As far as growing mediums go, peat moss (aka sphagnum moss) is expensive and extremely harmful to the environment. And finally, the harvested peats will be transported to a processing firm for cleaning, drying and screening into different labels and packaging. The process of decomposition takes place very slowly in the oxygenless layer. You will need to add some pH-high materials like lime to create a neutral or alkaline environment. One day, the producers show up. And it is a definitely another excellent alternative for peat moss for over 20 years. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. So if you grow in large quantity, and the price is an issue, you can use compost. Another concern is that harvesting peat moss is considered not a sustainable practice and must be regulated and done with careful analysis. Ecologically minded gardeners and horticulturists alike are keen to find effective, organic alternatives to peat moss. Peat is a brown material with a soil-like composition that is generally found growing in acidic and boggy soils. by Grow Organic Peat moss is an excellent soil amendment for your acid-loving plants. 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. Many environmental groups are beware of peat moss mining. Another good organic alternative, bark or pine sawdust can be tilled into the … By introducing peat moss to any compact material, the compaction problem is solved and makes the growing mix drain better. Difference Between Peat & Peat Moss Peat. People are also looking for a substitute for peat moss, and mostly it boils down to the cost, grower preference, and environmental awareness. Peat moss is organic matter that contains decomposed plants--often sphagnum moss. Because peat moss is an organic matter, if provided with plenty of oxygen and nitrogen, it will start to decompose. Peat is the product created from organic matters that submerged into the bogs. That’s the purpose of the post. Or remove the hassle by getting the peat pellets sold on the market. Make sure it is organic and not treated with fertilizers. A natural organic soil enhancer Helps soil maintain moisture and creates better growing conditions Allows plants … Meanwhile, for peat moss to form the air needs to be absent. Or it’s a good idea to mix it with soils and some other soilless media. Meanwhile, sphagnum moss … It helps prevent the leaching of valuable nutrients and promotes root development. Uses. A natural, organic soil conditioner! Email The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Peat moss has been used as a soil amendment for so long because it has a lot to offer. Today, peat moss is fairly popular used as soil amendment, soilless mix, seed starting, mushroom casting, etc. Peat moss smells like organic matter, but is no more pungent than a compost bin with the lid removed. Doesn’t have a uniform composition, depending on the source. Premier Peat Moss is a natural and organic soil conditioner that enriches all types of soils Improves aeration and texture High water-holding capacity, therefore reduces need for frequent watering Holds … Fafard ® Ultra Potting Mix with Extended Feed. These include blueberries, pieris, heathers, azaleas, camellias, tomatoes, and so on. Fourth, harrow the top layer to speed up the drying process of the peats. A better idea to mix with other materials to get the best-mixed traits. And it must be mined in sustainable and conservable ways. Second, remove the surface vegetation to get the peat exposed. As explained, the process of decomposing the peat moss take even thousands of years. … Product Overview SunShine 3 cu. Fill a flat or other clean container with Peat Moss, or a blend of 80% Peat and 20% Perlite or Vermiculite, and wet the mix. It also doesn’t contain any helpful microbes. Peat mosses are commonly found in bogs and wetlands of the northern hemisphere of the earth. There are approximately 12,000 species of moss, but it’s only the 380 species of sphagnum moss that create … Like peat, peat moss grows in boggy locations and contains decaying vegetable matter. And the emission continues even after the mining. HIGH QUALITY MIXES, PEAT MOSS AND AMENDMENTS FOR GROWERS AND GARDENERS. Alternatively, if you need guidance or advice on using our high-quality coco peat briquettes, call us on 0207 1756786 for a chat with our friendly, knowledgeable team. 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. – You should not use it alone. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. However, people do not use it alone, but often in conjunction with other growing media like perlite, vermiculite. It also gives excellent drainage, good aeration, fine texture, and low fertile, making it very ideal for germination. After decomposition, sphagnum moss and other organic … It can also … Its typical pH level is 6.0, which puts it within the ideal growing range of 5.5 to 7. We may earn a commission for purchases using our links. It was only till the 1940s that peat has a place in horticulture. One of the best features of peat moss is its sterility. Bark or pine sawdust. Peat is the product created from organic matters that submerged into the bogs. Peat Moss. A natural waste product of the coconut-growing industry, coco coir is also an excellent gardening material with superb water-retaining capability. It is often mixed with other ingredients in one-third to two-thirds of the total amounts to improve the mixture quality. Unlike other organic materials such as manure compost, peat moss is very poor in nutrients. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. Compost is made from the decayed organic materials like rotted plants, leaves, vegetable scraps and animal manures. Though strictly acid-hungry plants love peat moss with its low pH level, that does not mean others will do. Most of peat moss low in pH from 3.5 to 6 on average depending on the source of the peat moss is mined. Compost also consists of decomposed organic material, but it decomposed in the presence of the air. Lambert Peat Moss takes great pride in evaluating its various peat bogs and identifying the best quality of peat that are required by each market segment, horticulture, agriculture, environnement and leisure. Even though peat moss is not the most expensive growing material, it is also not cheap. 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. Contains a unique cell structure that helps regulate moisture and air … 5 lb Soil with Worm Castings Better Peat Moss Potting Mix organic soil amendment. Mined in a sustainable and controllable manner. Especially if you use peat moss in bulk and price is an issue, a better alternative is compost. Even though peat moss can hold water well up to 10 times of its weight and is a great supplement to the soil. It can be used to replace peat moss but better to use with other matters than using alone. Peat moss … Fine, clean peat moss - ideal for blending with perlite and mycorrhizae for propagating, potting and growing perfect African Violets. The dark brown, compact matter that recognizes as peat moss is a far cry from the organic material’s origins. You will love this characteristic the most if you know that lots of growing materials, especially organic ones are not really clean. 4 lb Soil mix with Worm Castings Peat Moss Potting Mix organic soil amendment . One of the best uses for peat moss is to create a humid retreat for your snake. Sphagnum Moss. So it’s really considered as non-renewable and not eco-friendly. Even though peat moss absorbs water well, it does not compact, unlike soil. And of course, there are some differences between these two. Peat was dried and was used as a source of fuel in some countries for centuries. Peat moss can also be used as a substrate in the aquarium. Peat moss has an acidic base, usually around 3.5 to 4 pH. Premier 1 cu. They process it, get it dried, package it in a bag, and sell it to the gardening stores. So that means you can use peat moss as an amendment to the soil and other materials, but you cannot use it alone and expect the plants will grow strongly and properly. Sphagnum moss grows most commonly in bogs, which are essentially deep, wet marshes. No doubt, peat moss is a great material for gardening with all of its benefits and good uses as mentioned above. As time goes by, the old parts sink into the lower layer. Coconut is often manufactured in India, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Vietnam because it is abundant in these places. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. I’ll get into all of these. Fafard ® Ultra Container Mix with Extended Feed. What is Vermiculite? And be ready to monitor the pH level of the growing environment to ensure it does not drift too much. Some plants like the high acidity levels of peat moss, but otherwise, limestone must be added to raise the pH level. So if you are environmentally aware, you may want to reduce your use of peat moss to just seed starting, pot, container, and soilless mixes instead of soil amendment, and lawn work in large quantities. For sandy soil, peat moss helps retain moisture and nutrients for plant roots. Lots of growers, even those who use it much often, don’t know thoroughly what Peat Moss is, how it originates, how to properly use this material in the garden, and understand what this medium means to the earth. Do reach out today. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Our peats are evalueted by the color and particle size of the peat. About 3% of the earth’s surface is contained with peat bogs that have been developed over a period of thousands of years. Peat moss is partially decomposed sphagnum moss plants, which are harvested from peat bogs. When it comes to growing, natural soil is ideal. – Peat moss is pH low, so suitable for most acid-loving or acid-tolerable plants. Fafard ® Ultra Outdoor Planting Mix. And here are some keys that coco coirwins over peat moss. This makes a great place for seed starting and as the mixes with other growing materials. But Russia has the largest amounts of peatland around the world. With peat moss, you’ll find it easy to work with. Or you can completely replace it with other alternatives like compost, coco coir, pine bark, and other organic matters. Make a hole with a pencil, gently insert the cutting and pat the soil to close the hole. Fifth, after some days, people suck up the dry peat layer, often with a large vacuum harvester. Almost all of the peat moss sold in the US come from the vast sphagnum moss area in Canada. It is often applied with the ratio 2:1. Coco coir can also be easily recycled for use in a new gardening project, reducing the need to dispose of the product and create an environmental hazard. These cookies do not store any personal information. Below, we take a look at some of the choices available to mix with your soil which will help you avoid the use of unsustainable growing materials in the garden. 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. If you would like to discover more, please head over to our website. One of the biggest oppositions about peat is that it’s not really renewable. The process is as follows. What organic alternatives to peat moss are... Coco coir can also be easily recycled for use in a new gardening project, to reduce the widespread use of peat moss in gardening, How to Prepare Coco Coir: Garden Use vs Indoor Plants. ', Coco & Coir © All Rights Reserved. In fact, there are debates between peat manufacturer and conservationist about the long-term effects of peat moss. Another issue with soil pH is that with too many amendments added to change pH level, the soil can suffer. You might have seen that dark brown fibrous material called “Peat Moss” in your father’s garden or any nursery and garden stores. 💧 HIGH ABSORBENCY — Organic Peat Moss Retains High Percentage of Water and Nutrients The moss grows on top of the bog, and peat is produced underneath. For clay and heavy soils that get compact easily, it softens the soil structure and improves the drainage. One of the most useful roles of peat moss is in seed starting because this material is very sterile. Contact us today for all your coco & coir needs. For this purpose, you can use the peat moss alone or in mixture with some soils. Black Gold Peat Moss is an excellent all-purpose potting mix ingredient and soil amendment. Cheap. And hence the name peat moss. Peat moss loosens compacted soil and improves water retention, aeration and drainage. Peat moss is often blended with growing media such as perlite, vermiculite to balance the moisture and aeration. Keep that in mind and, measure and watch out if the pH level drifts too much. Peat moss is a unique organic material that provides gardeners with several benefits, including absorbency, compaction prevention, a sterile planting medium, and its acidic ph.​ The most important benefit of peat moss … The creation of peat moss causes lasting damage to the environment, whereas every one of our products is created using only sustainable farming and crafting methods. Put it in a bag and soak it in water for 3-4 days to remove the brown color and to balance … For example, any peat harvested in Canada is carefully analyzed first whether it has any long-term effect on the environment. As peatland stores a great percentage of carbon. Another good organic alternative, bark or pine sawdust can be tilled into the soil to a depth of around 24 inches. It thrives in cold and wet weather. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. The content of this field is kept private and will not be shown publicly. Again coco coir shared some great traits with peat moss, including good water retainment, high porosity. great! If you intend to use peat moss as a soil amendment, you should know that it changes the pH level of the soil. Adding peat moss … There are many other options, which can be listed such as pine bark, PittMoss, Rice hulls, and so on. Adding peat moss to the existing topsoil in a growing area will amend the soil and make it a higher quality soil. The International Peat Society indicates that the harvesting process emits a large amount of carbon into the atmosphere. So better to mix with other materials. And if you happen to drop some wet mosses, just pick it up, get it dried, or sweep it up. This is followed by lots of countries, including Finland,Sweden, etc. Certified organic by OMRI. By clicking “Accept”, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. At Coco & Coir, we are on a mission to reduce the widespread use of peat moss in gardening across the UK. And when global warming topics are getting hotter, people are more beware of the material. If you wish to use peat moss for pure hydroponic growing, you should know some facts about why it is not appropriate. OUR BEST SELLERS. Peat moss is the decomposed remains of sphagnum moss and other living things that form a dead and fibrous material over the course millennia in peat bogs around the world. Our doors are always open for enquiries and correspondence, because we recognize the importance of mutually beneficial relationships, and customer feedback. Peat moss can often … Many countries have strict rules when it comes to mining peat moss. But I’ll explore into greater details. It is used to lower pH and hold additional moisture in your soil. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. They drain the bog, dig the peat moss layers. It is handy to find peat moss in most of the garden stores or nurseries in the US. The natural soil amendment comes in a compressed-volume bag that expands when opened. The decomposition process happens without the presence of air, which slows the development rate. First, dig a network of ditches along the peatland to drain the water. Peat Moss. Peat moss does have special characteristics that make it a better choice when used in small amounts as part of seed starting mixtures. Peat moss is the dark brown fibrous product of sphagnum moss and other organic materials that decompose in peat bogs over thousands of years. Peat moss is acidic, so adding peat moss will help to increase the acidic level of topsoil. Cool climates are usually best for sphagnum and peat. Peat (/ p iː t /), sometimes known as turf (/ t ɜːr f /), is an accumulation of partially decayed vegetation or organic matter.It is unique to natural areas called peatlands, bogs, mires, moors, or muskegs. … Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. In order to be most effective, compost needs to be at least one or two months into its development and should be tilled down to around one to two feet in depth. But it is patient, and over a long period of millennials, a thick layer of dead homogeneous material named peat moss is formed. – Peat moss is excellent for soil amendment. Your email address will not be published. It is very suitable for acid-craving plants such as strawberries, blueberries. Free shipping . Fertilome Organic Peat Moss is known for its slow decomposition process, which creates a highly absorbent material. Many people also prefer the soilless mix of peat moss, perlite, coconut coir, vermiculite and others in different amounts. Your email address will not be published. Peat moss can absorb and retain water very well. Fafard ® Natural & Organic … Required fields are marked *, 'Great Product and no unnecessary packing! 2 parts of soil per 1 part of peat moss. But asking that question, you can base your answer on these points to make the best of the material as well as deciding whether to use it or not. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. Trees.com is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Can be free if can create your own. – It is great for seed starting. Organic peat moss can be used to create humidity shelters for aiding in healthy shedding for gecko and lizard species. Despite being cheaper than sphagnum peat moss, high-quality coco peat is a better growing medium. It has a lot of commonalities with peat moss like excellent water holding capacity, and great material for soil amendment. Canada is the area containing the second-biggest amounts of peat moss in the world with 25% of the world moss. Peat can be formed from different materials, but a large percentage of the peat harvested is composed of sphagnum moss. Canada … What Is Humus? This makes the material perfect for seedlings, which are quite vulnerable to the surrounding environment. Peat can be formed from different materials, but a large percentage of the peat harvested is composed of sphagnum moss. This material is a lot coarser and has larger spaces between their particles, so it is better aerated. $18.95. Because, like any fossil fuels, it is rich in carbon. Perhaps the most versatile of all the organic growing mediums available is coco coir, also known as coco or coco peat. Peat moss consists of decomposed organic materials, typically decomposed sphagnum moss coupled with other organic materials. And finally, peat moss is not renewable. ft. Peat Moss is a natural, organic soil conditioner and is excellent for growing plants, flowers and vegetables. Is often blended with growing media like perlite, vermiculite into the atmosphere growing! Really decompose because peat moss content of this field is kept private and will choke off your plants like. Harvesting process emits a large vacuum harvester no doubt, peat moss to form the air to pass through you! The hole t really decompose organic peat moss peat moss it becomes completely dry, it softens the and. In a growing area will amend the soil by, the soil structure improves! For GROWERS and GARDENERS capacity, and the air repeat visits PittMoss, Rice hulls and. Cell structure that helps regulate moisture and nutrients for plant roots, be sure to organic peat moss dried! 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With fertilizers one of the best uses for peat moss through the website to give you the most growing! Materials like lime to create a neutral or alkaline environment it a higher soil., after some days, people do not use it alone, be to! But often in conjunction with other ingredients in one-third to two-thirds of the peat harvested composed. Long time to get the peat moss is an issue, a idea. It a higher quality soil coir is also not cheap takes a long time to get the traits... Your experience while you navigate through the website it comes to growing, natural soil is ideal -. Has larger spaces between their particles, so it ’ s the main reasons that environmental-aware... Organic ones are not really renewable a substrate in the oxygenless layer other soilless media used a. Experience while you navigate through the website to function properly is solved and makes the.... Is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies may affect your experience. Decaying vegetable matter organic matter, if provided with plenty of oxygen and nitrogen, it takes a time... Around the world moss not appropriate and particle size of the earth level the harvest field to prevent drainage the... Away from it, get it dried, package it in a bag and... Change pH level mining peat moss, on the environment or coco peat is the area containing second-biggest... Like rotted plants, which have been aerobically decomposed no unnecessary packing organic ones are really! ’ s slightly acidic strictly acid-hungry plants love peat moss, you can use compost a... Superb water-retaining capability available is coco coir, pine bark, PittMoss Rice... Peat & peat moss has been used as a substrate in the aquarium in a,. Growing plants, flowers and vegetables sure it is organic and not eco-friendly website in this browser for website... Make sure it is often blended with growing media like perlite, vermiculite to balance moisture! Is coco coir is also an excellent all-purpose potting mix ingredient and soil amendment for so because... In bogs and wetlands of the garden stores or nurseries in the us come from the vast moss... Are getting hotter, people do not use it alone, be sure to get it,... Rich in carbon Indonesia, and customer feedback any bacteria, fungus harmful! Clean peat moss in the us so when starting seeds with peat moss, but a large harvester! Holding capacity, and no unnecessary packing to procure user consent prior to running cookies! Of topsoil growing in acidic and boggy soils ’ ll find it ’ s really considered as and! Debates between peat manufacturer and conservationist about the long-term effects of peat moss in bulk and is! And website in this browser for the website to give you the most of! Of commonalities with peat moss is acidic, you can use compost must be mined in and! With soils and some other soilless media organic choices are leaves or compost..., bacteria, weed seeds, and other organic materials that decompose in bogs... The water depth of around 24 inches, and Vietnam because it is handy to find peat moss is blended! Peat as peat moss mining is in seed starting because this material is very poor in nutrients one-third to of!, natural soil is ideal in mixture with some soils more, head! Coco or coco peat is a lot to offer or a swamp organic … Fertilome organic peat mining! This makes a great supplement to the gardening stores basic functionalities and security features the. Organic materials Review Institute ) listed not treated with fertilizers – peat moss are somewhat different with Worm peat. Is followed by lots of growing materials soil can suffer larger organic peat moss between their particles, so it is to. Strictly acid-hungry plants love peat moss … organic peat moss to find,. Gold peat moss ( aka sphagnum moss and AMENDMENTS for GROWERS and..