- Plantura peat-reduced potting soil: These advantages come with you
- Why Plantura organic potting soil helps to save CO2
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Peat-reduced and peat-free soils have great advantages for the environment, which is why we at Plantura rely on them. How do we know that our earths are saving CO2? Find the answer in this article.
We at Plantura rely on peat-reduced and peat-free organic soils. From raw material extraction through production to the end of its useful life, our soils emit around 60% less CO2 than conventional, peat-based soils. How do we know? The CO2 emissions of our organic soils can be determined using scientifically proven figures. We will calculate it for you using our Plantura organic herb and seed soil.
Plantura peat-reduced potting soil: These advantages come with you
As far as the use of peat in potting soil is concerned, there is a rethinking in society. Because peat and peat are valuable CO2 stores, we at Plantura also rely on peat substitutes. Instead of black and white peat, our peat-free or peat-reduced Plantura potting soils contain materials such as coconut pith, wood fibers and compost. Peat-reduced potting soils have a number of advantages over classic peat-based soils:
- They are, in many cases, better for the he alth of those involved in the Earth's manufacturing chain.
- They are easier to handle in use, since peat-free soils are often comparatively light.
- They water even better than peat-based soils: Even if they have dried out completely, they are easily wettable again.
- In addition, peat-free potting soil has a more favorable pH value, i.e. acidity for most plants, and can be spread on your own compost or in the flower bed without hesitation.
Of course, peat-reduced or peat-free potting soil also has an ecological footprint. However, the climate damage of peat use is undisputed and should be avoided as far as possible. A study by the company Quantis was able to show that substrates that have a relatively highPercentage of peat contained will have a greater negative impact on climate change. According to Quantis, it is extremely important that peat is only extracted from peat deposits that have already been drained and in conjunction with timely reclamation measures. The small amount of peat that refines the high quality of our Plantura organic lawn soil is obtained according to these same standards.
Note: The coconut pulp we use comes from controlled areas and is harvested and processed under fair working conditions. When buying coconut soils, look for the Ecocert seal, which our Plantura organic soils also carry.
Why Plantura organic potting soil helps to save CO2
Plantura organic potting soil was developed on the basis of a comprehensive study by a global leader in life cycle assessment and sustainability services (Quantis). Quantis has assessed the life cycle assessment of various materials used in the manufacture of potting soil. This life cycle assessment included both the impact on the ecosystems from which the renewable raw materials are extracted and the impact on human he alth at each step. And, of course, it was checked how many climate-damaging gases the various materials emit over the course of their lives.
Tip: Not only CO2 (carbon dioxide) causes the famous greenhouse effect due to its accumulation in the atmosphere. Although gases such as methane (CH4) or nitrous oxide (N2O) are emitted in smaller volumes, they have a much greater climate impact than carbon dioxide. For better comparability, they are converted into "CO2 equivalents". This shows that methane is 28 times and nitrous oxide almost 300 times more potent for the climate than carbon dioxide.
To find out whether the Plantura soils save CO2 equivalents, we used the results of the Quantis study . The CO2 balance sheet of each of the materials used is known to us through them and we were therefore able to compare our soils with a typical peat potting soil in a simple calculation. As an example, we present the calculation for one cubic meter of Plantura organic herb and seed soil:
| Earth | Plantura organic soil | Common Earth | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ingredients | Coconut pulp | Compost | wood fiber | Perlite | Black Peat | Bark | Compost |
| % by volume | 50 | 17 | 17 | 17 | 90 | 5 | 5 |
| CO Ejected2 Equivalents according to Quantis | 34.75 | 41.55 | 9.6 | 19.6 | 277,2 | 5.25 | 13.85 |
| Total | 105.5 | 296,3 | |||||
In order to determine how many CO2 equivalents are saved as a percentage with this soil, the result of the Plantura organic soil is now divided by that of the peat soil:
This means that the Plantura organic soil only emits 35.6% as much CO2 equivalents as a conventional one over its entire life cycle from production to disposal peat soil. This means she saves a total of 64.4%.
Of course, our organic soils all have different compositions in order to meet the needs of different plants. On average, they emit almost 60% less CO2 equivalents than comparable potting soil.
By the way: Black peat produces the highest emissions of CO2 and other greenhouse gases. We therefore avoid this in our Plantura organic soils. Only the Plantura organic lawn soil contains the fine peat to protect the seedlings from drying out after the lawn has been sowed. Because we keep an eye on the big picture: If you have to water your lawn much more frequently after sowing, it becomes difficult to save water in the garden.