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A expert has said that you can make your garden soil healthier if you add two natural ingredients. suggested swapping out peat for alternatives that they promise are just as effective and a lot more eco-friendly.

The website said that though is praised for its porosity, its water-holding capacity, and its ability to create light, airy soil mixes, it has some downsides. Peat is not renewable - it builds up at a rate of just one millimetre per year. So once a bog is harvested, it takes hundreds, if not thousands, of years to regenerate. Harvesting also means destroying ecosystems, which puts animals at risk and increases the risk of flooding. But Gardenary says that adding two natural ingredients to soil gives it the same porosity and drainage we rely on peat to provide: compost and coarse sand.

Compost creates pockets of air, while coarse sand improves drainage and prevents compaction. Together, they create a structure that mimics nature's best soil without damaging fragile peatlands.

Compost improves your garden soil over time. It's packed with nutrients, beneficial microbes, and organic matter that help your soil come alive. Plus, compost can be locally made (maybe even in your own backyard); it's fully renewable and regenerative.

It recycles kitchen scraps, garden waste, leaves, and other organic materials that would otherwise end up in landfills. That means every time you use compost, you're not just feeding your plants - you're reducing waste and closing the loop in your home ecosystem.

It also supports a thriving soil food web, feeding worms, fungi, and bacteria that, in turn, support plant health. It doesn't just hold moisture like peat - it creates soil that manages water better over time.

In short, Gardenary says that compost does everything peat can do without damaging the environment. It's the "ultimate organic garden amendment": abundant, affordable, and sustainable.

The gardening website recommends a blend of one-third topsoil, one-third compost, and one-third coarse sand, with a bit of natural fertiliser, to give plants a head start.