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Another petition: Ban peat compost for garden use

wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,924
in The potting shed
This one seems to be doing the rounds now. The industry is doing a lot to reduce peat anyway so I suspect the government will just umm and ahh until manufacturers have worked it out and then introduce a ban to make themselves look good. Maybe I'm a bit cynical...


and the all important information about what compost and gardening would be like without peat.


and info on the current voluntary system of removing peat from compost (which isn't working very well).

Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
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Posts

  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,562
    When Ireland stop burning Millions of Tons of peat every year in power stations, I'll  think about buying peat free compost ( which, right now, is crap )
    Devon.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 10,937
    Yup - I agree

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 14,362
    Sorry, but I can't support the petition.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
  • wild edgeswild edges Posts: 9,924
    Hostafan1 said:
    When Ireland stop burning Millions of Tons of peat every year in power stations, I'll  think about buying peat free compost ( which, right now, is crap )
    They are stopping slowly. I suspect another petition will be needed to make them restore the destroyed areas, at which point they will no doubt run away and join the open-cast coal mine millionaires on a foreign beach somewhere to avoid their obligations.


    Melcourt Silvagrow compost works fine for me as a peat free multi-purpose but I'm not sure what I'll use to replace John Innes No2 yet.
    Tradition is just peer pressure from dead people
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,562
    It wasn't long ago that we were told that using JI compost was depleting the Surrey Loam beds and I remember the late Great Geoff Hamilton saying there was enough coir sitting around to last us 300 years without needing replacing , shortly afterwards we heard of forests being felled to plant coconuts to service the demand for coir. 
    We just can't win can we?

    Devon.
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,249
    No, but we can at least try not to be part of the problem.
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,562
    if anyone produces an alternative which is A: as good, and B; similar cost, I might swap but the cynic in me thinks that suppliers are cashing on environmental concerns and charging more for a peat free product which is inferior to the peat based products.
    Devon.
  • LG_LG_ Posts: 4,249
    I have no doubt that they're charging more because they can get away with it. If peat-based compost was restricted or even banned and peat-free became the norm, that would soon stop. In fact, perhaps some kind of eco-tax added to all peat-based products would do the trick. 
    'If you have a garden and a library, you have everything you need.'
    - Cicero
  • Hostafan1Hostafan1 Posts: 34,562
    LG_ said:
    I have no doubt that they're charging more because they can get away with it. If peat-based compost was restricted or even banned and peat-free became the norm, that would soon stop. In fact, perhaps some kind of eco-tax added to all peat-based products would do the trick. 
    but it's still not as good. IMHO.
    Maybe if it was as good, then we'd all have swapped by now. 
    Devon.
  • punkdocpunkdoc Posts: 14,362
    Compared with power stations, gardeners use very little peat, so if they make an effort, so will I.
    I am not convinced how much effort is being put into looking for a good alternative for gardeners.
    How can you lie there and think of England
    When you don't even know who's in the team

    S.Yorkshire/Derbyshire border
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