For Peats Sake!

The featured image for this post is of the beautiful Sphagnum pulchrum (Golden Bog-moss) taken way out on Glasson Moss. Sphagnum pulchrum  can be abundant where it grows, generally in pools and hollows within undisturbed bogs, but nationally it is sparse with only around 50 recorded sites. Golden Bog-moss is a Peat forming moss.

Peat forms, incedibly slowly at 1mm per year, when dead plant material can only partially decay due to acidic, waterlogged conditions. Many Sphagnum species are critical to peat formation with their ecology actively creating the conditions for its fromation. Only the top few inches of Sphagnum is alive , and even in this section only around 20% of cells are alive. All the rest of the plant acts as a giant sponge, holding water and preserving the conditions it preferrs and its competitors don’t. As it slowly grows Spagnum absorbs nutrients like Potassium and Magnesium and, by the process of cation exchenge , gives off Hydrogen ions. These hydrogen ions progressively acidify the surrounding water.

Historically, Peat has been important to gardeners. It’s sterile, and holds water well. But, the sourcing of Peat for Horticulture creates massive ecosystem damage, accelerates Climate Change, and increases flood risk. It is also devoid of all the nutrients plants require to grow and the indutrial production of these nutrients causes its own issues. Peatlands cover about 3% of the worlds land surface, and yet they contain twice as much carbon storage as all the trees on the planet, and around 30% of all soil carbon stores. Draining peatlands unnecessarily to exploit Peat allows this valuable carbon store to oxidise and be released to the atmosphere.

In the UK we have around 13% of global peatlands, and 70% of our water quality and supply relies on upland Blanket Bogs. Due to drainage for agriculture or extraction only 20% of our upland peatlands, and only 10% of lowland raised bogs are now in good to untouched condition.  It will take 1000’s of years for meaningful recovery.

As Gardeners we have responsability. As the issues around Peat became known in the 90’s viable alternatives where very difficut to source and to work with. By the 2ooo’s alternatives where available, and easier to work with, but were very inconsistant in quality. Now however consistant and reliable mediums are available. If we wan to to be able to continue to grow crops ourselves, or for our chideren to be able to do so we have to make the change to #Peatfree. Crosby Holme Grown has now been Peat free for over five years and has had no issues.

#Peatfree info and campaigns –
IUCN Peatland Program
UK Centre for Ecology & Hydrology
COP26 Virtual Peatland Pavillion
Cumbria Wildlife Trust Peatland Conservation
For Peat’s Sake
Dalefoot Composts

Twitter hashtags – #Peat, #peat, #PeatFree, #peatfree, #PeatFreeApril, #peatfreeapril

Plant Fairs 2022

We are currently booked to be selling our Peatfree plants at four events over the summer. More are in the pipeline. For the most up to date information please see the “Where to Find Us” page of our website or the events section of our Facebook page.

Other News!

If you have sharp eyes and follow Crosby Holme Grown’s Facebook page you’ll have seen it announce we have a website. That they did that without being told is part of the reason i’m building our own site ! You can find it here.
The website, like the plants will pretty much be a one man labour of love ….please have patience as its gradually built up. The basic info is now all up. Currently working on pages of  general botanical info to help people learn more about how and why plants do what they do. Next after that will be pages on how the biology / botany relates to how to select plants to match conditions and how to care for them. Due to legislation changes and expensive inspection requirements there is no immediate plan for this to be a “selling” site, so , while i pull together accurate plant info for a Gallery plant range info will remain in the Albums on our Facebook page.

One thing you don’ expect to see in the garden, even a peat free one is a Shark.  This 👆is a Chamomile Shark (Cucullia chamomillae), its larve feed on various plants in the Compositae family, which includes the various Mayweed’s and of course Chamomile. It looks pretty relaxed to me!

Ian