Wool: Gardening’s Underused Alternative to Plastic

Spring.  

It’s that time of year again. When gardens get a revamp and flowers begin to bloom. 

Polytunnels, plastic twine, mesh netting. All of these are handy for gardening. They’re also environmentally damaging and can pose a danger to small birds or animals. 

Consider wool instead. 

It’s no secret that we love wool here at Wrought Iron and Brass Bed Co. Our passion is palpable, from the flock’s welfare to the wool duvets their fleece fills.

It insulates, it’s breathable, it’s biodegradable. 

Why not reap the rewards of wool?  

Be inspired and incorporate wool into your garden’s growth.

In Place of Peat

One of wool’s biggest positives? It is an alternative to peat. 

Peat is a layer of soil made up of decomposed organic matter. Peatlands are natural boggy habitats and important carbon stores. They store more than 2 times the amount of carbon as the world’s forests in an area 10 times smaller! 

Unique and vital to our ecosystems, carbon is stored for thousands of years. Wildlife is dependent on peatland for survival. What many people don’t know is that the UK is one of the most significant areas for peatland. And it’s at risk of irreversible damage. 

You’ll often find peat in compost. It promotes water drainage and helps seedlings grow in a sterile environment. However, it doesn’t add many nutrients back into the soil. Natural alternatives can work just as well, if not better.

10cm of peat takes 100 years to form. Extractors can remove up to 22m at once- that’s 22,000 years’ worth. When peat is extracted from boglands for gardening, it destroys habitats, increases the risk of flooding, and, most significantly, releases stored carbon into the atmosphere. However, sheep’s fleece renews each year. It’s naturally occurring and shearing takes place for the flock’s welfare.

Our country boasts almost 5 million acres of peatland, but at least 10% is damaged. Protecting peat helps to prevent climate change. Instead of being wasted or burned, choosing British wool alternatives will protect our unique habitat. It will protect wildlife species and the livelihoods of British farmers.

Wool’s Alternative Uses

Wool is an ideal plastic-free alternative. Those same properties which benefit you during a night’s sleep will benefit your plants during their lifecycle.

Caring for Crops

Forget polythene covers, think fleece. 

Sheep’s fleece encourages faster growth when laid over or around plants, whilst providing protection against weather and pests simultaneously. White, soft and warm, it’s lightweight and insulatory, ideal for even the tenderest plants.

Sheep’s fleece is a heavier natural fibre. Unlike polythene, it can be left on all summer and even double-layered (e.g. with cloches in greenhouses) for extra insulation during winter. Lay it directly over crops without supporting hoops to defend against cold and windy weather. 

Wool thermoregulates temperature and that includes the temperature in your garden. The porous nature of wool means that plants won’t overheat or get wet. Preventing excess heat and moisture is particularly important during the changeable temperatures of early spring when most plants are in their early stages. 

Use wool as a cloche. It can raise temperatures by around 2°C, which advances maturing and flowering by 2 weeks. This is suitable for plants which have been sown earlier in the year, to ripen crops during autumn, and to protect soil. However, wool is unsuitable for insect-pollinated crops like strawberries or courgettes during their flowering period. It creates a barrier between the flower and pollinator, blocking their chance to get nectar.

Sustaining the Soil

Soil becomes more aerated when wool is incorporated because it creates air pockets. In turn, this makes the soil looser, allowing for more oxygen to be absorbed, which grows deeper and stronger roots. Whether in the soil or on the surface, when wool breaks down it releases myriad nutrients into the soil, including nitrogen, potassium, calcium, magnesium and iron. Consequently, more microorganisms and insects can live in the soil, meaning it’s healthier and more nourishing.

Mulch is a layer of organic matter (like manure or bark) that tops the soil. Wool works as mulch, retaining moisture to stop the soil drying out.

It insulates roots and suppresses weeds to promote plant growth and soil nutrition.

Although the fibre can take up to a year to break down in the soil (or longer on the surface), wool doesn’t need to be constantly replaced. It’s thanks to wool that healthier soil produces a bigger yield of crops and flowers.

Protection Against Pests

From the small to the large, one of the biggest frustrations for gardeners is pests. They often take the form of snails, slugs and deer. Wool is a pesticide-free alternative to deterring them. 

Snails & Slugs: Snails and slugs have a taste for seedlings. Their mucus is moisturising, which helps them move across different surfaces, often leaving leafy holes in their wake. Raw fleece absorbs this slime and makes moving more difficult. Place the wool around the stems of your seedlings and other plants for slug and snail security. 

Deer: On the menu for deer? Young trees. Deer grazing can be harmful. Once bitten, it endangers the tree, making it harder for the rest to grow to its full potential.

Lanolin is a wax that sheep create between their skin and fleece and is shorn off with the wool. Its texture and smell deter deer because it’s unusual and they’re sensitive to new scents. Wrapping wool around the buds of trees will prevent deer from chomping down. It also helps reduce competition for light with faster growing grass- deer will eat this instead.

Take That Extra Step

Wool doesn’t have to be confined to planting. Look for other ways to integrate the natural fibre into your garden. 

Beehives: Bees need to be insulated during winter for the hives to retain heat. But you need to be wary of moisture, too. It can lead to mould in the hive or make the bees wings too heavy to fly. Manmade insulation often isn’t breathable enough. In comparison, wool absorbs water vapour to keep a warm and dry environment. 

Ponds: Use wool to line your pond. Wool lining will reduce ground frost and on the pond’s sides, whilst keeping it cooler in extreme heat. This maintains a temperate environment for your fish or any other wildlife living in your pond.

Our Top Tip

Struggling to access raw fleece? Don’t let this put you off. 

In place of raw wool, use a 100% wool duvet or jumper to line your planters, ponds or pots.

Already in Progress

The proof is in the pudding. Or should we say the planting.

The Yorkshire Dales River Trust is trialling the use of wool logs made from wool donated by local farmers. Placing the logs in areas which are prone to rain erosion will protect exposed areas of peatland from being washed away and reduce flooding downstream.

Utilising wool instead of commonly used coconut husks means nothing is imported, drastically reducing carbon emissions whilst promoting British wool.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show

May is the month of the RHS Chelsea Flower Show.

Chelsea Flower Show is accessible to all manner of gardeners- from stately landscapers to those nurturing their first window box. With an international impact, the show’s purpose is to showcase the latest in innovative garden design, plants and horticulture.

Sustainable Product of the Year

Each year the show awards the RHS Chelsea Sustainable Product of the Year. It aims to promote environmentally friendly products and integrate ethical practices into everyday gardening. 

Finalists of this prestigious prize are no strangers to wool’s wonders.

Twool: Devon-based Twool is a common contender. Their products champion the UK’s natural renewable resources, replacing polluting plastic with fully-traceable wool, all the while supporting British farmers. 

For plants and general use, they’ve created undyed British wool twine ties, which has expanded into netting. This versatile garden net blends the fleece of Whiteface Dartmoor and Zwartbles sheep for strength and durability. 

While promoting eco-friendly wool alternatives, Twool’s netting also contributes to research into sustainable options for ocean netting and riverbank restoration. It’s a 2024 finalist. 

Dalefoot Composts: Taking a different approach, Dalefoot Composts champions wool’s natural abilities as a peat-free compost. 

Dalefoot Composts is based in the Lake District, Cumbria. Their compost combines traditional bracken-based recipes with renewable wool resources from their own flocks of Whitefaced Woodland and Cheviot sheep. 

Wool’s high levels of nitrogen act as a slow-release fertiliser which maintains good water retention. Dalefoot’s composts are adapted for seeds, tomatoes, vegetables and potted plants. A number of this year’s gardens will boast their compost.

Gardening is an activity which nurtures nature. It’s all about natural cycles, embracing seasonal produce and caring for our planet’s horticulture.

Just like gardening, wool is cyclical. Shearing is a process that needs to be done.

Unlike plastic or peat-heavy products, wool alternatives are sustainable and eco-friendly.

Making environmentally conscious choices in your garden will support British farmers, reduce wool wastage and protect our planet in the long term.

Start your journey with wool. Why not make your first foray into sustainable living wool bedding? (Then use it in your garden!)