With peat set to be banned for sale to retail customers by the end of the year here at Gardenscape we are leading the way with alternative peat free products. We have now added Coir to our range and whilst it does not behave like peat, it is a suitable alternative. Coir has a very high wetting capacity, so dried media doesn’t resist rewetting. Similar to peat, its structure provides a favourable balance of mesopores for water and air to the plant roots. Coir is chemically similar to peat with a reasonable CEC (Cation exchange capacity) and buffering capacity.
We also have Peat Free Planting Compost, a green compost that has been part of the Gardenscape range since the beginning, it is PAS100 certified which means that it has composted down sufficiently to transition from green waste to quality compost. This is a sustainable and environmentally sensitive alternative to peat based multi-purpose composts. Our peat free planting compost can be used as a soil conditioner to dig through the soil before planting, and as a mulch when placed on the surface at the base of existing plants.
Take a look at our peat free section for ideas on other peat free products and consider combining some of them in a bespoke mix. We have also created a Peat Free logo which can be found on the products that do not include peat, so look out for this appearing on selected products on our website!