However, 80 per cent of British peatlands have been lost or damaged. They have both been; drained for agriculture, forestry and construction; and, reduced in size by commercial peat extraction for horticulture. As a result these carbon sinks have released greenhouse gases accounting for five per cent of the UK’s total emissions. The Wildlife Trust has reported that the peat extracted for UK horticulture in 2020 alone could release up to 880,000 tonnes of CO2over its lifetime. One of the ways in which peatlands can be restored is by ‘re-wetting’ or reinstating the natural flow of water and soil saturation.

Overall, this is one of the best composts featured if you want a good combination of larger and smaller particles in your compost. These can help with drainage and stop the compost from compacting. With this Westlands option, it’s also nice to know that FSC certified wood is used.Smart Release System releases nutrients only when conditions are warm and moist, providing complete nutrition for up to 6 months, includes Fibre Smart? technology. The hollow wood fibres ensure optimum balance of air and water for strong roots to grow healthy. The key ingredients to look out for are nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium. Broadly speaking, nitrogen helps with leaf growth, phosphate is for a strong root development, and potassium will encourage flowering and fruiting.

According to some customers’ experiences, this compost can deliver mixed results depending on what’s being grown – it seems that it can help broad beans, carrots and peas to thrive, but may not be as effective on tomatoes, peppers and aubergines.

Dan Townend, Gardening Buyer at Morrisons, said:“More people are gardening and our research shows that customers also want to protect our natural habitats. Peatland is actually the country’s biggest natural carbon store and its removal is affecting the environment. Our new coir range is just as good as traditional composts - and means we’re using the natural waste materials from coconut growing to fertilise our gardens instead.” Peat-free compost also tends to be more expensive because there is more processing involved than simply digging up peat.