It’s a good idea to mix peat moss with something else—perlite (not for aquaponics, though! What Are Its Uses For Gardening, How to use Rockwool Cubes for Growing, Seed Starting, and Cutting Propagation, Coconut Coir - What It Is, Varieties, and How To Use It, How to Use Hydroton (Expanded Clay Pellets) in the Garden, Environmentally controversial. Gardeners use peat moss to boost soil quality. It makes the decomposition process very slow but results in a more homogeneous material. It doesn’t contain nutrients plants need to grow. If that’s your goal, rely on compost or other amendments to do the job. Do you consider moss a pest? Because, like any fossil fuels, it is rich in carbon. The inclusion of peat moss when planting shrubs involves preparing the site to create the best … Unlike other organic materials such as manure compost, peat moss is very poor in nutrients. Make sure the peat moss you get is either baled sphagnum or granular peat. Peat moss doesnt contain harmful microorganisms or weed seeds that you may find in poorly processed compost. These include blueberries, pieris, heathers, azaleas, camellias, tomatoes, and so on. I used peat moss to top dress our front yard when we first moved onto a new building lot. Granted, peat moss is renewable… every couple thousand years! Your email address will not be published. Peat mosses are commonly found in bogs and wetlands of the northern hemisphere of the earth. There are certain groups like the International Peat Society that keep a check on peat moss. Sterile medium for vulnerable plants: peat moss is free of microorganisms such as bacteria or fungi. Because peat moss is renewable in geologic time, people assume that it’s a renewable resource for human use. Peat moss should be mixed into soil. 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. Peat moss adds organic material to soil, increases soil aeration, and provides the slow release of nutrients into the garden bed. Think about this before opting to use peat moss. Or you can completely replace it with other alternatives like compost, coco coir, pine bark, and other organic matters. Peat moss forms when mosses and other living material rot in peat bogs. Seal the baggie, then put it into the refrigerator for 90 to 120 days. First and most important, peat moss is highly acidic, and using it as a mulch around non-acid loving plants could greatly stress them. Sure, peat moss is a thirsty medium, but once it’s completely dry, it takes A LOT of water to get it wet and hydrated again. Peat moss is an example of a soil additive that loosens the soil. I don’t want to use the moss preventer /killer because I saw the unsightly results which look like burnt grass. This makes peat moss a good choice of growing media for acid-loving container plants and can be used as a soil amendment to lower the pH of the soil.