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Gardening without peat

A wide range of peat-free composts are on sale for use in the garden as mulches, soil improvers and growing media. Growing seeds and potting house plants in peat-free products is not now a problem. By using peat free products you reduce the demand for peat and the impact on bogs - and you recycle a waste product that might otherwise cause pollution.

Peat-free composts can be found in all good garden centres. The Irish Peatland Conservation Council (IPCC) are campaigning to persuade retailers and gardeners to replace all peat stocks with good peat-free products and are working closely with companies who manufacture these alternatives.

The suppliers of peat-free composts in Ireland are listed in this leaflet. Our unique boglands, their wildlife and our heritage can be saved by gardeners who choose to go peat-free.

Why you should go Peat-Free

Almost all the peat from Ireland used in gardening, horticulture and landscaping comes from raised bogs and less than 6% of these bogs remain in a natural state. Time is running out for their survival. Plants and animals, unique to bogs and wetlands, are threatened with extinction as their habitats are depleted. The IPCC is working hard to prevent this. You can help in a practical way - go peat-free in the garden. Remember - bog animals and plants need peat - those in your garden don't.

Peat grows naturally in a living bog. Plants living on the surface - such as Sphagnum mosses, Bog Cotton and Heathers - don't rot when they die because the ground is waterlogged. They form peat. Bogs carry on growing for thousands of years and are home to many rare dragonflies, butterflies and birds.

To extract peat, the bog is drained and the surface stripped of vegetation, a process which kills the bog. In addition, the records of our history, of past climates, animals, plants and our ancestors are destroyed and lost forever.

YES THEY ARE. Despite the fact that the bogs of Ireland are the last European refuge for certain plants and animals, our laws are too ineffective to save and protect them.

Even our most important bogs - designated as Natural Heritage Areas (NHA's) are being destroyed. A recent reappraisal of the status of the 99 Raised Bogs of European Conservation Importance in Ireland has revealed a level of damage that will almost certainly lead to the extinction of these sites before 1997 unless steps are taken to bring damage causing activities under planning controls. Dr. Peter Foss, IPCC Chairman advises "We need any development on an NHA to be subject to planning permission and environmental impact study. Only in this way can we halt the continued loss of the raised bogs".

The IPCC are campaigning for the protection of all important peatlands remaining in Ireland.

How you can help

By gardening without peat and supporting the Irish Peatland Conservation Council, the wild plants and animals which depend on bogs can be saved.

Here's what you can do:

• Buy only peat-free composts
• Recycle garden/kitchen waste to make your own compost and persuade others to do the same.
• Ask for plants grown in peat-free compost in garden centres and other shops - give them this leaflet to help them select peat-free products.
• Ask your TD to press for government action to protect peatlands.
• Ask whether your local County Council has pledged their support for the IPCC's Action Plan and Policy Statement.
• Ask your local County Council to go peat-free in parks and school grounds.
• Support conservation groups working to Save Bogs.

Peat Facts

• Bogs and their wildlife are destroyed by peat mining worldwide.
• Bogs are a finite resource.
• An area of bog 20 times the size of Monaco is destroyed in Ireland each year.
• 94% of raised bogs and 86% of blanket bogs in Ireland have already been lost forever.
• Some moss peat is mined from conservation worthy bogs.

Gardening Facts

• Garden plants don't need peat - wild ones such as Sundews and Butterworts do.
• Professional and amateur gardeners can and do use alternative composts to moss peat.
• As a direct result of the peat campaign you can now buy peat-free composts and container grown plants.

Where to go

Ask for these peat - free product brand names in your local garden centre

The Choice is Yours

SOIL IMPROVERS are added to the soil to improve texture and structure. Peat has often been used but other materials perform better. Peat adds very little nutrient to the soil. Garden compost and leafmould are among the best and cheapest soil enriches.

MULCH is a layer of material placed on top of the soil to suppress weeds, conserve moisture or act as an insulator. Peat is a poor mulch, tending to dry out and blow away. There are many other more suitable materials available, including cocoa shells, bark products, etc.

GROWING MEDIA are used to grow plants. A range of peat-free products is available for growing plants at all stages of their development. These composts need to be used slightly differently to peat, but instructions are on the bags or on accompanying leaflets.

Further Information

Or why not check out these IPCC information pages to learn more about the campaign

Irish Peatland Conservation Council, Lullymore, Rathangan, Co. Kildare, Ireland.
Tel. 045-860133. E-mail us by clicking here with any queries you have.

Irish Organic Farmers & Growers Association, 56 Blessington Street, Dublin 7. Tel. 01-307996.

Henry Doubleday Research Association, Ryton-on-Dunsmore, Coventry CV8 3LG, England. Tel. 0203-303517.

Remember - Stores and Garden Centres will stock peat-free composts and plants grown without peat, if you - the customer - want and ask for them.

Please support our campaign and make the best choices for your garden and our bogland heritage