Have your say: readers’ letters

Peat-free problems

As an ardent conservationist, I applaud the move to peat-free composts. However, if compost producers continue to offer the current range of poor substitutes, then some gardeners will drift back to peat where they can find it.

I recently bought 500l of compost that was very unsatisfactory, being packed full of shredded wood that was not composted much, if at all. I put this peat-free alternative through a coarse sieve and was disappointed by how much, or how little, material actually passed through for use as a seed compost.

My point is that if there is not a viable alternative to peat, then there will remain a demand for peat. I call on enterprising farmers and landowners to turn their nuisance bracken growth into locally distributed compost. If I could find any in South Wales, I would be the first to order.

Steve Morris, by email

In response to your question in Have Your Say (April issue) regarding the use of peat or peat-free compost, I personally am finding it difficult to source peat-free compost without increasing my carbon footprint. I can source it easily online, but find that there are less deals/offers available and this also increases my carbon footprint by way of more cars/ delivery vans on the road.

When visiting local garden centres, I find the packaging confusing, with some not showing any signs of peat use, but how do we quantify it – surely any is bad? I did buy some online once and the consistency varied throughout the bag, leaving most of my pots now appearing to be filled with bark.

Gabby Last, by email