find out how peat moss — a common component of container gardening — affects clime change and what you could utilize as a sustainable alternative .
Almost any potted plant life you may buy grows in a dirt mix moderate peat moss , and most bagged potting soil does . you may also bribe it tomix into your potting dirt blend . It ’s especially useful forgrowing heyday and food in containersbecause it aid industrial plant maintain the moisture they need . Even though this brownish , fibrous essence is so common and helpful in the horticulture world , peat moss has long been a sore point for those in the industry due to its sustainability — or , more accurately , the want therefrom . Here ’s what you need to know about the downside of peat moss and what you’re able to use instead .
What Is Peat Moss?
When discussingpeat moss for gardening , at least in the United States , that means sphagnum moss . Sphagnum is a case of moss most notable for its wild preoccupancy ability . It can take in 20 metre as much water by weight as its dry weight , so it ’s essentially a innate sponge . Sphagnum moss opt develop in moist tundra - type areas , and most of what gets used for gardening in the United States comes from peat peat bog in northerly Canada . As the sphagnum moss dies in these bogs , it easy dilapidate into the peat moss that ’s so pop for garden .
What Is It Used For?
Potting mixture used for container gardening has to be able todrain wellto avoid root rot , but also has to adjudge enough water for the plants to have a chance . As a solution to this challenge , " peat moss is a marvelous substance , " saysLinda Chalker - Scott , a horticulture expert . She maneuver out that it helps with both of these needs , play like midget sponges throughout the soil that hold the water and lento unloosen it as a plant ’s roots need it .
Why Should You Care About Peat Moss?
That ’s a tricky question . The solvent has to do with what happen when it ’s harvest .
Holds Earth’s Carbon
Peat forms very slowly in cool wetland as sphagnum moss decays . The bog are call " carbon sinks " due to the massive amounts of carbon they lock in in , more than 30 percent of the earth ’s carbon — far more than tree .
Slow to Renew
The industry say it glean less than 2 % of the existing supply each yr and that this reasonably low-spirited collection amount keep open up with demand . But even though that does n’t sound like a lot , harvested field ca n’t recover apace enough for peat to be considered a renewable resource .
" We can not replace the peat biomass that we remove from a bog in a human being ’s lifetime , " says Paul Short , the president of the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association . However , he point out that the CSPMA engage in aggressive restitution movement , include reseeding from nearby peat bog to reenter the sphagnum - to - peat process .
Despite these restoration efforts , peat probably ca n’t be harvested again for a thousand twelvemonth or more , at least not in the same quantities from the same bog . " It ’s almost unimaginable to get it back to the agency it was , " say Chalker - Scott . " I compare it to cutting down old - development forests . Sure , you’re able to plant unexampled trees , but it will take a long time . "
Credit: Ed Gohlich
Linda Chalker-Scott
It ’s almost impossible to get it back to the way it was . I equate it to cutting down old - growth forests . Sure , you’re able to implant novel trees , but it ’s go to take a long time .
Minimizes Greenhouse Effect
Since peat peat bog are the single largest carbon sump on the satellite , they ’re one of the way of life nature helps minimize the glasshouse event of too much of this gasin the atmosphere . When you remove the peat moss , not only does it relinquish carbon dioxide , but it ’s that much less carbon paper getting stored .
What Are the Alternatives to Peat Moss?
Chalker - Scott recommend nullify it entirely . " It does n’t do anything that ’s crucial for plant life history , " she say . " Otherwise , there would n’t be any industrial plant except right around peat bog . " Peat moss makessoil well able to absorb and hold water supply , but it is n’t required . Given how slow peat moss forms in nature , collecting it is complex to do in a really sustainable way — and if you do n’t need it , why employ it at all ?
Search Plant-Based Materials
Luckily , hatful of other options exist . When it comes to bagged potting mixes , you could find ones that do n’t use peat moss , so check the recording label before you purchase . They may alternatively carry other flora - based materials such as coconut coir ( a vulcanized fiber extracted from discarded coconut husks ) , recycled report fibers , and compost . you could also try making your own mix from these option .
None of these utility materials work quite as well as peat moss . They certainly help , but do n’t result in such forgiving stain : with peat moss , you canunderwater or overwater your plant , and they ’ll still be fine . With the alternatives , you may need to pay more attention when watering . " I opine for gardeners , there ’s going to have to be a piddling experiment to see what works well for them , " say Chalker - Scott .
Support Restoration Efforts
If you ca n’t find a peat - free potting mix you like , you could bet for the CSPMA logo on bag mix . When you see it , you ’ll know that at least there ’s been an endeavor to restore harvested peat bog . Even if it takes hundreds of years for the peat to regrow , the peat bog are on their way to becoming functioning ecosystems again , even if they wo n’t ever be identical to how they were before .
Make Conscious Choices
As gardeners , being more mindful of where all our materials issue forth from will help usmake a witting choice about what to useand how much of it . Even though there ’s no one - size - fits - all solution for avoiding peat moss , there are more sustainable option for providing your potted plant with what they need to thrive .
How to Create an Eco-Friendly Home
An eco - well-disposed home is all about get serious-minded choices that reduce waste and promote sustainability . We help you get get going here . Shipping Container Homes Are the Green Building Material You Should Knowexplores how repurposing cargo ships containers into home offers a unique and sustainable housing resolution . For routine waste reduction , The 7 Best Reusable Paper Towels , grant to Testinghighlights top - performing washable alternatives that plunge spills just as well as traditional composition towel . If you ’re looking to cut back on plastic,13 Swaps to Make Your place More Plastic - Freeoffers easy alternatives , from beeswax nutrient covers to ditching single - use umber pod . When it comes to raw cleaning,21 Eco - Friendly Ideas for Cleaning with Lemons in Your Homereveals how lemons can bleach , degrease , and disinfect without harsh chemicals . Lastly , for a green laundry routine,6 Eco - Friendly Alternatives to Laundry and Dishwasher Podsprovides better choice like powder detergent and castile soaps that minimize plastic waste .
“ Moss to the rescue : peat bog and our fight against mood modification . ”Tiny Expeditions . HudsonAlpha Institute For Biotechnology . 2023 .
Credit: Jay Wilde
