Reducing the use of peat in horticulture will mitigate climate change and increase reliance on local materials as peat substitutes.Ĭompressed bales of a popular peat-based soilless growing media Think before you switch: what makes a good soilless growing media?Īny growing medium for plants has three main functions: 1) supply roots with nutrients, air, and water, 2) allow for maximum root growth, and 3) physically support the plant. But public demand for peat-free alternatives will drive the industry to develop new products. Most sphagnum peat is from Canada and there are no indications that Canada, with its vast peat reserves, will follow suit. Timelines are in place for soon phasing out peat as a growing media for gardeners and commercial growers. The problem with peat is three-fold: stripping off peat from peatlands disturbs complex ecosystems excavation releases enormous amounts of CO2, a major greenhouse gas driving climate change and demand for peat-based soilless media is growing.įor decades, there have been calls to conserve the U.K.’s dwindling peatlands. “Peat moss” used in horticulture typically refers to mosses in the Sphagnum genus. Peatlands hold 30% of the earth’s soil carbon and occur mostly in cold, temperate regions. Peat is an organic substance formed from mosses, reeds, and sedges that accumulates and decomposes very slowly in waterlogged soils (bogs). Peat-based growing mixes allow rapid germination and root You’d be hard-pressed to find a gardener who has not benefited from soilless potting mixes for starting and growing plants, inside and outside.

These stable, light-weight, and porous products have been filling the benches, flats, and containers of greenhouse and nursery operators and flower and vegetable growers for decades. This has made peat a primary ingredient of soilless growing media (potting mix) around the world. Sphagnum peat moss is valuable in horticulture because its fibrous structure helps it retain a lot of water and air while draining excess water.

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