How to: Peat Free Compost
The compost we source and sell is 100% peat free. Read on to understand why many are making the switch to peat free, and how to grow successfully in peat free composts.
What are peatlands?
Peatlands are a type of carbon-rich wetlands that are divided into bogs and fens.
Peat soil (or simply, peat) is formed in an environment where there is a lot of water, low pH, low oxygen supply and low nutrient content.
Healthy peatlands have a number of key benefits for the environment. In a nutshell, they:
– Have one of the most carbon-rich ecosystems on the planet.
– Have a net cooling effect on climate.
– Reduce flood risk by slowing water flow from the uplands.
– Provide floodplains in the lowland.
– Provide fresh water sources and nesting grounds for wildlife.
– Are a habitat for rare flora and fauna.
Blanket bogs are sometimes called the ‘rainforests of the UK’ thanks to their unique flora and fauna. Due to Peatlands capturing carbon, they are essential ecosystems that help mitigate climate change.
Why go Peat Free?
Peat soil is often extracted from many lowland raised bogs around the UK and Ireland for use in horticultural materials such as compost. By sourcing and using peat free compost we help to ensure peatlands can stay untouched for the benefit of the planet.
How to grow successfully using Peat Free compost
Nowadays the new Peat-free composts are top performers. However, they have a unique texture that requires adjustments to your watering routine.
Since these mixes are rich in coir and woodchips, they tend to dry out faster. Additionally, their coarse texture might deceive you – it could look dry on top but still be moist below.
Here’s a handy trick: stick your finger in the soil! This will tell you if it’s completely dry throughout.
The key is to water frequently, but in smaller amounts. Avoid letting them dry completely, as rehydrating becomes a challenge – water might just run off the surface. If this happens, submerge the entire pot in a bucket of water to allow thorough soaking.
Feeding
Every bag of compost includes slow-release plant food (controlled-release fertilizers), but it only lasts so long. Peat-free options typically provide nutrients for about a month.
Keep an eye on your plants! If they seem to be lacking nutrients, you can give them a boost with a liquid plant feed, like seaweed feed or one of our other excellent organic feeds. Mixing in some homemade compost is a great choice. With these tips you will improve the soil’s health and provide a steady stream of nutrients for months to come.
Our top 3 Favourite Peat Free composts
These are some of the favourite Peat Free composts in our range, but we have many fantastic alternatives for every stage of plant growth and needs. Our expert team will gladly advise.
Did you know?
We now sell our gift cards online for home delivery anywhere in Jersey, Channel Islands
Grow your own veggies this Bank Holiday weekend! 🥬🇯🇪🇬🇧 Veggie 6 packs and 9cm pots are now 5 for £12 (or £3 each), and we have lots of fresh stock in!
We`re open on Liberation Day from 10am - 4pm, and on Saturday 9am - 6pm!
Show of your Jersey pride with these great mugs, or any of the many delicious products our fantastic little island produces 🥰🇯🇪
The houseplant department is filled with colour and the lovely scent of blooming Jasmine. We have some lovely tropical hibiscus, and a beautiful flowering Bird of Paradise plant, among many other beauties 🥰 Come have a look, we`re open on Liberation Day from 10am to 4pm 🇯🇪
Come get instant colour in your garden with our beautifully blooming Rhododendrons 🌸🌺 We`re open today 9am - 6pm!
🦔 Today is the start of Hedgehog Awareness Week! 🦔
This year The British Hedgehog Preservation Society are asking people to ‘Give hedgehogs the edge!’ by making the edges of their gardens and green spaces havens for wildlife, and encouraging landowners, schools, and parishes to do the same.
Hedgehogs are a great indicator species – their needs are quite simple so if they aren’t being met, it means the habitat is deficient – and should ring alarm bells for other species, including humans!
Try these wildlife-friendly ways to give hedgehogs the edge:
🦔 Let the edges grow wild! Log piles, leaf heaps, and wild edges attract natural food and offer shelter for hedgehogs. Always carefully check for wildlife before mowing, strimming or tidying wild areas.
🦔 Add Hedgehog highways! These 13cm x 13cm square gaps in the base of boundary walls and fences ensure hedgehogs can access vital habitat. Once made, log them on the Big Hedgehog Map.
🦔 Make ponds safe! Ponds are great for wildlife but ensure there are escape routes – add sloping edges, ramps or half-submerged rocks so hedgehogs can scramble out.
🦔 Look out for litter! Litter is very harmful to wildlife, and while it’s hopefully not an issue in your own garden, it’s likely to be in the wider environment. Contact landowners where litter is a problem; remember to point out the danger to wildlife.
🦔 Water is vital for all wildlife and can be scarce, especially during hot spells. Make sure there are always clean shallow bowls of water available for hedgehogs – add a few pebbles for bees and butterflies to perch on so they can safely drink too.
🦔 Stop using poisons and pesticides that could directly harm wildlife and destroy the food chain.
Netting can become entangled in hedgehog spines: make sure sports nets are put away and garden netting is raised 30cm off the ground so hedgehogs can safely pass under.
Come enjoy the lovely long bank holiday weekend at Ransoms! ☀ Inside the garden centre everything is ready to make this summer a grand one, with new season garden furniture and barbecues, lovely new stock of indoor and outdoor plants, as well as lots of sale bargains and special offers to be found around the shop!
🌸 We`re open Sunday 4th May from 10am to 4pm, and on Monday 5th May from 9am - 6pm! 🌸
Combine your leisurely shop with a delicious lunch a@ransoms_tearooms and a visit to @potting_shed_jersey, they are both open every day 9am - 6pm!
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