks for delivery!