Earlier this year, the Government asked the public to respond to a consultation on ending the use of peat in domestic horticulture by 2024. The Wildlife Trusts believe that this is a step in the right direction, but there is no reason to wait when 80% of our vital peatlands are degraded. In fact, a new report showed that waiting another two years to ban peat use could add more than 1.5 million tonnes of CO2 to our atmosphere – roughly equivalent to the annual greenhouse gas emissions of more than 214,000 UK residents.

So, what are we waiting for? Many people make fantastic peat-free composts at home from leaf mould, kitchen, and green garden waste. Other alternatives include bark, wood fibre, bracken, and even sheep’s wool.

In fact, a local wildlife enthusiast Jane Taylor in West Devon uses a mix of these composts and has teamed up with Country Lanes Garden Centre to stock a peat-free alternative which uses UK-based natural ‘waste’ products.

Jane Taylor says:

“As a gardener, you spend your time close to the environment and you want to make sure that what you are doing in your garden doesn’t damage environments elsewhere. We’ve all seen the photographs of peat extraction on a commercial scale and the damage this does to these very special and rare habitats. For me, it’s a natural thing to use the resources I’ve got within my own garden to make my own compost, but I also like using the wool and bracken compost because I feel I am using two waste products. I want to just do my bit and contribute!

We also spoke to the owner of Country Lanes Garden Centre, Jane Metcalfe, who stocks a range of products which benefit wildlife, from bird feeders to different types of peat-free compost.

Jane, owner of Country Lanes Garden Centre, says:

“We’ve stocked peat-free compost since we opened, and the product has changed over time and there’s now more choice. The amount of peat-free compost which customers are buying has increased from 3% five years ago to about 12% this year. We are in a customer driven environment….if we see the sales increase then that reflects the demand for the product.”

Since the Janes have worked together to trial and stock wool-based compost, we have seen the peat-free compost shortlisted for this year’s RHS Chelsea Sustainable Garden Product of the Year and peat-free has been a hit with other local gardeners. The two main components of the wool-based peat-free potting compost are wool and bracken, which are said to naturally hold the moisture in the soil and are rich in nutrients, making it an ideal product for potting plants.

Some consumers might be concerned that peat-free alternatives trades one environmentally damaging product for another and here we can turn to the Responsible Sourcing Scheme (RSS). This scheme is independently audited and takes into account the social and environmental impacts of different kinds of composts. The products, both peat-based and peat-free, are ranked on a scale of A to F – with F being the most damaging. Through the RSS, consumers can be rest assured that, in giving up peat-containing products, they are not simply substituting one cause of environmental / social damage for another.

Peat extraction for use in horticulture is by no means the only cause of damage to our peatlands, but it is one of the easiest to prevent and will be a step towards addressing the nature and climate crisis. By choosing to go peat-free, gardeners are telling the industry and Government that it needs to change and that our peatlands need protecting.

So, how can you be a peat-free hero?

• Support our call on ministers to ban on peat-based products in shops. Sign the petition.
• Pledge to go peat-free and find useful tips for identifying peat-free compost in your local stores.
• Make your own peat-free compost at home!