Post #3716892

2026-07-10 12:09 UTC

Can we all stop using and recommending peat based composts please? It takes so long to make, peat is a non renewable source It does far more good storing carbon in the ground in situ than it ever will do in a garden, yes, even for growing food. I’ve just seen a website recommending using peat based compost😭 Peat was introduced as a cheaper filler for compost mixes within the lifetime of people alive today. It was not always used. We can switch away #Gardening #ClimateDiary

Replies (3)

@MikeFromLFE@cupoftea.social 2026-07-10 13:38

@Hellybootwader@mastodon.scot There's a lot of hate towards peat free compost on garden & allotment forums. This is based on bad experiences with the cheaper brands (or unbranded bags), and a lot of the complaints are based on the older products. Most peat free composts are a good alternative, but the manufacturers could help their cause by better filtering of foreign matters. There's no good reason to use peat in this day and age, but you do need to choose carefully.

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@nuwagaba2@mastodon.social 2026-07-10 12:14

@Hellybootwader@mastodon.scot Thanks gor sharing, I'll use it to alert farmers in my society.

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@RobotDiver@starlite.rodeo 2026-07-10 13:14

@Hellybootwader@mastodon.scot Coconut coir is a viable alternative to peat. Naturally organic and made from waste products. I don't use it often because of travel distances, but it's great stuff and can be heavily compressed to reduce its shipping footprint.

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