Monday, April 18, 2011

To Peat, or Not To Peat

I have noticed as of late that there is a debate ensuing on whether Peat Moss is earth friendly or not. 
  • The Anti-Peat-Ites are promoting the use of coir in place of peat and say that the peat is a non-renewable resource. 
  • The Pro-Peats are saying that it is a renewable resource and is just fine.


I think coir is a great product - but unless you live in an area with a lot of coconut trees you are going to have to ship the coir over hundreds or even thousands of miles.  (In my case almost 3000 miles - as the crow flies)  So, that is not the most earth friendly alternative.  (It is also a very expensive)

So, I am wondering if there is a better alternative...

I would love to hear from any / all of you on your feelings on the subject.  Also, any of you who make hypertufa - what are your thoughts?  Have you been able to find anything else that will work?

Get your hands dirty!
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4 comments:

  1. AnonymousMonday, April 18, 2011

    I collect pine needles from the farm. They are gathered for mulching and sit for a while before use. I use leaf mold also and it has great water holding capacity. Plus is good at breaking up clay soils. But I still used some peat this year because it was there at the farm.

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  2. lifeshighwayTuesday, April 19, 2011

    I too, use a lot of pine straw and leaf mold. I will use aged horse manure if I can get my hands on it. I have never used Coir and in fact had never heard of it.

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  3. LizWednesday, April 20, 2011

    Choir doesn't work as good as peat anyway. I think peat here is fine to buy: it can be harvested to be both sustainable and unsustainable, but I think most of the stuff available here is sustainable. I blogged about it a while back:
    http://gardenwithliz.com/blog/?p=254

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  4. Matthew PageWednesday, April 20, 2011

    GWGT, lifeshighway - Thanks for the comments - I used to use a lot of pine needles too before my parents both passed away - now I don't have a source any more.
    Liz - Thanks for the info - I read your post - very helpful.

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