Thank you for your note. Another responder, Mary, has outlined many of the reasons why peat is being banned. It’s non-renewable, at least not anytime soon, and it stores a lot of carbon, which is released when it is harvested. It’s true that coir also has an impact. It must be rinsed and processed to remove salt, and often has to travel long distances to get to our garden centers. The best alternative is compost, either leaf (mold) compost or household and yard waste composted, mixed with other substances, such as wood chips, loam, etc. Even perlite and vermiculite carry environmental burdens. Luckily, Canada is our source of peat in the US, and it’s also the number one ranked country in the world for peat bog restoration. —The Editors
Hi Georgis,
Thank you for your note. Another responder, Mary, has outlined many of the reasons why peat is being banned. It’s non-renewable, at least not anytime soon, and it stores a lot of carbon, which is released when it is harvested. It’s true that coir also has an impact. It must be rinsed and processed to remove salt, and often has to travel long distances to get to our garden centers. The best alternative is compost, either leaf (mold) compost or household and yard waste composted, mixed with other substances, such as wood chips, loam, etc. Even perlite and vermiculite carry environmental burdens. Luckily, Canada is our source of peat in the US, and it’s also the number one ranked country in the world for peat bog restoration. —The Editors