Both sphagnum moss and peat moss are mutual non soil ground potting mixture ingredient in gardening . They have many coarse traits , and in fact did you know that they are the same plant ?
But using them involve some technical noesis about their similarity , but also divergence . So , before you corrupt one , let me tell you more …
Both peat moss or bog moss peat moss and sphagnum moss amount from bryophite plants of theSphagnopisdaclass , which get on peat field .
But they are harvested at different phase angle of the plants ’ life cycle and have difference , especially :
For this reason , they have standardized but also slightly unlike uses in horticulture . interpret this clause and you will find out everything about peat and sphagnum moss : how they form , their qualities and properties and , of path , what they are safe for in horticulture .
Is Sphagnum Moss The Same As Peat Moss?
Both peat moss and sphagnum moss do from the same group of industrial plant . These are often calledbrypohites , which is actually an informaldivisionof plants . These reproduce via spores rather than flower .
bog moss and peat moss plants are , of course mosses , and they belong to theSphagnopsidaclass , or a big botanic group of 380 different species of moss .
So , when we speak about peat moss or sphagnum moss , we really mean an awful lot of different plants .
But these moss plants all have a few things in common : they grow on peat fields . This is very crucial for us , because it is the grounds why we employ them in horticulture .
Peat Fields: The “Home” of Sphagnum and Peat Moss
A peat field of view has very peculiar qualities . When you think about a champaign , in fact , you imagine soil and you imagine that when it rain down , the weewee filter into the dirt , right ? Well , it ’s not like this for peat field !
In fact , a peat file isimpermeable . This means that rain does not get into the land . alternatively it stays on top .
Sphagnsida wish to grow on the body of water on top of the peat moss . They are not dirt plants , but bog plants . In fact , peat fields are also calledpeat bogsorpeatlands .
Peat bogs ( or fields ) are common in many temperate , moth-eaten and continental areas , and in some tropic areas too .
Countries that have good deal of peatlands are the USA , Canada , Russia , Mongolia , Norway , Iceland , Ireland , Borneo and Papua New Guinea .
The USA has 51 million demesne of peat area , mete out over 42 rural area . On the whole , there are 400 million hectare of peatland in the globe , or 3 % of the whole surface of land on the planet . But how do peat moss and sphagnum moss generate on peat peat bog ?
Peat Moss and Sphagnum Moss: The Same Plants at Different Stages
Sphagnum moss is quite mere to understand . Sphagnum moss is simply moss harvest from peat fields and then dried up .
It is strike from thesurface of peat battlefield . It is collected when it isstill alive . However , when you bribe it , it is dry and therefore dead .
On the other hand , peat moss is already dead when you harvest it . When the plants go , in fact , they fall down under the water surface .
This set out a very peculiar cognitive process . The reason is thatthe water in the Earth’s surface of the peat bog stops the air from get into the soil below .
To break up , leaves , fiber etc . need air . The same as happens with fossils , is n’t it ? If an animal and the body terminate up in a place without air , it keep up well .
This is what happens with peat moss . It shift , in color , in consistency etc . , but it doesnot decompose .
Sopeat moss is harvest from under the surface of peat bogs , and it is made up of dead , compacted but not moulder works .
You see how both come from the same place , both fall from the same works , but they come from dissimilar stages of the plant ’ oscillation .
And I can learn your question , very good one indeed … Are peat moss and sphagnum moss eco - friendly and renewable ?
Peat Moss and Sphagnum Moss: The Environmental Question
All nurseryman are environmentally aware , and both peat moss and sphagnum moss pose serious doubt : are they renewable ?
Some people have insisted , especially in the past , in saying that they are renewable . And they have a point . Peat fields shape fresh sphagnum and peat moss all the time .
The problem is thatthe charge per unit with which they renew does not keep up with our harvesting rate . So the resolution is thatthey are renewable but they can not regenerate tight enough to be sustainable .
This is the reason why we will fill up this article with somesubstitutes for peat and sphagnum moss moss .
Which Is Less Bad for the Environment – Peat Moss or Sphagnum Moss?
Both peat moss and sphagnum moss are bad for the environment . However , the difference come fromthe way they are harvested .
think that one is alive and from the surface ( Sphagnum ) , the other is deadened and from underneath .
To pick up peat moss you disturb the peat fields much more than to glean sphagnum moss : you need to dig out deeper , to start with .
Next , you also pull in material which has taken many years to organise , a bit like with ember , whilesphagnum moss is produced ( therefore refill ) quicker than peat moss .
For these two reasons we can safely say thatboth peat moss and sphagnum moss have negative environmental impacts , but peat moss is much unsound .
Having said this , which is very important , you may want to know how you’re able to use these two materials in horticulture ? Just read on …
General Use of Peat Moss and Sphagnum Moss
Both peat moss and sphagnum moss are used in horticulture , but not only . However , when it total to our rocking horse ( or profession ) their chief uses are :
Now you know how you may use them , permit me tell you how you may recognize them .
How to Tell Sphagnum Moss and Peat Moss Apart
What do sphagnum moss and peat moss appear like ? Even in this respect , they are similar but different .
In fact both wait like “ constitutive fiber , in both cases , you’re able to tell that you are dealing with belittled dead plants .
However , sphagnum moss is far more intact than peat moss . In sphagnum moss , you may literallysee the slight dry plants of moss .
This also givessphagnum moss a more loose appearance than peat moss . It is lighter , less compact .
On the obstinate , peat moss , being more thickset , usually look darker . On the whole , you would be forgiven forconfusing peat moss with compost .
Their look is not that unlike . However , looking closely , with peat moss you may still see that it is made up of minor little dry plants .
This does not happen with compost ( which is made up of decomposed organic matte from many dissimilar works part and not only ) . Now you know what they look like , let ’s see “ what they do ” .
Water Retention in Sphagnum Moss and Peat Moss
water supply retentivity is how much water a growing medium or territory can hold , in our fount peat moss or sphagnum moss . It is of course a very important ingredient to count .
In fact , you may use both peat moss and sphagnum moss to better your soil ’s weewee retention . This is good toimprove “ hard soil ” like clay or Methedrine .
But this is also very useful toimprove water retention in sandy soil . In fact , flaxen grease is gross for aeration , for drainage and to lighten or break up chalk and clay .
But it does not hold on well to water . Organic matter in oecumenical have got on well to water supply , but why are peat and sphagnum moss excellent ?
The Secret of Fibers and Water
Sphagnum moss and peat moss are fibrous matter . fibre have some first-class caliber when it come to water system retentiveness and exit .
The fact us that vegetable vulcanized fiber , once dry up , can be “ re - hydrated ” with weewee . Basically , all the moisture that has been turn a loss can be add to them again .
But there is more : vegetable fibre release pee lento , at unlike rates . You see , the fact is that the pockets that fill with body of water inside the fibre are all of different sizes .
This means that some empty faster , and others more slowly , give up aslow and constant discharge of water to the land or / and etymon .
Water Retention: Which Is Better, Sphagnum Moss or Peat Moss?
But what is the deviation between the water retention of sphagnum moss and that if peat moss?In term of water retentivity , sphagnum moss and peat moss are comparable .
In fact , peat moss can immerse up to 20 times its weight in water . That ’s a fortune ! But how about its competitor ?
Sphagnum moss can assimilate between 16 an 26 times its weight in pee . As you may see , there is no huge dispute ,
but if we want to be precise , sphagnum moss is somewhat well than peat moss at retaining water . Andwater loss in bog moss and peat moss is virtually the same .
What’s Better for Your Hydroponic Garden: Sphagnum Moss or Peat Moss?
talk about water , the motion of which is better for aquiculture , sphagnum moss or peat moss , is very important .
In tank farming , one of the fundamental role of the growing mass medium you select is to liberate the nutritious solution ( water and nutrient ) to the roots .
Even if the body of water release rate of both growing media is the same , sphagnum moss is slightly good for hydroponics than peat moss .
The issue with peat moss is mechanical . You see , peat moss tends to forge clunk around the roots of flora in some hydroponic system .
It basically commemorates around the roots , forming “ root balls ” . These , in turn , suffocate the roots , depriving them of oxygen .
you could still usepeat moss as a hydroponic metier , but you need to mix it with perlite or something similar . This direct us to another period : nutrients .
Feed Your Plants with Peat Moss and Sphagnum Moss
Ok , unlike compost , peat moss and sphagnum moss do not actually prey your plants directly . However , in the same means as they hold on to urine , they also hold on to nutrient .
In fact , nutrient dissolve in urine , and not just in hydroponics , but in soil gardening too . Some type of soil , like meth and sand based soils , have hapless nutrient retention dimension .
So , you canuse peat moss and sphagnum moss to ameliorate your soil ’s ability to hold on to nutrients and bring out them slowly .
Keep Your Plants Warm with Sphagnum Moss
Sphagnum moss is also utilitarian to keep the roots of your plants strong ! It ’s like a footling jumper for your plants .
Even peat moss can have this place in a limited way , but sphagnum moss is in reality fantabulous ! The fact is that it ’s a second like impart straw or hay to the soil .
Dried up fibers hold on to heat up and release it very slowly . This means that if the nights are cold , the roots of your plants will mot feel it as much .
For this grounds , sphagnum moss is specially utile for hang baskets . Hanging hoop have no shelter from the cold , they take in it from all side and they are far from rut sources ( like the grunge ) .
Many gardener practice sphagnum moss to invalidate hemipteron drops in temperature inside these basket and save plants from stress .
The pH of Peat Moss and Sphagnum Moss
There is a huge difference when it comes to the pH of sphagnum moss and peat moss . The pH graduated table survive from 1 to 14 . 1 is super acidulous , and 14 is very alkalic .
plant have their favorite pH grade . Some like acidic soil(azaleas , camellia , rhododendrons etc . ) others like it on the alkaline side ( most vegetables like the pH slenderly alkaline ) .
Many plants wish or are fine with indifferent pH. We say that the pH is neutral when it is neither acidic nor alkalic , or , on the pH scale , around 7.0 . So , what is the pH of sphagnum moss and peat moss ?
bog moss moss has a pH of about 7.0 , so it is indifferent .
On the other paw , peat moss has a very acid pH scale , around 4.0 .
Few plants can tolerate a pH under 4.0 . So , peat moss makes the grunge quite sulphurous .
Using Sphagnum Moss to Correct the Soil’s pH
If you immix sphagnum moss into the soil , it will tend to turn it towards the impersonal point . So , sphagnum moss is good to “ balance the soil pH ” or better make is close to neutral as potential .
In practice , if you contribute it to acidic soil , it makes it less acidic . If you add it to alkaline soil , it makes it less alkaline .
Using Peat Moss to Correct the Soil’s pH
Unlike sphagnum moss , peat moss will always make the grunge more acidic . This intend that you may use it as a soil corrector , but only to :
If you require to farm acidophiles , i.e. plant that like acid soil , and your soil is neutral or not acidulent enough , then it will make it more acidulent .
Some very popular garden plants are acidophiles , and often the trouble with these is that the soil is not acid enough .
representative of acidophilic works include azalea , rhododendron , holly , gardenias , heather , blueberries .
If you have these works in your garden and you see they have yellow leaves , they have problem blooming and their growth is slow , it mean that they want acidity in the dirt and peat moss right it very tight .
But if you sum peat moss to alkaline grunge , it will reduce its alkalinity and make it more indifferent . Chalk is very alkaline , and a very hard type of soil to school .
Few industrial plant really care it , and peat moss can correct both its alkalinity and its piddle retention and aeration properties .
On the reverse , if you have used peat moss and you realize that the soil is too acidic now , add calcium oxide ( chalk ) to increase its pH.
Use Peat Moss or Sphagnum Moss for Aeration too!
Both peat moss and sphagnum moss have good aerating quality . In this respect , they are virtually the same . It all conk back to the fact that they are fibrous matter .
fibre have holes and pouch of all size of it and these take on to water , true , but also to send . In fact , so e are actually so diminutive that they are perfect for tune and harder for pee to make full .
What is more , both peat moss and sphagnum moss set the grain of heavy soil . One of the reasons why aura does not get into heavy clay or chalk is that these types of dirt are very thickset . They have very all right grain that stupefy together , forming airtight and watertight blockage .
In Holy Order to allow tune into these types of soil , you require to add materials that bring out up these block . And fibers ( or George Sand ) are really splendid at this .
They do not have the same form , texture , sizing etc . as the soil , so , instead of forming large “ blocks ” , these character of grease will constitute smaller pebbles , and the air will get through . In terms ofaeration , peat moss moss and peat moss are like .
Peat Moss Outside Your Garden (and in Your Medicine Cabinet)!
Ok , now you have seen how to habituate peat moss and sphagnum moss we can have a fee playfulness facts about these amazing materials …
Let ’s start with a lesser known fact … People have been harvesting peat moss in North America for one C ! Yes , Native Americans in fact collected it . As you will expect , they did it sustainably , unlike us .
But it is also true that they did not use it for gardening … No ! In fact , they used it as a medicine . Yes , because is honorable to treat cut and wounds . To be honest , this economic consumption of peat moss is now very borderline .. ,
Packing with Sphagnum Moss
If we use peat moss almost only for gardening now , we ca n’t say the same about sphagnum moss … In fact , it has another major grocery : packaging . It is a piece like pale yellow , in fact , just less mussy and more tensile .
For this reason , you will witness sphagnum moss in crateful and loge from all over the world , keep ceramic and methamphetamine hydrochloride dependable during the journey .
lush plants are often delivered with sphagnum moss as cushioning too . In case , verify you reuse it and do n’t cast it off ! Now you know what to do with it …
Beyond Peat Moss and Sphagnum Moss
As you may see , peat moss and sphagnum moss are very useful – but they are not environmentally well-disposed . Studies even show that peat and sphagnum moss moss harvesting is lead to ball-shaped warming !
So , if you want to have exchangeable results but with a unfeignedly recyclable , genuinely sustainable material , do what many environmentally aware gardeners are doing nowadays : use cocoanut coir as a replacement .
Coconut coir has very standardised holding to sphagnum moss , but it is a by - product of coconut husbandry . It is amply supervene upon quickly and in any example , it would just go to waste …
Written By
After many age as an academic in London , Adriano Bulla became a writer , publishing books like A History of Gardening , Organic Gardening and Elements of Garden Design ; he then decided to become a gardener , following his puerility dream , and has been following his dreaming piece of writing and gardening professionally in Southern Europe , where he has narrow in new and innovative constitutional gardening fields and technique , like permaculture , regenerative husbandry , food forest and hydroponics .
