Why? Because peat is precious beyond imagining.
PRECIOUS FACT
Peat ‘grows’ at the rate of 1mm per year. This means that 1 metre of peat takes 1,000 years to form.
Let’s first start with what peat actually is (for those, like us, who didn’t know). It’s a rich wetland of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter, taking thousands of years to form. The UK’s equivalent of the Amazon rainforests, they are rich ecosystems home to abundant flora and fauna, including skylarks and copious butterflies. They also act as massive ‘carbon-sinks’, and are the largest store of carbon on the planet, after the rainforests. Sadly they are equally in danger, with very few remaining.
To extract peat, the bogs are drained, effectively killing the peat which cannot recover and is lost forever. The peat in our soils and composts - so prized in gardening for their high organic content and ability to hold water - are dug out of these wild places, effectively butchering them. Ironic when you think we’ve been (unwittingly) buying it to improve our gardens.
What’s more, when peat dries out, far from absorbing carbon, it becomes a vociferous emitter and is currently a major contributor to greenhouse gases. If all our peat were to be lost that would be the equivalent of five years of England's total annual CO2 emissions.
All in all, pretty shocking, don’t you think?
So, what should we do?
Well…though 2020 was supposed to officially be the deadline for peat to be phased out for amateur gardeners in the UK, it’s still very much on sale. The 2020 target was voluntary, (why, why?) and seems to have failed. No matter, while the government hunts about for a spine, our buying choices can influence that. Let’s buy peat-free, with a no-go zone for anything else. Simples.
Here’s the quick guide:
For containers and general gardening you can easily get a good quality, all-purpose compost in garden centres. The best most easily available one is New Horizon Organic Peat Free All Plant. They also do one specifically for veg. If you want to go the extra mile, Ethical Consumer magazine gives Fertile Fibre the top score - and their thumbs up is hard won. You can order online.
If you need larger quantities for raised beds etc, you’re better off going with a bulk online order for a ready top soil /organic mix. Rolawn do an organic, certified, peat-free one and Earthcycle seem pretty good too.
Rule of thumb on any product - whether it’s compost, soil or a ready blend? If it doesn’t shout about being peat free, it isn’t. If in doubt, look for the BSI PAS100 stamp of quality.
Will it cost more?
Yes, most likely a bit. Some supermarkets do super-cheap ones (Lidl does one for 99p). But beware, when it comes to growing, quality counts. Plus too cheap, almost always comes at a price somewhere or to someone.
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We..
Aimee: In my naivety, I thought labelling things peat-free meant peat must be toxic! Little did I know that it’s actually because peat is a treasure. Every day is a school day...And now, having gone to the garden centre, I can see that you really do have to look out for it as most options still on sale have peat in it. So keep your eyes peeled!
Sonia: Properly shocked about peat. So I went on a bit of a mission for my raised beds. Not entirely a success! Got confused with compost and soil - which are different - turns out soil can contain peat too. So the compost I got is peat-free but the soil has a low content. Minefield. Feel terrible. Learned something though. The links above are safe!
“Precious is precious”
Photo: Dan Gold