The attractively bagged peat packs that you see in a garden centre represents an ecological disaster under way.

Peat is mined from raised bogs, all that is left of a unique primeaval wilderness.

Formed from the decaying remains of plants such as sphagnum mosses, these bogs are home to a variety of plant and wildlife species that depend on their unique environment.

Many peat bogs rate as Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs).

Once peat was mined for fuel, but commercial exploitation means that this unique habitat is fast disappearing—only 6% of Britain’s peat bogs remain in a near-natural state.

The same issues apply wherever in the world peat is extracted

Conservationists and campaigning organisations are working to achieve a complete ban on peat mining.

The UK Government’s policy is that peat should be conserved.

The issues are widely discussed, and one good reference is the leaflet produced by English Nature. To obtain a PDF file of this, click here.

And if you key ‘peatlands campaign’ into a search engine such as Google, you will find a tremendous amount of information on the subject.

Gardening enthusiasts account for 60% of the peat bought in the UK.

So, by purchasing an alternative product, you are making a real difference.

Peat is not ideal for many of the purposes it is used for! It is a poor mulch, quickly dries out, and is easily blown away.

While there are a number of peat alternatives available, for most purposes, Fertile Fibre delivers superior results—and of course it is organically accredited.

You will notice a difference using Fertile Fibre—it re-wets easily, has good water retention qualities, does not blow away in the wind, and is pleasant to handle.