PeatFix: Innovation in peatland surface stabilisation

Innovative solution

The PeatFix approach was developed to address this limiting factor directly. Rather than treating peat restoration as a simple seeding or mulching exercise, TerrAffix designed a flexible, fully biodegradable surface stabilisation system that could bind and protect the peat temporarily while creating conditions for vegetation recovery. The treatment used natural biodegradable fibres, plant-based glues, (sugars) organic transition media and selected seed to form a temporary erosion-control layer that could flex with the peat surface rather than cracking or failing under movement.

The innovation lies in combining immediate physical stabilisation with ecological establishment. Long-stranded fibre mulches provided surface protection and longevity; biodegradable binders helped hold seed, fibre and organic materials in place and bracken compost and other organic media acted as a transitional layer between bare hydrophobic peat and the developing plant community. This created a more favourable interface for moisture retention, seed germination and early root development.

Delivery approach

TerrAffix applied the treatment using both wet and dry delivery methods, allowing the system to be adapted to the constraints of remote peatland work. Wet applications were delivered as a slurry using hydroseeding equipment mounted on a low-pressure tracked dumper, enabling access across soft and unstable ground. Dry applications were also trialled, using the peat’s inherent moisture to activate the bonding effect. This reduced reliance on large volumes of imported water and provided a route for future refinement on difficult or remote sites.

Seed selection was based on site ecology and resilience to local conditions. Species such as Deschampsia flexuosa (wavy hair grass) and sheep’s fescue were selected where suitable to provide early rooting and compatibility with upland acid grassland and peatland edge conditions. The treatment could be varied according to the degree of erosion, exposure, access constraint and restoration objective, with binder, biotic soil and mulch used either separately or in combination.

Microbiome and biotic recovery

A key principle of the approach is that peatland restoration should recover a functioning living surface, not only a visually growing surface cover. Bare, hydrophobic and eroding peat can be physically unstable and biologically depleted, limiting microbial activity, fungal development, nutrient cycling and root establishment. By introducing organic transition media, composted plant material, biodegradable fibres and biotic soil components, the PeatFix system supports the early-stage recovery of the biological interface between peat, seed and root.

TerrAffix’s wider restoration work also includes microbiome sampling and the development of site-derived inoculation approaches where appropriate. These methods can help retain or reintroduce locally adapted biological communities and provide evidence on how soil and peat biology respond to restoration treatments. For tender delivery, microbiome-informed restoration would be applied proportionately and in line with site consents, ecological objectives and monitoring requirements. It would inform material selection, inoculation strategy and longer-term assessment of recovery, rather than being treated as an untested add-on.

Monitoring and outcomes

Manchester University monitored a series of plots, with reporting through to 2024. The monitoring indicated that the TerrAffix treatment reduced erosion, stabilised the peat surface and supported vegetation establishment within hydrophobic peat. The strongest results were associated with heavier and longer-lasting mulch treatments, particularly those using long-stranded fibres. Bracken compost was identified as an important transitional material between the peat and newly establishing vegetation mineral areas, and Deschampsia flexuosa performed particularly well within the trial.

The trial also showed the importance of applying treatments at a meaningful scale. Larger contiguous treated areas performed better than isolated small patches, as they reduced exposed edges and provided greater surface continuity. This learning is directly relevant to design-and-build peatland restoration, where treatment layout, material longevity and the interaction between erosion control and establishment must be considered together.

The approach is particularly relevant where exposed or fire-affected peat requires rapid stabilisation before vegetation can establish, or where conventional brash spreading, plug planting or seeding alone may not provide sufficient protection. It also demonstrates how TerrAffix can integrate erosion control, seed establishment, low-ground-pressure access, biodegradable materials and biological recovery into a single restoration methodology.