Peat moss is a unremarkably purchase garden amendment used to amend the structure and drainage of soils . It has a spongy texture that makes any soil mix significantly lighter and flossy and can absorb and store enormous volumes of piddle , making the soils it is contribute to more resilient to juiceless conditions or inconsistent moisture .
However , peat moss is a nonrenewable resource that is extract from peat peat bog , a unique eccentric of ecosystem that has been damaged by peat extraction over the years . So what are some alternatives to this foxy soil amendment ? Read on to find out .
The Problem with Peat Moss: Why Sustainable Gardeners are Saying Goodbye
Before we plunge into all the alternative , it is significant to understand what peat moss is and why it has become a problematic garden product . Peat is a unique textile shape from flora subject that has been allow to crumble underwater in a bog for days .
Peat moss is peat that has formed from the rotten sphagnum moss plant , give it a unique grain . wetland , bogs , and Ngaio Marsh are all common source of peat , but they also happen to be home to a plentiful variety of works and animal species that depend on the environs to live .
Peat descent is a fogy fuel intensive unconscious process that fragments the wetland landscape and can have serious ecologic consequences .
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Even when amount are extracted that are considered to be below the threshold for regeneration , they leave all border edges of peat exposed to oxygen , which also reduce their power to salt away C .
The intensive nature of peat moss descent does n’t make it a sustainable source of gardening cloth , and many are alternate to alternatives that offer the same world-wide overhaul without require pollution and environmental destruction to reservoir .
Additionally , peat moss is known to be quite acidic with a pH of around 3.5 -4 and is not particularly nutrient - dense , which may be another reason to view alternatives .
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4 Best Sustainable Peat Moss Alternatives for Your Garden
Since many gardener are already dependent or reliant on peat moss to add structure and moisture retention to their stain , you might be wondering what you’re able to use instead . We ’ve amass a list of the best alternatives to peat moss , most of which are significantly cheaper , naturally source , and more sustainable .
Wood chips or pine needles
Wood fibre and chips are good additions for improving water retention and aeration in the soil , and they also contribute organic matter that will break down over time . Mrs. Henry Wood chip are often used as mulch but they can also be mixed into potting soil when shredded into small piece , make any soil intermixture lighter and fluffier .
Pine needles are another tree - borne alternative that will greatly meliorate drain and soil structure with their rich shape that wo n’t be well compressed or tread down , keeping the ground light for a long time . However , they do n’t do much for water retention or nutrition so additional amendments may need to be made for that determination .
Both woods chips and pine needles are proficient alternatives for peat moss and fulfill several of the same attribute , but the dear part is that they are a renewable and easily accessible resource .
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Wood fleck are normally made from fighting woodwind which means you are making exercise of an otherwise wasted resource and you could normally get them for sleazy or complimentary .
Just be measured to check that the Grant Wood has n’t been treated with chemicals or glue , which would not be good additions to your soil . Similarly , pine needles are easy to source and if you have anevergreen treein your backyard you’re able to pick up them yourself whenever they slough !
Compost or well-rotted manure
Compost is a great summation to your soil in pretty much every scenario and it of course fulfills many of the same functions as peat moss . Compost can take many physical body but is basically broken down food and plant topic and is a plentiful reference of organic matter that is pure gold for nurseryman .
Organic topic greatly improves soil structure and urine retentivity potentiality because it helps soil plunk up in a mental process called grime accumulation that makes the soil more porous and parasite - like .
Compost is an specially great choice because it is an actively regenerative additive to landscapes that fall intellectual nourishment waste and contributes to a shut - loop system , and it ’s free to make yourself !
Making your own compost also means that you know 100 % of the ingredients and can make the perfect correspondence of carbon copy and nitrogen that is best suited for your special soils .
Well - waste or compost manure fulfills the same functionality as compost and also tends to have gamey levels of nitrogen and is a large addition to soils where nitrogen has been use up or you are planning to plant leaden eating plant .
Be deliberate not to add too much manure or use it as your only method for ameliorate soil structure as you may go the danger of nutritive overloading .
Leaf mold
Leaf mold is basicallydecomposed leaf matterand fallen foliage that has become semi - composted . When mixed into your soil it provides a similar affair as peat moss wherein the folio matter becomes highly absorbent and will improve piss retention in your soil without becoming soggy .
It has many of the same traits as compost , since the leaves are partly compost , but does not have the same nutritional value or microbial diversity but also takes less time and work to make .
It is another alternative that is essentially gratis , as long as you have some deciduous trees on your dimension , and all you need to do is leave your piles of raked leaves from the fall in a corner of your garden and they will be ready for use in the spring .
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Leaves molder quite quickly and they will only improve weewee retention in your soil before they become completely compost , so they need to be put back frequently .
You also should be cognizant of what types of leaves you are collecting for leaf clay sculpture and how they will affect your soil balance , since many can be quite acidic once broken down .
Coco Coir
Coco coir is probably the most noted and pop alternative to peat moss , and is made from the sinewy stuff between the coconut racing shell and seed . It is harvested as a spin-off from the agrarian industry , reducing diligence wastage , and since it grow on tree is consider a renewable imagination .
The texture of coco coir provides almost identical benefit to peat moss , as it is highly absorbent but keeps the soil very oxygenise so that root have good access to atomic number 8 and wet .
It takes a long time to decompose and let out down , establish it a very suitable amendment for gardeners who desire to avoid having to constantly replace grunge additions to maintain ripe structure , drainage , and moisture retention , and it also has a neutral pH of around 5.8 – 6.8 which is ideal for most plants to rise in .
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This factor actually rank it above peat moss which is generally quite acidic and often want to be combined with additions of lime or a similar mineral so that the grime does n’t become inhospitable to crop increase .
Although coco coir may seem like the gross alternative to peat moss , keep in mind that there are some drawbacks to this soil amendment .
Even though it is a renewable resource , most coco coir is produced in India or Sri Lanka and the processing , packaging , and shipping are often fossil fuel intensive .
For nurseryman in Europe or North America , coco coir has to travel very far to get to your garden , so it ’s decidedly worth trying out more local and homemade choice before you bribe bundles of coir .
The processing of coco coir can also involve chemicals and additives that you may not want in your garden , so if you do choose to purchase it verify it is from a reputable , sustainable beginning .
Pick the right alternative for your needs
So there you have it , a whole sleuth of peat moss alternatives to choose from ! As you will have detect , each one has its own specific advantages and disadvantages concerning nutritional note value , pH , and biodegradability , so verify to choose the right one for your specific garden and needs .
Even if you are n’t a fan of constantly having to sum new addition to your soil , keep in mind that dirt is something that necessitate to be built and maintain for develop nutritious crops and respectable plant , and perpetual plus of constitutive thing and creditworthy practices will create a better dirt structure over time- just have a little forbearance .
Written By
Amber Noyes was born and raised in a suburban California township , San Mateo . She holds a passe-partout ’s stage in horticulture from the University of California as well as a B in Biology from the University of San Francisco . With experience working on an organic farm , water preservation research , granger ’ food market , and plant nursery , she understands what make plants thrive and how we can better understand the connexion between microclimate and industrial plant wellness . When she ’s not on the land , Amber loves informing citizenry of new ideas / things tie in to gardening , especially constituent horticulture , houseplants , and growing plant in a little blank .
