Gardeners need to lobby MPs over use of peat - Yorkshire Post Letters

It is good to read a sensible letter from Peter Auty (The Yorkshire Post, April 7) about the truth about peat usage by gardeners.

I agree that those gardeners who like acidic loving shrubs such as Azaleas, Rhododendrons Camelias and Callunas (heathers) in their gardens, who do not have an natural acidic soil (which is a ph of less than 6.5) are being denied the material of peat to grow healthy shrubs.

All the best branded multiple purpose compost containing peat now have substitutes like garden compost which often is a much inferior product and has bits of twigs, which is no good for starting off young plants.

It is true that the majority of the media’s garden programmes with ‘amateur’ self taught presenters, who mostly haven’t studied horticulture at a botanic garden, or a land management college, are only able to give a one sided opinion.

Students who have studied biology and botany in depth will know that peat does regenerate fast, if not drained, and leaves and dead plants are left to decompose naturally, without ‘human’ interference peat will increase in volume.

Gardeners need to lobby their MPs now about the need for peat in gardens as there will be a total peat ban from 2023.