Peat moss is a utile garden soil amendment or ingredient in potting dirt . Gardeners use peat moss to increase stain moisture retention , aerate the grease , retain food , and foreclose soil compression . Peat moss is also used to develop seed , ameliorate dirt grain , and create various types of potting mixes .
How can you use this brown , fibrous material in your garden ? What are the many reward of adding peat moss to garden filth to rise beautiful plants and tasty veggie ? Are there any disadvantages to improve soil with peat moss ?
This article is a definitive usher to using peat moss in garden soil .
What is Peat Moss?
Peat moss
Peat moss is decompose plant matter — mainly moss or sphagnum moss — that form in peat bogs . The constitutive matter gradually breaks down in the ground . Once it ’s fully decomposed , it create a type of soil call peat . Peat moss looks like a dark brown , stringy stuff with a friable texture .
What is Peat Moss Made of?
Sphagnum moss
Most peat moss for employment in garden dirt comes from sphagnum moss . Often call up bog moss peat moss , the flora breaks down over thousand of long time when it ’s submerged in body of water . To make peat moss , the bog is dried out , and the peat moss is take out from the ground .
The mental process of “ making ” peat moss continues by dry out the harvested peat , screen it and then compressing for sales agreement in local garden memory board .
Peat harvesting
Most of the peat moss used for grease amendments comes from Canada . Although many consider peat moss as a non - renewable product , the peat is harvested using sustainable method acting to conserve the peat bog . Some research worker say that , after harvesting , a peat moss peat bog can bring back to a balanced eco - organization within five to twenty years .
Uses of Peat Moss
Peat moss is used to remedy garden soil to meliorate its grain , prevent moisture loss , and lighten clay soils . to boot , peat moss is used for starting seeded player because it ’s sterile and retains piddle and nutrients . Peat moss is also used in creatingpotting mixes for various types of houseplants .
Here is more information about how to use peat moss .
Peat moss is useful as a soil amendment
The most coarse function for peat moss peat moss is to amend garden soil . By tot peat moss to heavy clay soil , you’re able to improve drainage and ground grain . fuse peat moss in sandy soil help to amend moisture retention and prevent nutrients from leach out .
Sandy stain in the garden can make it take exception to develop various shrubs , pubic hair , and flowering plants . Water tends to run out quickly from flaxen soil , taking aside essential nutrient with it . Working in peat moss to sandy soil prevents loamy garden dirt from being too unfertile .
Clay soil becomes easily compact . intemperately , jammed earth makes it unmanageable for roots to turn and take in nutrients . Also , it can be difficult for water to penetrate compacted Lucius DuBignon Clay soil . Working in peat moss to stiff soil helps to preclude land compaction and allows for upright drain .
Use peat moss for starting seeds
Peat moss can be used alone or mingle with other component as a growing medium for germinating seeds . Peat moss creates charged land , take into account seeds to sprout quickly and take antecedent . you could make your own seed starting mix by combining peat moss andperliteorvermiculite . Or , you may corrupt a commercial-grade ejaculate start mix that hold back peat moss .
Use peat moss to make garden soil more acidic
Peat moss can increase the grime ’s acidulousness levels . If the soil has a high pH story , you may make it more acid by adding peat moss which has a pH level of 4.4 . Some plant , such as rhododendrons , hydrangeas , and camellia farm better in acidulous dirt . Because peat moss does n’t break down in the soil , one app will last for a few old age .
If you desire the benefits of peat moss without increasing grunge sourness , then you should better garden land with calcium hydroxide to balance the pH levels .
Use peat moss for houseplant potting mix
Peat moss is a stock summation forDIY homemade potting mix recipes . Typical houseplant soil can be too dense for potted plants . Adding equal parts of peat moss , pot soil , and perlite helps create the idealistic growing surroundings for many houseplant .
Using peat moss and perlite to amend pot soil control that water system drain faster . Light organic matter such as peat moss retain just enough wet to keep roots hydrated without becoming excessively soggy or wet .
To use peat moss as a potting soil amendment , make trusted it only have up one - third to two - thirds of the potting mix volume .
How to Use Peat Moss in the Garden
bring peat moss to the soil in the garden is a critical grunge amendment . presuppose your territory is too alkaline , heavily compress , or too loamy to retain water , peat moss is the “ go - to ” ingredient if you take to ameliorate soil piddle and nutrient memory , increase soil acidulousness , and loosen bundle soil .
Here is how to use peat moss to amend garden soil :
To make grease more acidic : To use peat moss to increase grunge acidity , spread out a level of peat moss about 2 ” to 3 ” ( 5 – 7.5 atomic number 96 ) blockheaded over the planting sphere . Using a shovel , work in the peat moss into the soil up to about 1 ft . ( 30 cm ) recondite . Thoroughly irrigate the land before adding plant .
To remedy garden land : To employ peat moss to improve the texture of clay or sandy soil , spread a fatheaded layer of sphagnum peat moss where you specify to implant flowers or shrub . To avoid bring down the soil pH horizontal surface , sprinkle limestone on the peat moss . Work in the peat and limestone to a depth of 1 foot . ( 30 cm ) .
Advantages of Peat Moss
Gardeners use peat moss because it avail repair various types of soil . Because peat moss is relatively light , it is easy to work with , and peat moss is pronto available in most garden eye or online stores .
Here are the advantages of using peat moss in dirt :
Peat moss helps retain moisture in the soil
The water keeping mental ability of peat moss is the most common ground it ’s popular in horticulture . Amending sandy or rough soil with peat moss allows plant solution to get enough wet to grow well . The sphagnum peat releases moisture gradually , which is ideal for garden soil and a houseplant potting mix .
Peat moss helps retain nutrients in the soil
Peat moss helps to forestall nutrient from leaching out of the grease after heavy rain . Although peat moss does n’t contain many nutrients , its water retention properties carry nutrients in the ground . This increase an essential ontogeny factor in fertile soil called “ cation exchange capacity ” ( CEC ) .
Peat moss doesn’t contain weed seeds or harmful bacteria
Another vantage of peat moss is that it does n’t contain harmful microorganisms or weed seeds . This makes peat moss apotheosis for grow plant from seeds , where they are susceptible to bacterium or weeds in the grow surroundings . you could also use peat moss to amend garden grease without interpolate the dirt ’s nutritive visibility and without introducing weed seed .
Peat moss doesn’t compact or break down in the soil
A full of life benefit of peat moss is that it preclude soil from becoming constrict . Regular garden soil — peculiarly clay soil — compacts over metre . This type of dense land prevent water supply and air from getting to plant root word . Working in peat moss and other ground amendments resolve compaction issues and results in salubrious plant life .
Disadvantages of Peat Moss
Although peat moss has many employment as an excellent ground amendment , there are some disadvantage to it . In fact , some may say that some of the advantages of peat moss are also its disadvantage .
For example , peat moss miss many nutrients . While it ’s an excellent element for amending soil , you will demand to add compost or manure to “ feed ” the soil for healthy plant growth . Also , the low pH levels of peat moss can touch grease acidity floor , making it too acidic for some works .
Then , there is also the cost . Peat moss is loosely more expensive than compost , specially if you make your own garden compost .
Peat Moss vs. Sphagnum Moss
There can be confusion about the conflict between peat moss and sphagnum moss . Sometimes you will see peat moss labeled assphagnum peat moss .
Sphagnum moss is the live flora , however peat moss or sphagnum peat moss is the decayed constituent plant matter at the bottom of the bog or wetland . Another conflict is that sphagnum moss has neutral pH , unlike peat moss which is acidic .
bog moss moss and peat moss add up from the same works — just thousands of eld apart . There are around 380 coinage of sphagnum moss that grow in clumps in wetlands or bogs .
As the sphagnum moss plants die and decline , they steady down at the bottom of the peat bog . Over many years , peat moss develops in natural bogs and wetlands where sphagnum moss grow .
Peat Moss vs. Coconut Coir
Coconut coir and peat moss are both effective soil amendment . Coconut coir is a sinewy organic matter that also reserve moisture , brighten the land , and improves grunge structure . Coconut coir is more sustainable than peat moss , however peat moss has better water keeping properties than coconut coir . Both Coconut coir and peat moss contain very few nutrient .
The discussion on which is best — peat moss or coconut coir — is to do with their rootage .
Coconut coir is the stringy fibre that makes upcoconut husks . This is a spin-off of the coconut industry and is ceaselessly useable . Coconut fiber has many usance , one of which is as a territory amendment .
Here are some comparisons of peat moss and coconut coir .
Sustainability — Coconut coir is viewed as more sustainable than peat moss . Although peat moss continues to renew , it can take up a foresighted time to be uncommitted . On the other hired hand , onecoconut palm treecan produce up to 75 coconuts a year .
pH levels — Coconut fiber has a pH mountain range of 5.2 – 6.8 . So , using coconut meat coir as an amendment does n’t make the grime so acidulent . However , if you require acidic soil , peat moss is better .
urine assimilation — Both bog moss peat moss and coconut coir have excellent water retentiveness properties . However , peat moss is good in retaining water .
Cost — Cost is similar for both product .
Peat Moss vs. Compost
Compost
Compost is n’t the same as peat moss . Although both ingredients contain rotten organic thing , there are substantial remainder .
Compost is made much quicker than peat moss and can be made from everyday waste material . Compost hold food while peat moss scarcely contains any nutrients . Unlike compost , peat moss does n’t decompose in the dirt . Unlike peat moss , compost may contain weed seed . Unlike peat moss , compost is pH neutral and contains microorganisms .
Peat Moss vs. Mulch
Mulch can be organic , such as Ellen Price Wood chips ( left ) or inorganic such as the vast majority of rocks ( right )
You should n’t habituate peat moss as mulch . Mulch is organic or inorganic material — Grant Wood poker chip , compost , pebbles — to help oneself lock in moisture to the background , isolate plant roots and keep weeds at bay . However , peat moss tends to engross moisture from the soil , and its easy grain means it can well spoil away .
Peat Moss vs. Perlite
Perlite
Perlite is a volcanic mineralthat is used in plus to peat moss as a stain amendment and has a electroneutral pH grade . Perlite better soil drain in gardens and potting soil . Perlite is also extremely holey and holds small amounts of water system . amend soil with peat moss help keep the soil moist and bring out moisture when the works needs it .
The ideal ratio of peat moss to perlite look on the type of potting mix you want to achieve . For example , forsucculentsorcactithat need well - drain soil you could integrate 1/3 peat moss , bark chips or compost ( organic subject ) with 2/3 of guts , perlite , pumice or other inorganic matter . However for an all - purpose potting soil recipe you could increase the amount of peat moss and organic topic .
Does Peat Moss Break Down?
Peat moss does n’t break down in the soil . After all , it ’s already guide many years to break down , so it wo n’t intermit down much more . So , amending garden soil with peat moss is usually effective for many years . This intend that , although peat moss is more expensive than other ground amendment , it can act upon out cheaper in the long run .
Peat Moss Alternatives
Peat moss is a useful grease amendment that has been used in garden for many days . When mixed in with garden soil , peat moss provide aeration , improves soil social organization , and avail prevent nutrient runoff .
Even though there are colossal peat moss reserves , some people are interested about the environmental impingement of harvesting peat . In fact , some country have banned peat moss harvest home due to concerns about its sustainability .
Here are some of the best alternatives to using peat moss :
Coconut coir — One of the dear peat moss alternatives is coconut fibers . The fibrous stalk of coconut are waste product products from processing coco palm . This sustainable nub is so like to peat moss that it ’s also called Cocos nucifera peat .
Compost — Compost is also a suitable dirt amendment to improve drainage and enhance the soil ’s nutrient profile . make compost is easy at home , and it is cheap to bribe . The disadvantage of compost is that — unlike peat moss — it break dance down and requires replenishing every class .
Natalie Wood material — you’re able to also meliorate drainage and oxygenise the soil by go in wood chips , compost bark , or sawdust . However , wood products make the soil acidulent , may be do by with chemical substance , or be from non - sustainable seed .
Where to Buy Peat Moss
you could buy peat moss in garden centers , DIY computer memory , and online . For object lesson , peat moss is for sale in mass on Amazon , such asthis one , where you’re able to choose from many types of peat moss and various sizes .
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