DR reports that a dispute over peat extraction at Fuglsø Mose on Djursland has drawn attention to spagnum in Danish gardens, as a local gardener explains how she manages without it.
The Danish broadcaster DR reported on September 16 that the company Pindstrup Mosebrug has applied to drain and excavate the last part of the raised bog Fuglsø Mose near Nørager. The company has already dug out most of the site. Neighbors want the application stopped to protect the remaining nature and to halt CO2 emissions.
Nurseries still depend on peat from Danish bogs, according to DR, because it is rich in nutrients and easy to dose. Ordinary garden owners use it as well, often without noticing. It is stacked in sacks outside many grocery stores, labeled potting soil, rose soil and tomato soil.
Lene Svenningsen from Rønde on Djursland has stopped using peat in her garden. She told DR that extracting spagnum releases large amounts of CO2 and destroys natural areas. She also said it is not necessary.
Three alternatives to peat
Her first method is making her own compost. Per DR, she said compost has the same properties as peat, because it holds water well. It consists of coarse plant material that breaks down over the course of a year.
Brian Christensen, garden adviser at Haveselskabet, Denmark’s largest association for gardening enthusiasts, told DR that many recycling stations offer free compost. He said it can be used to mix your own potting soil. He also noted that compost should not be used pure, but blended with garden soil, or it becomes too strong.
Her second method involves old Christmas trees. Svenningsen chips Christmas trees and spruce branches and lays them under plants that need acidic soil, such as her large rhododendron. Christensen explained that spruce helps acidify the soil and creates a natural acidic base.
The third and simplest option, according to Svenningsen, is also the most expensive. She said almost all plants can be planted without peat, and that gardeners should check the sack before buying. She added that there are many alternatives available today.
Christensen said plants bought at retailers such as Plantorama or Billigblomst are almost always grown in peat. That makes peat difficult to avoid when buying plants, he told DR. He added that the more customers ask for peat-free plants, the more pressure producers will face to change.
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The debate on Djursland concerns whether the remaining bog should be preserved or excavated so the peat can be used by nurseries growing herbs and vegetables. DR reports that most of Fuglsø Mose has already been dug out by Pindstrup Mosebrug.
