This is a public-interest archive. Personal data is pseudonymized and retained under GDPR Article 89.

Re: Peat moss--answering my own question

Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html


Whilst I agree that leaf mold (or composted leaves, the same thing) are good
stuff, I do think that Canadian peat is being sustainably harvested and is
not in the same category as European peat.

Eliot Coleman, writing in the New Organic Grower, points out that peat is
being laid down some 5 to ten times faster than it is being harvested, in
North America...

Well rotted leaves and chipped branches are a good alternative, as are
really rotten stumps...

Importing coconut fibre strikes me as completely wrong, though...

My two cents,

Frank

>Square Foot Gardening List - http://www.flinet.com/~gallus/sqft.html
>
>In a message dated 7/16/99 7:09:48 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
erica@jersey.net
>writes:
>
>> Hi, FYI--in case it will help anyone,
>>  Last night I checked some gardening books at the library and discovered
>that
>> peat moss holds up to 20x it's weight in water.  More than vermiculite,
>> perlite or compost.  Assuming that's the reason for using a lot of it in
>the "
>> lasagna garden" method, I guess nothing else is as good.  And it may
>explain
>> why my original cinderblock bed is doing so well.  I didn't have enough
>> compost to fill it, and had run out to buy potting mix at K-Mart.  Which,
>> luckily, contained a lot of peat moss.
>>  Erica
>Hi erica,
>Peatmoss is harvested from peat bogs and is very old stuff. It took
thousands
>of years to decomposs into it's present form.  It is not a planet concious
>product.
>That is why every year in the fall I have lawn companies drop off a free
load
>of leaves.  I mulch them up and store them over winter or work them into my
>garden beds.  It's natural. It's a waste product of todays society, and
It's
>free (c:
> It holds 15% of water not bad. not as good as peat but it doesn't
>cost a dime. and is always available. If your worried about the acid
content
>of leaves it isn't even as high as peat moss. Leaves also contain a long
list
>of nutrients not found in peat.   The GardenGuy.
>
>
>______________________________________________________________________
>To unsubscribe, write to sqft-unsubscribe@listbot.com
>Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/
>


______________________________________________________________________
To unsubscribe, write to sqft-unsubscribe@listbot.com
Start Your Own FREE Email List at http://www.listbot.com/
Other Mailing lists | Author Index | Date Index | Subject Index | Thread Index