𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐨 𝐛𝐮𝐲 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐭 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐮𝐩𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐠𝐫𝐨𝐰𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐞𝐚𝐬𝐨𝐧? 𝐆𝐨 𝐏𝐞𝐚𝐭-𝐟𝐫𝐞𝐞!
Peat, formed from incompletely decomposed remains of sedges, mosses, reeds and grass species, is used in compost and sometimes soil conditioners because it is an ideal growing medium.
Using peat is not sustainable as peatlands grow at the slow rate of 1mm each year. A 10-metre-deep layer will have taken around 10,000 years to form.
Four main reasons that peatlands are so important:
1. They form a unique natural habitat supporting many rare species.
2. They lock up about a third of the world’s soil carbon. (And twice as much as the world's forests).
3. They play an important role in the water cycle contributing to quantity of freshwater, water quality, and flood prevention.
4. They are an archive of archaeological and geochemical history.
Sale of peat & peat-containing products to the amateur gardening sector will be banned by 2024.
