Pre-wet your peat moss. Before using peat moss, you will need to wet it thoroughly. Scoop out as much as you will need into a large bucket or wheelbarrow. Add water and stir, then let it soak for a few minutes. Add more water and stir as needed until it is completely soaked. It should be wet enough that when you squeeze a handful, a drop or two of water comes out. However, it should not be so wet that you can squeeze out a whole stream of water!
You must wet it for it to work like you want in your soil! How to Use Peat Moss in the Garden Apply peat moss in a 2—3 inch layer in your garden, and incorporate it into the top 12" of soil. Sphaghum does not contain sufficient nutrients of its own so you will need to fertilize your starts regularly with a liquid, such as with Liquid Fish.
Sphagnum peat bogs are fragile ecosystems that are slow to regenerate after being harvested. It takes one thousand years for them to grow a yard in depth. Even though harvest is carefully regulated, peat moss is not considered a renewable resource or a sustainable product. There are numerous garden situations where it is the best choice: for blueberries and other acid lovers, for the specialized propagation method of air layering, and for mushroom production.
But when it comes to growing everyday vegetables, seed starting, and improving the organic matter and water holding capacity in your soil, there are more environmentally friendly choices. Rice Hulls or Coco Peat can meet these same goals using repurposed plant-derived waste products. Compost and worm castings are just as good of a source of organic matter. Use sphagnum peat moss for your specialized gardening needs, and grow organic for life!
Nancy July 21, Suzanne July 06, Logan April 30, Commercial harvesters use large vacuums to harvest up to acres of peat per day during the harvest season. The commercially more desirable material which is newer and less decomposed is found toward the surface and is marketed differently than the lower layers.
The scraping or harvesting process conducted to glean this product is under scrutiny, as the peat bogs provide a habitat for a variety of creatures, including certain species of plants and frogs that are unique to peat bogs and mires. In order to access peat, there is a considerable disruption to these living things, and the removal of peat acres also decreases overall production of necessary gasses and nutrients.
Manufacturers have found themselves defending the practice of mining and selling these products to consumers. They claim that they are using responsible practices to ensure that what they take is growing back at a healthy rate.
While Canada has done a good job of tracking overall reserves, other nations continue to harvest the material without any standard enforcement of sound ecological practices. This has caused other regions to respond by issuing bans on certain uses of this soil amendment. Ireland, which has stopped peat mining for good in certain regions, is leading the charge for change.
Scotland is returning acres of peatland to their natural state after misguided timber companies seeded trees on ancient bogs decades ago. Scientists there found that peatlands are an important part of our ecosystem for their ability to absorb and retain carbon dioxide. Government groups around the world continue to work with ecological experts, colleges, and industry leaders to adjust standards as needed to keep depletion at a minimum.
Many of us consider peat a gardening necessity, even if it has only been popular in the last 20 years. That means generations before us found other means of amending their soil. One effective method of amending soil for density and drainage control is by adding a suitable compost. But if we do have the time and foresight required, this is an excellent way to avoid the peat conflict altogether.
You can certainly use what you have on hand, but compost made from crushed eggshells , shredded corn cobs, used coffee grounds , and fruit and veggie scraps is the easiest to work with. For additional tips on making fantastic compost, see our beginners guide here. A special compost blend made from alternating layers of manure — from herbivores only — and straw is also recommended.
As the manure breaks down the fibers in the straw, a lighter and airier compost forms that is comparable to peat moss in its density. In addition to fully decomposed compost, you might have success aerating the soil directly with other natural materials.
Wood from a chipper may be produced finely enough to have a similar benefit. Dried lawn clippings may work well too, as long as they have not been chemically treated in any way. If better drainage is all you are after, a fine layer of sand could do the trick. This can be especially effective when growing certain vine fruits and veggies. Perlite is another little-known tool that has made gardening a dream for me, and has rescued me from many tricky situations.
This product is a puffed-up volcanic rock material that resembles tiny foam balls, and it is available by the bag online and from garden supply stores. Small cavities on the surface of each particle of perlite help to retain water, and keep nutrients near root systems.
It also promotes drainage by keeping the soil airy, as each particle is comprised of tiny air passages. Hoffman Horticultural Perlite. For example, you can find an quart supply of perlite from Hoffman, via Amazon. Espoma Organic Perlite. If you need a smaller quantity, try this 8-quart bag from Espoma, available from Amazon. We use perlite for seed starting, improving raised beds , and lightening the bottoms of large planters that need good drainage.
And it really works miracles in my garden without affecting the pH of the soil. One final option is vermiculite, which is often used interchangeably with perlite in conversation — but they are not in fact the same. Perlite, as described above, is made from super-heated volcanic glass, and it resembles foam or popcorn. Vermiculite, which is soft and spongy, is made from super-heated aluminum iron magnesium silicates that resemble mica in appearance.
Because it expands so much during its heating process, it has the ability to absorb times its volume in water. It also does an excellent job of retaining minerals needed for plants to grow, making it one of the better soil additives for root growth and health.
Vermiculite is produced by several companies, and is usually offered in four particulate sizes. The tiniest is most commonly used for starting seeds. It is very close to neutral in pH, but can be slightly alkaline, depending on where and under what conditions it was mined. Another issue with soil pH is that with too many amendments added to change pH level, the soil can suffer.
When it comes to growing, natural soil is ideal. As explained, the process of decomposing the peat moss take even thousands of years. Even though peat moss is not the most expensive growing material, it is also not cheap.
Especially if you use peat moss in bulk and price is an issue, a better alternative is compost. Now that you have learned about the benefits and downsides of Peat Moss, you may have had some vague ideas about what peat moss is used for. Despite coming with lots of nice characteristics for planting plants, peat moss is not commonly used as a standalone product, and in fact, it is not a good growing medium to grow alone.
It is often mixed with other ingredients in one-third to two-thirds of the total amounts to improve the mixture quality. For clay and heavy soils that get compact easily, it softens the soil structure and improves the drainage.
For sandy soil, peat moss helps retain moisture and nutrients for plant roots. If you intend to use peat moss as a soil amendment, you should know that it changes the pH level of the soil. Keep that in mind and, measure and watch out if the pH level drifts too much. Peat moss is also a good growing medium for the soilless culture. However, people do not use it alone, but often in conjunction with other growing media like perlite , vermiculite. If you wish to use peat moss for pure hydroponic growing, you should know some facts about why it is not appropriate.
Because peat moss is an organic matter, if provided with plenty of oxygen and nitrogen, it will start to decompose. When that happens, the material can compress around plant roots and will choke off your plants.
So better to mix with other materials. Peat moss is often blended with growing media such as perlite, vermiculite to balance the moisture and aeration. One of the most useful roles of peat moss is in seed starting because this material is very sterile. Its antiseptic qualities naturally prevent bacteria and fungi from the seeds. It also gives excellent drainage, good aeration, fine texture, and low fertile, making it very ideal for germination.
For this purpose, you can use the peat moss alone or in mixture with some soils. Or remove the hassle by getting the peat pellets sold on the market. Many people also prefer the soilless mix of peat moss, perlite, coconut coir, vermiculite and others in different amounts.
This prevents the diseases, fungus, bacteria, weed seeds, and other bad things commonly found in the soils,. Because of its low pH, peat moss is very suitable for vegetables and fruits that require an acidic environment.
These include blueberries, pieris, heathers, azaleas, camellias, tomatoes, and so on. For a material that can not be renewed in several years, but takes millennials to do that, peat moss is not an environmental-aware growing medium to use.
Another concern is that harvesting peat moss is considered not a sustainable practice and must be regulated and done with careful analysis.
As peatland stores a great percentage of carbon. Many environmental groups are beware of peat moss mining. The International Peat Society indicates that the harvesting process emits a large amount of carbon into the atmosphere.
And the emission continues even after the mining. This means ecosystem can be affected. And when global warming topics are getting hotter, people are more beware of the material. In fact, there are debates between peat manufacturer and conservationist about the long-term effects of peat moss. People are also looking for a substitute for peat moss, and mostly it boils down to the cost, grower preference, and environmental awareness. And the alternatives to peat moss mostly share some great qualities with peat moss but is often blended with one another to get its best traits.
Compost is made from the decayed organic materials like rotted plants, leaves, vegetable scraps and animal manures. It has a lot of commonalities with peat moss like excellent water holding capacity, and great material for soil amendment.
Compost also consists of decomposed organic material, but it decomposed in the presence of the air.
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