Why being peat-free matters
Peat has been much used in horticulture because of its ability to hold water and retain nutrients but the extraction of peat has taken its toll.
Peat bogs are very much the unsung heroes of our natural world. They act as a carbon store, which when extracted and broken down in our gardens releases CO2 which could otherwise have been locked up for tens of thousands of years. They’re also a great habitat for wildlife, play an active role in water management, and even preserve things well for archaeology!
However, peat bog mass is being extracted 60 times faster than it’s being laid down… Which is clearly unsustainable.
Suttons home grown plants are 100% peat-free
“We’ve switched to a 100% peat-free compost in our own nursery in Devon and are proud to be one of the first commercial growers to have achieved this milestone. This means that next year we’ll be growing close to 1 million plants in peat-free compost.”
“In addition, we’ve also worked closely with our growing partners to remove peat from all our value and garden ready flower plug plants.”
“So, this year 95% of the compost used to grow our plants will be peat-free and we’re talking to our partners to remove that final 5% as soon as possible.”
David Robinson,
Managing Director, Suttons.
How you can make a difference
You can help by buying peat-free compost for use in your own garden or allotment, and by encouraging retailers and the Government in their efforts to phase out the use of peat in gardening products. The best place to start is with our Grochar seed compost. Grochar was inspired by 2000 -year old Amazonian Indians who used charred plant matter to enrich their soil! This compost is 100% peat free so a great way to instantly positively impact the environment and not compromise on quality. To give you a helping hand, we’ve discounted our peat-free compost by 5% as a thank you for doing your bit. Click here to find out more.