sustainable peat

[Hjalmar]

At the back cover of The Rock Garden one can read about a garden constructed from "sustainable" Swedish peat. I have seen similar statements on several British webpages. For instance, on Glendoick's page http://glendoick.com/content.php?page=peat one can read

"Swedish peatlands and Swedish peat constitute a natural resource that renews itself through steady and relentless plant growth. The peat industry's extraction of peat, 4-5 million cubic meters per year, is barely a quarter of a year's growth. Between one and two thousandth of the peat-covered ground is made use of for the present. Additionally, thanks to the fact that new drainage has practically stopped in agriculture and forestry operations, it is now highly likely that the total area of peat grounds is also increasing in size."

This information comes from the branch organization Torvproducenterna (Peat Producers). To balance this view, one should look at what the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation (SNF) has to say. This is a very widely respected organization. If you can read Swedish, you can look at their report to the Swedish Government: http://www.snf.se/snf/remissvar/remissvar2003-03-27.htm

My rough translation of parts of it: "Peat lands are of great importance to many different plants and animals. To compare the natural values of an original peat bog to an exploited and then restored area is not relevant. What is being restored is a completely different habitat with other plants and animals... In contrast to many other forms of exploitation, peat harvesting differs in completely devastating the original natural environment... SNF recommends that no new concessions for peat harvesting should be granted".

So the fact that peat is renewed is completely irrelevant. The problem is not depletion, it is the destruction of habitat at the individual sites. If you are a rare plant and your home is destroyed by peat harvesting, it is no comfort that some other peat bog in a different climate zone 1500 km away is growing.

Glendoick also write: "Before a peat extraction operation can be approved in Sweden, the county administration or alternatively the environmental protection agency, perform a careful examination of the site. This is done to evaluate the proposed operation's impact on the area with regards to public benefit as well as the environmental effects. The operations that are finally approved will have been judged suitable and not in conflict with legitimate preservation interests. In addition, extensive rules apply to the activities."

Fortunately this is true, but one can obviously discuss how the laws are implemented. The SNF gives examples where very valuable areas have been or ar threatened to be destroyed by peat harvesting.

I do not mean to sound like what a Swedish politician called "eco-fascist". Last year I bought a truck-load of (locally produced) 7 m³ peat + 100 large blocks to my own garden. But I don't congratulate myself for being "sustainable". There are shared opinions about this, and personally I tend to trust the conservation society more than representatives for the industry. 

[David Shaw]

Like Hjalmar, I also have reservations about Peter's 'sustainable peat'. The blocks that Peter brings over to Scotland are of a very different nature to that of our native peat and it probably regenerates in  tens of years, as Peter claims rather than the hundreds or even thousands of years that it takes our heather peat.
Regardles of the regeneration period the main biodiversity of a peat bog lies in just the top few inches of the peat. This is where the native plants grow and the insect life lives. If you strip off this top layer you destroy most of the wildlife in that area.
I have always taken Peter's claims of sustainability with a pinch of salt and my personal choice is to stay away from peat, whatever its source.

[Hkind]

Hjalmar,

I think that you should have mentioned, that peat harvesting for horticultural aims is only a tiny, tiny proportion of the overall harvesting in Sweden . The large quantities are used  for heating.  I doubt that peat blocks in our gardens are a real threat to our environment. 

Hannelotte

[Hjalmar]

I had no idea Peter Korn exports peat and I hope it doesn't seem like a personal attack. That means you can probably tell exactly where the peat comes from, which could make a difference. It might be from a site where there is obviously no problem. But for instance Glendoick probably have another source.

Hannelotte, you are of course right but this is always the case with environmental questions. Our impact on the environment is made up of lots of tiny bits. And I absolutely do not object to using peat in the garden, only to labelling it as "sustainable" which gives the idea that it doesn't cause any problem. With the pollution caused by transport, it might be better to use Brittish peat in Britain (I am not saying it is, but at least it is a possibility). If you tell people there is no problem with Swedish peat, it is unfair competition against the British producers.

[David Shaw]

Peter Korn brings peat over to Scotland to do 'homers' (jobs that a tradesman will do in his spare time to earn a bit more money - except that this is part of Peter's normal existance). He came to Pitlochry a couple of Discussion Weekends ago and we all had the pleasue of watching him construct the most amazing peat and crevice bed. He does similar work for private gardens as well.

Hjalmar, Peter is quite open to discussion about the merits and de-merits of the use of peat and I am sure that he will not view your comments as being personal.

[Maggi Young]

 Peter does this work by commission, as part of earning his living in a professional manner.

[David Shaw]

I have great respect for Peter, his plant growing skills and, particularly, his creative garden design and construction ability.

[Ian Y]

Hi Folks NZ calling.
I am waiting at Christchurch Airport for my first flight on my journey back to Scotland.
I can see I have much to catch up with on the forum plus I have around 1000 pictures to down load.

[Maggi Young]

great to have you online, Ian!
Safe home, Flower! Lily and I are impatient to see you!