Moving forward with a sustainable future

With the hot topic of peat-free gaining momentum as we all invest time to reduce climate harm in any way we can, here at Gardeners Kitchen we are embracing the move towards peat-free. Our goal is to evolve our business to be peat-free ahead of the official 2028 Government ban.

The use of peat for horticultural purposes has been a traditional go-to material for many gardeners. However, the move to go peat-free is one that shouldn’t mean a compromise in the quality of growing medium, but instead with some careful planning and research will be a smooth transition.

We fully appreciate the value of protecting our natural peatlands and how vital they are in our fight against the harmful effects of climate change as they hold twice as much carbon as our forests and offer important habitats for a diverse selection of wildlife and plant species to support valuable eco systems. As we continue to harvest the peat from these natural landscapes, they are becoming damaged and consequently releasing the carbon stored back into the environment at an increasingly worrying pace.

A change in mindset for gardeners, both domestic and commercial, to avoid using peat in soils and identify alternative solutions is now called for. There are a number of effective peat substitutes providing a nutrient rich soil for gardens and allotments. Natural peat-free potting compost can be made using a nutrient-rich base such as leaf mulch to lock in the moisture. For smaller containers where some irrigation is needed, natural fibres such as coir or coconut husk can be mixed with compost to add some air and drainage to the soil matter.

Now more than ever, at Gardeners Kitchen we are investing time and efforts to reduce our impact and move away from peat usage wherever possible to achieve our goal of being 100% peat-free. We currently use a variety of alternative substances; these are made from a mix of coir fibre and tree bark. It is important that these changes to our methods are introduced gradually to make them sustainable and not impact the quality of our produce due to the inferior quality of growing medium.

By introducing and experimenting with different methods and compositions to achieve the optimum ethical solution going forward we can continue to supply our plant range having navigated this change successfully for a greener future ahead for our business and our customers.