My garden is one of many contrasts. While completing the finishing touches to my drought garden last weekend (subject of a forthcoming blog), I noticed in the nearby bog garden how established the tiny clump of cotton grass I planted a year ago has become. I can’t wait to see it flower this spring as it reminds me of one of our special remote places – the peat bog. They are fantastic with their sundews, bog beans and swathes of fluffy cotton grass blowing in the breeze and the orchestra of waders filling the air above - curlew, redshank and drumming snipe to name but a few.
Sadly, many of these sites have disappeared along with their wildlife and archaeology due to poor management, drainage and peat extraction. Although peat extraction on UK bogs of conservation importance has mostly ended, 38% of peat still comes from non-designated sites with another 60% from the Republic of Ireland and 2% from other Northern European countries. With the Bank Holiday this coming weekend you’ll all be wanting to get out into the garden, weather permitting. If you’re visiting the garden centre and thinking of buying compost don’t forget to check the bag to make sure it’s peat free.
The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) recently launched a ‘buy peat-free composts’ campaign as part of its wider Act On CO2 work. See http://www.defra.gov.uk/foodfarm/growing/peat/index.htm According to Defra, the use of peat for gardening contributes to 1 million tonnes of CO2 greenhouse gas pollution per year, adding to climate change.
The Government have a target of 90% peat-free materials in growing media by 2010. With the figure currently at 53% there’s some way to go. In the retail sector, only 28% of the growing media is peat free. When it launched the campaign, Defra announced its intention to end retail sales by 2020. But that means another ten years of habitat loss and many Non-Government Organisations (NGO’s), including RSPB, have expressed concern at the length of time. A consultation with growers and other stakeholders will be launched in July. The aim will be to shape targets where the biggest reductions, eg 85% peat-free, are within the next five years.
As all good wildlife gardeners, no doubt, you already try to avoid peat-based composts, but it can be so easy to pick up the wrong type. Multi-purpose composts and Grow-Bags are the main products - most are strongly peat-based, with poor labelling, so read the bag before you buy and please make sure you buy peat-free!
hallo