Peat Free Gardening

 

Peat extracting machine Pic TLCowill

There is a growing movement of gardeners moving away from traditional peat products and finding more sustainable alternatives for young plants and seedlings.
Peat extraction began on an industrial scale after the war for use in horticulture to put nutrients back into the soil and since then intensive methods of extraction have been used to produce the big bags of moss peat and compost we see in the shops. This is exactly the same principle of open cast mining that is used to extract coal. Today less than 8% of the original area of Irish peat bogs has been left undamaged. Andrew King from Cork, who studied Horticultural Science, said recently, “peat bogs, our bogs, are just as precious as the rainforests. They (the processing plants) should have shut down many years ago; I've even seen Irish peat on sale in Morocco. “

Most of the peat used by English gardeners comes from Irish bogs which are important to wildlife habitats. Industry sources estimate the gardening peat market to be worth some €25m a year. 42% of the controversial compost used in gardens continues to be peat, this percentage could be dropping though with cheaper processing costs for recycled garden waste and celebrity endorsements.

What do the bogs give us?

• Peat bogs store huge amounts of carbon and allowing its excavation would release huge amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.
• Plants such as such as the bog myrtle, bog asphodel, bog rosemary, cranberry, cotton grass and purple moor grass flourish in the peat bogs.
• Wildlife such as birds, voles and lizards live in the protection the bogs provide.

Do Irish gardeners like the peat free compost?
One issue with peat free compost is the price. It has in the past been more expensive than traditional compost. This is changing now with the inclusion of peat free compost being sold most main retail outlets. The uptake is slow though by the Irish gardener, although more vegetable gardeners opt for the peat free soil compared to the flower growers. Some gardeners think natural compost products on the market have short shelf lives, so if you get last year’s bags the nutrients will have all but gone, this would be the same for both peat and peat free composts.

Mixed Reports

Some Irish gardeners claim that the moisture content is harder to control in peat free compost and needs to be treated differently or seedlings will die. This need not be a problem though. Gardening techniques change all of the time so we need to be open to new eco friendly products even if it means re-training ourselves. It will be a high price to pay for your vegetables if it means depleting the peat bogs to grow them.
Peat free compost in hanging baskets is also proving to be a talking point. Customers claim that they dry out faster. The inclusion of water retaining gel helps to combat that. For this reason as well as cost, growers are very reluctant to use peat free compost on a large industrial scale, although some are changing over due to customer demand.

More widely available

Peat free compost from Irish recycling plants is now being more widely produced, which is helping to lower the price and save on fuel costs. Coir was popular a few years ago but the rising fuel prices have all but stopped its use.
Peat free compost can have greater benefits to the soil than peat based products.
• Retains moisture
• Improves soil structure
• Increases yield therefore reducing costs
• Irish celebrities such as Diarmuid Gavin, Mary Reynolds (bronze medal winner at Chelsea) have spoken out about the overuse of peat and are endorsing peat free products so there will be more products available

Read the labels

It’s not a good idea to grow your seeds or plants in the wrong type of products to save money. Check that the product has been made for the use you need it for.
• Growing seedling s in growbags of any kind isn’t a good idea as it’s too coarse and the wrong type or mix.
• Growing plants in just peat is also impossible as peat holds no nutrients and is purely an anchor for the roots.
• If you look on the bags of compost it will normally state “Enough added fertilizer to feed plants for 4 weeks.” After this the gardener will need to add their own feed.

What is peat free compost made from?

Shop bought organic compost can be made from shredded tree cuttings and garden waste and have additives such as seaweed. The organic matter in natural mixed compost will hold far more nutrients that peat compost for a longer period of time. Just like humans, plants grow far better with a mixed balanced diet.
Coir compost was one of the first on the market but it is out of favour now because of the transport costs, being brought in from across the world. Gardeners are looking for products made closer to home.

Make your own compost

If you have the facilities of a compost bin then you could make your own compost. It will need to be heated and turned well to kill off the weed seeds. This saves on price and also any concerns about fuel costs for transporting. Gardening in a recession is a lot about saving money so making your own compost is a good idea. Add small layers of wet and dry materials for a good mix.

John Innes Compost

The use of peat in compost could be reduced by making your own variation of John Innes Compost. The compost is a mix suitable for growing a wide range of plants. It includes sterilised loam, which in this case is good quality topsoil which is crumbly and not wet and sticky and a touch of lime. This is then sterilised by steam then a small amount of peat is added as well as sharp sand and fertilizer. To keep up to date with new thinking the fertilizer can be organic and the peat can be substituted with peat free mixes.

Worm Composting

Having your own worm composter can produce perfect base soil for your seedlings.

James Comiskey from About Your Garden Landscaping and bronze medallist at Bloom thinks we will use more peat free products in the future. “There is a move towards peat free compost. I don't think it has gathered momentum yet but it's only a matter of time. We will probably look back in the future and shake our heads at the madness of digging up our bogs.”