A Cumbrian firm is using the power of science in a pioneering project.
Dalefoot Composts, near Askham, said it was upping the environmental stakes by measuring how well the ingredients in its peat-free composts store carbon, as well as identifying the most eco-friendly way to restore a damaged peat bog.
The Lake District company is using 21st century science to work out the environmental benefits of the traditional ingredients in its ‘old recipe’ gardening products.
It has teamed up with the University of Cumbria to investigate how much carbon is being stored by comfrey, a key ingredient in its peat-free compost range.
Researchers are using ground penetrating radar to carry out the work on the comfrey crop, grown at Dalefoot Farm and then mixed with bracken and sheep’s wool to create the company’s unique composts for gardening.
With its extensive root system, comfrey is renowned as a dynamic accumulator plant, tapping into beneficial nutrients deep underground. Knowing how much carbon it stores will enable Dalefoot Composts to share the carbon saving this carbon capture crop can yield.
In a UK-first, Dalefoot Composts’ sister company, Barker and Bland Ltd – a leading peatland restoration contractor – is also working with the University of Cumbria to pinpoint the best methods to restore peat bogs.
UK peatlands are the largest terrestrial store of carbon, and when healthy, store up to 20 times more carbon than trees. However, many have been devasted by peat harvesting, including for horticulture, and now release carbon into the atmosphere rather than storing it.
The Government has been investing millions in repairing the landscapes, to halt the emission of carbon through erosion – but little thought has been put into how eco-friendly each restoration technique is or how it contributes to achieving a functioning, sequestering peatland.
Professor Jane Barker, MD of Barker & Bland and Dalefoot Composts, said: “People are now beginning to question where their gardening materials, plants and composts come from, which is great news, and with the imminent Government ban, peat-free compost is finally becoming the norm.
“At Dalefoot, we have always pioneered climate-friendly horticulture by making peat-free composts, whilst at the same time, restoring peatlands – a 360 degree approach to eco-conscious gardening.
“But we’ve noticed that on some restoration projects, led by other organisations, imported materials such as coir, lime and fertiliser are being used, and helicopters are then used to fly thousands of tons of these ‘alien’ materials to these remote sites as convention.
“We are confident our methods of using specialist equipment lighter than a human footprint and a ‘whole bog’ approach to restoration are much more environmentally effective. With this new research, we will be able to scientifically-prove the carbon footprint of our projects, something that has never been done in the UK before.”
The peatland research project is being led by Dr Simon Carr, of the University of Cumbria, and Prof Barker with funding from Innovate UK, the country’s national innovation agency. In another project, research will also be undertaken into using wool in peatland restoration.
