Boycott peat!

Hi All,

This video turned up in my YouTube subscription feed a few days ago. Dave Goulson, Professor of Biology at the University of Sussex, thinks we should boycott compost containing peat. He goes further and urges people to sign a petition to ban its use in gardening and horticulture. I signed the petition after seeing the video but now slightly regret it, I think. I really like the idea of a boycott because that's an individual choice, but I think a ban is a bit too authoritarian. But perhaps when it comes to our environment, extreme habitat destruction requires an extreme response?

So, what do you think about this important issue?



Petition: Ban the use of peat in gardening and horticulture

Nick

 

There is no decent alternative of peat to my mind. Peat is sterile and light substrate.
I can't tell for horticulture in general. But what they offer to retail public advertised as peat free is either used compost or compost from recycling centres - you get mushrooms starting growing there, you have pieces of different rubbish etc. No even quotations of salt levels on the package.

 

@Alisa I think one of the main problems with peat-free compost is the lack of affordability compared to ones containing it, also the lack of availability of peat-free ericaceous compost. Gardeners' World published an article suggesting alternatives to peat, would be interesting to know what experiences people here have had when trying to use these as substitutes. There are also issues with that list, such as bark chippings that also cost money, and where gardens are simply too small to have an area dedicated to producing your own leaf mould, letting manure rot, turves to break down etc.

Alternatives to peat

Nick

 

Oh you mean Peat, and not to boycott @pete ?

 

I have just checked my Jacks Magic and I see it’s 90% Peat.
It is lovely stuff though.
I see the National Trust and Monty Don are peat free..........I don’t know how they do it .

 

This has been going on for years and I do see the problem with using peat but I,ve never come up with an alternative that works for me.
Ive tried that claggy stringy stuff called coir and it was a total disaster. It might work commercially but it didn't work for me.

 

Haha, I bloody knew one of you would say that, you lot are incorrigible! Nah, let's not boycott "our" Pete, his great sense of humour is one of the reasons I frequent this forum.

Nick

 

Well at least we now know where it is all going.

 

I know how many new plants you buy, so is that a weekly estimate or a daily one?

Nick

 

Confession time. I never read what's on the bag. When I purchased the medium for starting carnivorous seeds, I ended up buying what WA recommended by the staff at the garden place. Never read the label. Potting soil must be brown, or mostly brown to meet my standards. I always figure it is lacking anyway so I mix in my own amendments.

 

Just looked at one of the bags I have and it states it has peat in it but it is one that has a Canadian accent... It doesn't state what else is in there.

 

Melcourt produce a range of peat free growing media, some labelled as suitable for vegans. It's a mixture of bark fibre, coir fibre from sustainable sources. I know some nurseries use it either straight or mixed with sterilised soil 50:50. It is endorsed by the RHS, it is also not that cheap, but I've decided to give it a go this year as I don't use as much some people and I've had some pretty grotty peat free from other sources.
Apart from solid lumps of wood, squidqy bits of what I hope was clay, glass, plastic and the odd nail, I have also had a couple of bags contaminated with broadleaf weedkiller last year.
Having said that the Miracle Grow peat free is pretty good.