FlytrapCare Carnivorous Plant Forums

Just saw this ... the UK plans to ban peat moss for use by amateur gardeners by 2024.

That probably explains why the CPUK is so interested in peat alternatives.

It's probably not a matter of "if" but "when" other countries follow suite.

Just switched to sphagnum moss! I think VFT roots grow better in LFSM.

Yeah, but what about for plants that can't use other media? The other viable medias are much more expensive and that isn't fair. Why is the UK broken? They need to go to the repair shop.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

I really follow what the UK is doing about the peat moss, Peat moss emits tons of CO2 into the atmosphere and taking away peat moss will help a bit in fighting climate change. Although I don't 100% agree about the decision to completely BAN it, I think it's necessary if we want to stop the long-term effects on climate change. Of course, that's just my view of it.

It's been a topic of concern (ethical sourcing of peat moss), particularly in the UK, for a long time.

The US may follow suite, but I may not be alive to see it happen. Many European countries ban the sale of items for health, safety or ecological reasons and the US often seems not to care. I remember a time when you couldn't buy Gatorade in the EU because it posed a "dangerous risk" to your health, and yet I could buy cases of it in the US. That doesn't even open the door on the neonic classification of pesticide use, banned in the EU but almost required in the US.

The UK is a bit of a special case here, since they spent many many years burning peat for fuel and devastated their peat bogs. They have a real concern of both completely destroying local ecosystems and potentially entirely running out of peat. I'm not really sure that's an issue elsewhere in Europe and it's definitely not in North America, despite what the doomsayers would have us believe.

davinstewart wrote: ↑Fri Nov 05, 2021 5:08 pm Just saw this ... the UK plans to ban peat moss for use by amateur gardeners by 2024.

That probably explains why the CPUK is so interested in peat alternatives.

It's probably not a matter of "if" but "when" other countries follow suite.

Better start stockpiling

Peat locks CO2 into the ground and should therefore be encouraged, you only have to look at the demise of the Sarracenia range in thUS to see what negative effects draining can have. See below, and follow the link for a very scary story.
‘Damaged peatlands contribute about 10% of greenhouse gas emissions from the land use sector. CO 2 emissions from drained peatlands are estimated at 1.3 gigatonnes of CO 2 annually. This is equivalent to 5.6% of global anthropogenic CO 2 emissions.’
https://www.earthintransition.org/2010/ ... s-burning/
Also brown coal is burned all over the world which is in effect old compressed peat.
In short peat is not a sustainable resource, and to dig it you have to drain the land so it releases CO2, very detrimental to the planet. When it’s wet it’s absorbing CO2 when it’s dry we all suffer. Any government serious about the climate will eventually ban its digging on a commercial basis.
Cheers
Steve

That makes a lot of sense what a few of you are saying about the long term for the world. They're going to have to step up sphagnum farms though. Or teach us how to not kill it lol. I need a pamphlet on not killing live sphagnum moss. In the long term, it's best to ban the past moss to general growers. It's going to be a rocky switch though.

Sent from my SM-G998U using Tapatalk

A long-term alternative to using wild-harvested peat moss for growing CPs is probably eventually required. Many growers are already experimenting with inorganic mixes (such as akadama/kanuma for Nepenthes and Heliamphora) with success. While completely banning peat is harsh, I think that the amount harvested should be reduced, or the peat for horticulture should be produced ex-situ. Anyways, CP enthusiasts who are buying one bale every four years aren't the problem- it's the big wholesale nurseries that use bulk quantities of peat and sell thousands of plants to the BORG .

Honestly just banning peat from being used as an ingredient in potting soil will do most of the job. It's mind-boggling how much of it is wasted for that.

nimbulan wrote: ↑Sun Nov 07, 2021 3:17 am Honestly just banning peat from being used as an ingredient in potting soil will do most of the job. It's mind-boggling how much of it is wasted for that.

+1 on that. Open a bag of Miracle-Gro Cactus, Palm & Citrus Potting Mix and what do you find? Lots of peat moss. In what is supposed to be cactus soil. Seriously?!