Moorland Gold is derived peat, a product filtered from water after its natural water-borne erosion from peat moors.

Commercial peat is no longer accepted as a viable medium to use due to the damage the extraction process causes to wildlife and the environment. Alternatives have been sourced but none of these products will ever take the place of commercial peat. But in Moorland Gold there is the opportunity to utilise a natural waste product – a derived peat product that acts and looks like peat and has none of the drawbacks associated with other peat alternatives.

Sphagnum live and die in a continuous cycle, the death of one plant being quickly replaced by the life of another. In the wet uplands of the Pennines decomposition is slow, thus beds of peat are eroded by the force of underground streams than by anaerobic decomposition. Particles of eroded peat become entrapped in these rivers and streams, and collected through a unique source of water filtration creating Moorland Gold.

At pH5, the analysis of Moorland Gold is similar to commercial peat dug from raised bogs. An advantage Moorland Gold has over commercial peat is that it contains useful levels of potassium, plus vital trace elements such as magnesium, boron, copper, zinc and manganese and there are no risks of heavy metals. Moorland Gold is also very low in conductivity with the base product having a reading of only 0.7 micro-siemens.

Moorland Gold has good support from several conservation groups. The Soil Association has given its approval and all our growing media made from Moorland Gold carry the Soil Association symbol of Approval.

Numerous trials of our Moorland Gold based growing media have been performed, all showing its highly nutritious value. Growing trials have been conducted on our Organic Potting growing medium by the Harlow Carr Gardens, the northern home of the RHS in Harrogate. The following is an extract from the final report conducted by the trial officer: “It can clearly be seen that the “West Riding Organics” Potting compost produced the largest plants in all subjects. These plants were noticeably healthier than the others with distinctly dark green foliage. Plants grown in Coir based products were showing signs of nutrient stress with leaves being much paler”.  Another trial was performed using lettuce grown in Nature’s Own media, the growers own compost and a standard multi-purpose compost.  The trial showed that the lettuces grown in “Nature’s Own” growing media were larger (almost 2 fold from the others) and healthier plants.

These results show that the user of our Moorland Gold based growing media, which is rich in naturally occurring minerals and trace elements, will have strong and healthy plants. Yet it can be used with a clear conscience, as produced without damage to the environment or wildlife and allows future generations to enjoy our peat moors.