- Peat and peat moss are two separate materials that are often believed to be the same thing. Peat is extremely old soil mixed with a high percentage of decomposed plant matter. Peat moss compromises the decayed plant matter found in peat. The only type of peat moss regularly used comes from the sphagnum plant found in wetlands.
- The majority of peat moss use involves the agriculture industry and home gardening. Peat also forms a fairly effective packing material and bedding for animals. Some regions, mostly in Europe, burn peat to generate electricity. About 10 percent of Ireland's total energy production comes from peat moss, making this country the world's largest consumer of peat moss fuel.
- The simplest way to incorporate peat moss into a garden requires that the horticulturalist dig and plant peat moss 2 inches into the ground, or mix it in with a rotary tiller. Fruit and vegetables were commonly transported in peat moss 60 years ago, but better packing materials exist today.
- Peat moss can greatly improve a lawn and the health of livestock, reports PeteMoss.com. It has a high moisture capacity, meaning you have to water the garden less often. Peat moss also holds onto nutrients better than regular soil and releases them slowly, preventing leaching. As a bedding, peat moss's moisture capacity keeps animals dry, reducing mess and removing odor.
- Much debate within the peat moss industry centers on the effects of peat harvesting, reports Natural Life magazine. Peat and peat moss lock up a lot of carbon dioxide, which harvesting can release. Peat bogs also act as natural water filters for 10 percent of the global fresh water supply. In Canada, where most of the best peat moss originates, companies are required to restore peat bogs after mining for peat moss, but environmentalists question how fast one can restore a bog, and if it can truly revert back to its natural state.
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