What Is Peat Moss?
Peat moss comes from peat bogs, many of which are found in the wetland areas of Canada.
Because anaerobic conditions slow down full decomposition, the peat moss is preserved almost indefinitely.
The Spruce / Adrienne Legault
There are 380 species of spaghnum moss (Spaghnumspp.
), many of them prevalent in the Northern Hemisphere.
Like peat moss, sphagnum moss is harvested for the horticultural trade.
For example, it is used to line wire baskets for hanging plants and in terrariums.
Peat moss is commonly sold in bales (covered in plastic) at garden and home improvement centers.
When you break open a bag, the substance resembles very dry, caked-up soil.
In addition, regular soil can harbor pathogens that could quickly kill young plants.
Consider these peat moss alternatives:
No.
These are two different things that are not interchangeable.
Peat moss is an amendment and not soil.
It is sometimes added to enhancepoorly draining or compacted topsoilbut it cannot be used instead.
Peatlands store twice as much carbon as all the world’s forests.UN Environment Programme.
