Why peat-free gardening?

It’s quite simple: for the sake of the environment

Peat extraction in order to get raw materials for substrate production destroys bogs and consequently the habitat for rare plants and small animals.
The climate-damaging greenhouse gas carbon dioxide is also released by peat extraction. This means that every single bag of peaty potting soil that we set aside, is an effective contribution to nature and climate protection.

Countless animal species, like the moor frog, the black grouse and the Eurasian curlew and vegetal species like the cottongrass, the sundews, and the common reed have their natural habitat in the bog and could lose it.

If you compare a 20 l peat-free potting soil bag to a peaty one (peaty soil: approx. 3.8 kg CO2e, peat-free: approx. 1.9 kg CO2e) – the saving of CO2 comes up with an 8 kilometres drive by a medium-sized vehicle!

What is the difference?

Peat-free gardening is anything but a new invention, it is a classical and well-tried practice. The structure of peat-free potting soils and substrate is rougher due to the raw material. They are also somewhat heavier than peaty compositions. However, this is not a disadvantage, as the planters get a better stability in all kinds of weather. Due to the wood fibre used, it might be necessary to water the flowers and plants more frequently.

What is the alternative?

A composition of local, renewable resources/raw materials…

• Bark humus from softwood bark of local/regional forests, improving structure, stability and a constant pH
• Wood fibre from unprocessed woods of the Middle Rhine region, guaranteeing a sufficient wettability and an increased water permeability
• Waste compost made from regional green waste, provides peat-free soils with main nutrients and micronutrients
• Mineral additives such as silicate sand (quartz sand), giving an improved draining effect, lava (a “growth driver”) for a constant water permeability

Any raw material used is certified and quality-checked by external institutions, such as ABCert (eco-control authority) and GGS (Quality Association of Substrates for Plants). Additionally, cocopeat and mineral additives such as pumice, lava, sand and expanded clay are used for the substrate mixture.