IN THE GARDEN

Gardeners, please stop the use of PEAT for your gardening.  Peat is generally used as a mix with soil to improve plant growth.

Why stop using it? and what are some alternatives?

Peat is extracted from a very sensitive ecosystem, a “bog”, which houses a variety of plants and animals. This extraction destroys the home site for these organisms. One reason for stopping the use of peat is that the farming of peat releases carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas.

what are some alternatives?

One alternative is COIR, a coconut-based ingredient which is listed in the product label and is often mixed with peat, decreasing the amount of peat.

Another alternative to look for is a BARK based mix with peat as a lesser ingredient.

Burpee’s bricks are a good alternative for the soil mix.

Research on this topic is from the State University of North Carolina, however, the UK has been researching this topic for the past 20 years.

Bibliography

Roach, Margaret. “Why Gardeners Should Stop Using Peat, and What to Use Instead.” The New York Times, 2 Feb. 2022, https://www.nytimes.com/2022/02/02/realestate/gardening-peat.html. Accessed 6 Feb. 2022.