Peat, Wool Pellets and Benjamin Franklin
Advice from Benjamin Franklin
Way “up north”, at the bottom of a big hill is a bog filled with tamarack trees, a rich variety of plants, grasses, and mosses. Growing up, I always wanted to explore that bog. I had witnessed enough deer entering the bog, I was sure I would be ok if I stayed on a deer trail. I’m not sure what got into me but one day I decided to see how far I could get while walking our dog, Benjamin Franklin (a 1976 rescued poodle mix and a very beloved dog). Ben was not a willing adventurous pup that day as I pulled him down the deer path or what I thought was a deer path. I don’t think we made it 25 ft before my foot and leg disappeared in mossy muck. A big thank you the the tree limb I grabbed and Ben for pulling me back to the road. All future walks past that bog included a look from Ben that read, “leave the bog alone.”
The real Benjamin Franklin was full of good advice and turns out his name sake was too!
Peat bogs are essential for local environments. There are two types of bogs which make peat either a fen or a peat bog. Fen bogs are fed by ground water. The peat mined from a fen bog can have varying acidity levels and mineral content due to the ground water and geological formations feeding them. A peat bog is fed by rain and snow. Peat bogs typically do not have any mineral additions. Both bogs develop their peat over thousands of years as the varieties of bog plants decompose adding to the layers of special organic matter. Both types of bogs are fantastic carbon sinks and home to special species of plants and animals such as sphagnum moss which on its own absorbs lots of water. The environmental concerns with peat mining includes the release of methane and carbon adding to climate change as well as the mined bog’s ability to hold large amounts of water for the surrounding areas.
So what got us to start using peat?
For many centuries, peat was used as a fuel. Those who lived by peat bogs harvested, dried, and burned it for fuel. This practice is now banned in many countries.
In the mid 1900’s, mining peat for agricultural began. Peat has been a very useful product for garden centers and growers. It is lightweight which is helpful when mixing into soil and lightweight soils help shipping costs. Peat is generally sterile and doesn’t have bacteria, fungi, or weeds. It breaks down slowly with a low PH, great for acid loving plants or adjusting the PH of soils. Its main claim to fame is its water holding capacity and aeration of the soil. Peat on average can hold 450-850% of its dry weight in water or 90% of its volume.
Most of the peat used in the United States is mined in Canada. The Canadian government is requiring peat mining operations to do restoration practices on their bogs. While I’ll give them high marks for these practices, it still does not make using peat sustainable as peat does not renew quick enough. Add on the transportation and crossing the boarders and it impacts on our world is even more. The United Kingdom has restricted the use of peat in the coming years. By the end of 2025, bagged compost cannot contain peat. Professional use of peat will be banned in 2026 and everything else by the end of 2030 in the UK. The environmental impact of digging up peat bogs has been too much.
Let’s leave all bogs alone….thanks Benjamin Franklin, you were right!
What can we do? Purchase soil products without peat and add in some Woolly Belly Pellets. Wool pellets are sustainable, renewable, lightweight, and easy to mix into soils. Wool absorbs at least 3 times (300%) its weight with water and the first 35% of that absorption doesn’t even make the wool feel wet! Wool’s PH is not as acidic as peat more in the 6-8 range. The wool pelleting process heats the wool destroying any seeds that might have mixed into the wool. Wool is naturally anti-microbial. As wool pellets break down they release nitrogen, potassium, and other nutrients naturally fertilizing and adding carbon back into the soil. A lot of positives with wool!