Is there a peat free aqua soil?

[dw1305]

Hi all,

Although it'll undoubtedly contain some peat it's already been mined and used once, so no harm done in terms of the waste hierarchy at least.

My very short lived research career both started and ended with <"Spent Mushroom Compost">. It is better than <"green waste compost">, but it is still pretty salty and alkaline and I wouldn't recommend it. <"Westland Aquatic Compost"> might do?

Peat bogs hold a lot of carbon, if they are drained or exploited they will hold less carbon.

I don't think there is any sustainably harvested peat, whatever the industry in Finland, or Canada, might say.

I might stick with the tried and tested topsoil with gravel over the top then.

I pyo my soil, usually from molehills. Because it is all limestone here I travel about <"10 miles to the east of Corsham to the greensand.">

cheers Darrel

 

[Guest]

but it is still pretty salty and alkaline and I wouldn't recommend it

Yes you're right about that. There was a pretty good discussion on the use of spent mushroom compost as a substrate on ASW, but unfortunately the forum no longer exists.

I don't think there is any sustainably harvested peat, whatever the industry in Finland, or Canada, might say.

If I'm honest that's my gut feeling too. But I guess the same could be said of pretty much every natural resource. There will always be something of a trade off, but I think better understanding of ecosystem goods and services is informing natural resource management and developing best practice. The Canadian model of peat extraction might at least be a step in the right direction.