Most garden centres and DIY stores now stock peat free compost with many only stocking peat free composts. Many large gardens such as RHS Wisley and most National Trust properties have been gardening peat free for years.
Unfortunately, peat free compost has had a bad press with many complaining that it gives poor performance. This may well have been true a few years ago but recently there has been so much research, development and money put into producing good quality peat free compost that there is really no excuse not to be peat free.
If you are one of those gardeners that is worried about switching to peat free because of everything you have heard, this article will bust all the many myths that have been around peat free compost and how to use it.
Myth #1: Plants prefer peat!
Peat was used because it was cheap, lightweight so easier to transport, and was moisture retentive. Peat however has no nutrients and when you look at the native plants that mostly grow on peatlands, they tend not to be the sort of plants we grow in our gardens. We have been taught to think that peat compost is best because it's what we are used to. Peat has been used in home gardening since the 1960's but now it's time for a change and with the quality of peat free composts being so much better, and with so many gardens and growers having great results with peat free, there is no excuse not to use it.
Myth #2: Peat free costs too much!
The bottom line is that compost has always been sold too cheaply. Considering compost is the foundation of a great garden, then paying a little bit more is definitely worth it. Having said that, peat free composts will start to come down in price as more garden centres will be selling It, and until the ban comes into place, peat compost will become more expensive as less peat is extracted.
Peat free composts tend to be made up of many different ingredients and some of these can be expensive to source. There has also been lots of research that has gone into producing good quality peat free and that is why a superior bag of peat free compost will cost that little bit more.
There are multi deals out there that can bring the price down but be careful as often a really cheap bag of compost will be an indicator that it is not good quality. Better to pay an extra pound or two for a trusted brand.
Myth #3: Peat free compost is just full of twigs and sawdust!
So much of the ingredients that go into a bag of peat free compost are wood based. This includes wood chip, wood fibre, composted bark, and bark chips. These have been added as part of the substitute for peat as they help with drainage and aeration, (roots need oxygen).
A good quality peat free compost will have fine wood-based ingredients, and some even have their own special patented recipe. Many of Miracle Gro’s range of premium peat free composts such as Miracle-Gro® Peat Free Premium All Purpose Compost contain fibre smart, where the wood fibres have been infused with organic nitrogen, which helps with the plant’s leafy growth. Although it might be tempting to remove these ‘bits’ don’t as they are put in there for a reason.
Myth #4: Plants dry out in peat free compost!
One of the main complaints of plants grown in peat free compost is that it dries out much more quickly and that you have to water it more and more. Although there is a slight truth to this, especially with cheaper brands, what mainly happens is that the more fibrous material tends to rise to the top of the compost and can make it look dry. The problem comes with people assuming the compost has dried out and not checking underneath the top layer. So instead of plants drying out and dying, one of the big problems has been people over watering and their plants rotting as they become waterlogged.
Always check the compost underneath by pushing your finger into it up to your knuckle, that way you can properly gauge the moisture levels of the compost. If you lift the plant pot and it's very heavy, then that will usually mean it's got enough water whereas if it's really light and the compost has come away from the sides of the pot then that suggests your plant needs watering.
Myth #5: It's rubbish for seed sowing!
I would always recommend using a seed and cutting compost for most seed sowing, especially small seeds such as tomatoes and chillies and many good brands of peat free composts produce excellent quality seed composts that are formulated to be finer and contain smaller amounts of nutrients than peat free multi-purpose composts. Early-stage small seedlings are at risk of having their roots burnt by the higher nutrient levels in multi-purpose. For larger seeds such as pumpkins and sweetcorn you can use peat-free multi-purpose as they have stronger roots and much bigger leaves so are able to cope with the higher nutrient levels.
