Anna’s Life

Peat Moss is actually a family of wild growing mosses of the Sphagnum kind or family of mosses as it is scientifically known. Peat Moss, as used in gardening,  is a fibrous, decomposed remains of these certain types of moss, which are found in very wet areas of the country. It is a highly prized natural plant food and can be used as a covering or mulch like substance for seeded areas.

Benefits of Peat moss:

• Aerates plant roots by loosening heavy soil.
• Adds body to sandy soil.
• Saves water by absorbing and holding moisture.
• Reduces leaching of nutrients present in or added to the soil, releasing them slowly over time.

How can you use Peat Moss?

You will first need to prepare Peat Moss for use.  When bought at the store you will want to break it apart with your hands or grind it with a mulcher or grinder.  Finding it in the wild you will want to separate the more fibrous, richer portions and grind or mulch them.  You can certainly mix them with some humus, another gardening soil, or any number of other fertilizers or topsoils or even sands.

Once prepared, Peat Moss can be planted with flowers, plants or edible crops,  spread over same or used to cover planted grass as with hay or straw.

When planting Peat Moss with flowers, spread some in the bottom of the hole before you place the flower in and add water to it before planting the flower as well.  You may want to cover with humus. Make sure the Peat Moss is fairly fine for flowers and other plants that may not produce strong roots.

For crops you may want to more generally prepare the whole of the soil with Peat Moss and fertilizer such as lime by covering the whole area and tilling it under.  Dig your holes, lightly moisten and then plant your seed or potatoes or other crops.

Whether covering gardens or grass, Peat Moss makes a beautiful covering and provides growing plants with an additional source of the appropriately rich nutrients when pounded into the ground by rain, watering or traffic from people and animals in the case of grasses and lawns. 

Health Risks:

There are actually some health dangers when using peat moss.  Sphagnum moss can potentially harbour the chronic fungal disease, sporotrichosis.  Sporothrix schenckii spores enter the skin via abrasions, scratches, and small puncture wounds as a result of unprotected contact exposure to Sphagnum moss.

It is a good idea to wear gardening gloves and to also cover any open cuts or scrapes when working directly with peat moss to prevent any possible problems.

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