Peat is a natural substance made from partially decayed plant material, that occurs in waterlogged conditions. It’s crucial for the health of the planet and also home to many rare butterflies and other creatures. See our post on making your own compost.
Keep fresh compost away from pets, as it contains mould. Read more on pet-friendly gardens.
Removing it (for both gardening and the hunting industry to make ‘flat land’ for pheasants to eat heather) is causing floods. Despite still being legal to sell, environmentalists urge us not to buy it.
It takes thousands of years for peat to form, mostly from dead mossed in waterlogged conditions, when oxygen is scarce (so peatlands deprived of air don’t decompose).
Instead, they store carbon and regular water by absorbing rainfall, reducing flood risk. This in turn offers shelter and food for many species.
When peatlands are harvested for horticultural use, this devastates ecosystems and contributes to climate change, by releasing vast quantities of stored carbon. As peat is now renewable (and we have lost half our peat bogs in England), they are in great danger. Peatlands are also home to 5000 species of insect and supply most of our drinking water.
Gardener Monty Don calls using peat ‘eco-vandalism’ (even today, some organic box schemes use peat to grow lettuce, and most garden centres sell it). He wants the government to ban its sale, to protect curlews, golden plovers, hen harriers, amphibians and reptiles.
- Natura Grow offers organic compost made from energy crops, on a Cambridgeshire farm, which are fed into anaerobic digestors (to supply energy). Buy as liquid feed or pellets, that are added to soil.
- Some composts are made from coir (a by-product of processing coconuts) and others use bracken. Two good brands are Natural Grower (which also offers a liquid fertiliser to pour around the base of plants). And Fertile Fibre (multipurpose, seed or potting compost)
- B & Q now sells own-brand peat-free compost, and commits to going peat-free by 2026. But why wait until then?
Peat burning often occurs on land used for grouse shoots, by burning vegetation (that lays on top of peat), usually purple moor grass or heather. This provides new heather shoots for grouser (so they are easier to find and shoot).
A voluntary ban by government a few years ago did not work, with Greenpeace reporting fires on peatlands, in northern England’s national parks.
The peat bogs on a grouse shooting estate were on fire. The burning of peatlands is likely to exacerbate floods downstream. Towns in the Calder Valley such as Todmorden, Hebden Bridge and Mytholmroyd have been flooded repeatedly. George Monbiot
Plant Fertiliser (from waste seaweed)
Shock Shot Seaweed Fertiliser is made from waste seaweed, a better idea than fishmeal or bonemeal, which is unkind and can attract vermin.
This fertiliser is a nutrient boost to your plants. Just mix with water and see them thrive. Bring plants back to life. Just add to at least 1 litre of water in your watering can, to heal drooping leaves, slow growth or a tired appearance. The concentrated seaweed can enhance root health and promote vibrant growth.
Never harvest seaweed yourself (leave it to the experts to ‘give seaweed a haircut’ and not remove the roots).
As one expert said, it’s seaweed to you, but the universe to a shrimp! Also don’t let dogs play with seaweed fronds. They can expand in the stomach, as the dry.
