2 x Bags of Dalefoot Wool Compost peat-Free, Sustainable: 30 litres

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You may see composts formulated for veg growing. These are very similar to multipurpose composts, but may have a slightly different balance of nutrients. Some are excellent, some are less good. Look at our grow bags results. As we step into February (already I hear you say!) spring is most definitely in the air….. snowdrops are beginning to appear, an exciting reminder that warmer weather and longer days are fast approaching. These delicate white flowers are usually the first sign of life in our gardens and a welcome sight after months of short, dark days! The joy of planning, preparing and organising our gardens for the season ahead is an exciting part of February. tbsp sugar (or other sweetener eg agave) - optional (I usually skip this part but I do like tart food) This Peat Free April, award-winning, environmental journalist and co-author of The Climate Change Garden book, Kim Stoddart gets excited about some of the tips and topics she will be sharing with us over the months ahead:

Keep ponds defrosted during very cold weather by carefully holding a pan of hot water on the surface, to melt a hole. Never smash ice, or pour boiling water on top, as this can harm the aquatic creatures. Here at Ael Y Bryn, I am creating a productive homestead on just under half an acre, almost entirely by myself, using different kinds of mulches and no dig gardening methods. My aim is to (eventually!) be around 80% self sufficient in fruit, herbs, vegetables and flowers. Since moving here in March 2021 I have made many no dig beds on top of weedy grass mostly using card covered with 5cm of compost, often making the new bed just before planting or sowing. Formulated to optimise plant growth by providing the right conditions to suit the plant at a particular stage in its life, or for certain types of plants such as orchids, cacti or ericaceous plants. Because of this, peatlands also play a huge role in supporting global biodiversity. You may wonder why this is important. Many campaigns use flagship species such as Polar Bears, Tigers and more locally, Otters to signify the importance of biodiversity. It seems a terrible shame that future generations may exist in a world where these species do not exist. However, there is a lot more to biodiversity than just the “when it’s gone it’s gone” problem.Having chosen your method and growing position water your seedlings well the day before planting. Growing tomatoes indoors: When the world wearies and society fails to satisfy, there is always the garden.” (19th century poet Minnie Aumonier)

Great news! We have been selected as a finalist in the Micro Business of the Year category of the prestigious Growing Business Awards.The awards recognise the UK’s most outstanding entrepreneurs and high-growth businesses. Peat is formed under a unique set of circumstances. When soil is waterlogged, it becomes anaerobic, meaning that it doesn’t contain oxygen. Organisms such as earthworms cannot survive these conditions and therefore are not present to help with the decomposition process, meaning that it decomposes very slowly. A large part of what makes up peat is decomposed moss. Mosses are non-vascular plants. This means that they do not contain a vascular system, like a lot of other plants to transport water up a stem. For this reason, moss grows very slowly, and very low. As a result of these things, peat is created very slowly, in very acidic, nutrient deficient conditions. Happy climate change savvy growing Kim x ......................................................................................................................... Kim’s climate change savvy gardening tips for October A mini wildlife pond can be created out of an upcycled basin buried into the ground with stones placed in and around. You may attract amphibians, and many wildlife will also benefit from a water source of this kind. When choosing a compost consider where the original material has come from. Peat is a very unsustainable product that we extract and use at a much faster rate than it can rebuild. Furthermore, destroying peat bogs for our own use seems wholly unwise given the host of incredible natural services that peat can do for us when left in its natural environment.Peat is a rich, dark type of soil that is made mostly of plant matter that has been decomposed under waterlogged conditions. It is incredibly rich in carbon but very low in nutrients. It has excellent water-retentive properties and a nice crumbly texture making it an apparently desirable commodity for gardeners.

Happy climate change savvy growing Kim x .................................................................................. Kim’s climate change savvy gardening tips for AugustStephanie Hafferty is an award winning garden and food writer, expert no dig gardener, homesteader, edible garden designer and inspirational public speaker. Stephanie is currently creating a no dig homestead on half an acre in West Wales, from where she runs gardening courses. Her garden was featured on BBC Gardeners’ World in 2022. These hyphae are usually invisible to the human eye unless they are in very high concentrations. Every so often, I squeal with delight as I open up a bag of compost to find a delicate white coating. Millions of fungal strands form a lace and assure me that my compost is healthy and full of microscopic life. PANNIER PLANTING - looking to maximise growing space? Tomatoes can take up less space when grown through 15cm slits cut into each outward facing side of the bag of Wool Compost™ for Tomatoes – folded in half, straddled over a fence or rail ie. “pannier”. The strategically positioned air holes at either end of the bag enable excess water to drain whilst retaining a saturated reservoir for the tap root to access water. This will help reduce the risk of ‘blossom end rot’. Peat sales to gardeners in England and Wales are due to be banned by 2024. High-profile gardeners such as Monty Don have spoken out against the use of Peat in horticulture and initiatives like the Peat Free April movement have gained staggering momentum. For many years we have been told about peat’s importance in the horticultural industry, but only now are we beginning to shout about its importance in the natural world. Many people know that extracting peat isn’t good for the environment, but not as many know why.