Made up of partially decomposed remains of dead plants, they
accumulate on top of each other in waterlogged places and leads
to the formation of peat bogs over centuries. Non-renewable, it
can be used as a fuel, insulation, within whisky production and
more importantly, horticulture. The advantage of using peat for
horticultural purposes lies with its ability to retain moisture
in soil when it’s dry, yet preventing the excess water from
killing roots when it is wet. A quality growing medium when
mixed with sand and loam, it was favoured by many commercial
growers and amateur gardeners as it improves soil structure and
increases acidity. Although often used as a soil improver due to
its ability in moderating soil humidity, peat itself has little
nutrient value. So what’s the fuss? Healthy peat absorbs and
stores carbon - described as carbon sinks, the National Trust
estimated the amount of carbon stored within our peat bogs
equate to about 20 years worth of national industrial emissions.
However, as it degrade