Hi, I picked up a Seleginella emmeliana (a form of club moss) the other day and it's *dying* in the potting soil it's in. Just as industry in general tends to mimimize some dangers, I think that some eco groups are overbearing. Houzz Call: Are You Letting Go of Your Lawn? Many growers wash their peat to remove nutrients and spores to reduce problems with moss, cyanobacteria, liverworts, ferns and other organisms found naturally in peat. Use a pitchfork or shovel to thoroughly blend the soil, compost, peat moss and sand mixture. Most of the sphagnum peat mined and sold is intended for garden soil improvement. Soil and fertilizer (incl water and repotting) 3 … The topsoil and peat moss mix should make up the top 6 to 12 inches of your soil. Thx! I’ve never done just sand, but can see where it would indeed be a better medium. It is easier to measure and mix and it is safer for yourself. #12 or 12 mesh sand blasting sand with metric ruler. Indem Sie weiterhin auf der Website surfen bzw. 1 part sand.5 parts peat moss.1 parts compost Tree and Shrub Mix Fruit trees, berry bushes, grapevines and other woody plants do well on a compost-heavy mix. Some of us have good soil and some of us have to work to get good soil. He has red clay soil as top soil due to construction of the townhouse. ", There are also many other 'peatlands' around the world. Kentucky Bluegrass and Russian winter rye are well suited to cold climates and damper growing conditions. If you do not know if your Manure is … There are many brands and I do not think there is any difference between them as long as you make sure it is Canadian sphagnum peat and there is no fertilizer added. While we have a lot of free nitrogen avaialable in the air we breath, most of the fertilizer we use is manufactured from crude oil and natural gas. For some plants that normally grow in very wet peaty locations in nature I use a peatier mix, for others that grow in sand or gravel I use a sandier mix. The organic ingredients contain microorganisms and nutrients essential for plant growth. The finish potting mix can be used for both seed starting and adding ingredients to for making potting on mixes for older vegetable seedlings as they grow their way to transplanting. What the bag says is washed and sieved (graded) sand. It is available at building materials suppliers that specialize in sand, gravel, rocks, and other hard things like pavers. Quite honestly, peat bogs don't have a very significant biodiversity. Break up your soil using a garden spade or a rototiller to a depth of 12 inches. Vermiculite is mined. Washing will also help to decrease the salt in peat. In the past I have gotten perlite that was deadly to the more sensitive carnivores. The fine particles will make the soil mix like concrete. She says, "But the 2/3rds of peat that is burned for fuel, that releases the carbon." Mainly, people seem to use peat in horticulture for soil amendments and other products like pots, etc. Also, 2/3rds of peat mined is used for fuel -- to burn it. Perched water is water that takes up residence in a 100% saturated layer of soggy soil at the bottom of the pot, and refuses to be dislodged by the force of gravity. Sand helps to break the peat up, hold it apart, and add air to the mix. I mix the soil with a large kitchen scoop in a large bucket. Please see Rinsing Peat Moss and Sand (growsundews.com) if you are starting seeds or otherwise having problems with unwanted organisms in your soil. The small expensive bags of peat moss are probably the same material only fluffed and maybe sieved. Each soil amendment provides different properties to meet different needs. But the thing is, those benefits can be found elsewhere - in compost/organic waste materials. The purpose of the sand is to is to open up the soil and help keep it from becoming too soggy. Sure, if you use too much of it in potting soil, you'll encourage fungus due to the water retention, but outdoors, those properties are ideal. Post a picture and share your stories, Before you pluck and rake, consider wildlife, the health of your plants and your own right to relax, The exuberant mop-headed beauties evoke dreams of an endless summer by the sea, Mein Benutzererlebnis mit Cookies anpassen, Bar and Counter Stools With Free Shipping, Baby Tears Mimics Moss for a Green Accent Indoors, Natural Swimming Pools: More Beauty, No Chemicals. The plant was half off b/c it looked like it was dying, so it cost less than $8. Lime is usually added to mixes to balance the pH. ;). If you can not get washed and graded sand you can sieve and wash builders or plaster sand. Sure, it provides organic matter to your soil - and can actually help water retention (when it isn't too dry to repel water). It's an exercise of personal and moral responsibility. Larger grain sizes are OK but smaller ones can produce a hard compact mass that roots have difficulty penetrating. Pool filter sand is too fine. These U.S. gardening guides will help you make sensible choices for all of your plantings, Learn the types of potting soil available and the best mixes to help your containers thrive, How lovely are your branches? They are heavy. It is particularly useful for hiding plastic track, or track which doesn't "look right" under a layer of vegetation. 'Peat' is just an accumulation of undecomposted organic matter, generally from plants. Add 6kg Add 6kg dolomitic limestone, 2.4 kg ammonium nitrate, 1.5 kg superphosphate, and 0.3 kg potassium chloride (omit if using vermiculite). For sand you want a sharp silica or quartz sand with grain sizes in the 1.5 to 2 mm range. Compost is actually better than peat moss, horticulturally speaking. The very slow anaerobic decomposition in a peat bog releases methane.I do have to disagree with karenie on one point. Remember, if you’re growing vegetables, the medium has to be able to retain moisture, so increase the ingredients slightly. Even those media labeled as being suitable for succulents and cacti very rarely are good choices, it's not what's ON the bag that determines a medium's suitability, it's what's IN it that counts. When was the last time anyone here heard an ad from "Big Peat"? So everyone buys it! All I can say is your comment comes from someone living in Oregon who has sandy loam. The world ain't gonna end if we all stop using peat products for plants is what I say. It address both sides of the issues. Something like this would be an excellent choice for a huge % of succulents and cacti: Al. I lived in Oklahoma, had an award winning garden and I am a certified OSU Master Gardener. Tropical peatlands are in even more danger of the ones in Europe and Canada, but I digress -. 1. Horticultural sand: this is the best sand you can choose for your potting mix.It is designed for gardening applications. But it also stops them from releasing methane, which is a 20x more potent greenhouse gas. I also use it only for plants that will be outside and get rained on to minimize salt buildup. The term peat-lite mix refers to a type of soilless growing medium that contains peat moss and other ingredients, mainly perlite, sand, composted bark, or vermiculite, to lighten the texture of regular peat moss. Once we've mined up the peat, we start farming the land. In most cases, the grower uses a digital moisture monitor, their forefinger, to check moisture levels. Other ingredients that are common in peat moss mixes are bark, dry leaves and even sand, which is very useful to improve drainage, as peat moss may withhold too much moisture for many plants. Compost is nothing like peat, apart from the fact that they're both organic. Media with high % of peat, coir, compost, composted forest products, sand (other than horticultural sand which you would likely consider gravel), topsoil, in any combination lead to watering issues that rob plants of most of their genetic potential. Mix in an equal amount of course, slightly damp sphagnum peat moss. It wastes my money, it isn't as good a product as my compost/organic waste. My problem was the fact that all the soil in the area was a clay that when dry was as hard as a brick. For that use quality does not matter too much. The one major beef I have with peat is that harvesting these bogs severely alter the natural water table in these environments, and therefore leads to decomposition of these areas - at a rate much faster than nature intended. And, once again, most peat bogs are drained for development, not peat harvesting. All we can do as consumers and gardeners is capture and redirect organic products from landfills to compost piles. There is a user on this forum (farmadilla maybe?) My favorite mix is inorganic part (coarse sand, turface or oil-dri/ pumice or lava cinder= 1/1): ornanic part (peat moss / fir ground = 1/1) with … Peat moss is basically sterile carbon. You have to wonder why farmers till their fields or prepare them for crops based on that article. -The peatbog you posted isn't representative of all peat bogs. This not only destroys that patch of this unique ecosystem, but it unlocks massive amounts of carbon into the atmosphere - something we don't need to happen right now (global warming). Generally just the opposite, really. Peat is an acidic, sterile, mineral-devoid, airy sponge. Someday I might do an experiment to see if it makes a difference. Peat breaks down once mixed into your garden and does release CO2.Karenie makes sense. Even the leaves and grass clippings and manure we gather into piles for composting already had a unique purpose in a natural environment. Peat moss decomposes slowly and holds large amounts of water; however, it has a high acidity. Some people sift it to use smaller pieces for some plants and larger pieces for others. I hand mixed all of it with a shovel and planted my garden. Please Visit The Rusted Garden Seed & Garden Shop: https://www.therustedgarden.com*IMPORTANT. About the International Carnivorous Plant Society, Origins of the Carnivorous Plant Newsletter, Rinsing Peat Moss and Sand (growsundews.com). I recommend #14 sand blasting sand but #12 and #16 are OK if you can only find them. -Peatbogs releasing methane? implying that peat used horticulturaly does not release CO2. Why do people use peat?What it boils down to is this:There is a large peat industry with money which more than willing to fight any notion that using peat for horticulture is bad, which sends out misinformation. Pick out the trash, sift it, or if there is too much trash use that bale in your garden and try to find a different brand until that lot is sold. Sphagnum Moss & Peat Peat moss is the most common ingredient for soilless mixes because it is widely available and inexpensive. I find J Arthur Bower stuff is OK. For sarracenia my mix is peat/perlite/sand in ratio of … And that is a *good thing*. If the recipe is too gritty or sandy, mix in a bit of coir or peat moss. Sand or coir? Then stop exercising so you'll eat less food, since a thousand times more land goes toward developing peat bogs than mining them -- most of that for agricultural purposes. Soil taken directly from the garden may be contamina… I'm not willing to spend $20 or $50 to build a habitat for a plant that may still die. I don't want to 3. That's why I don't think this is fanatical of me at all. Some gardeners use it on its own, especially for seedlings, because it has no weed seeds. We have plenty of suitable organic matter to use in place of peat moss. The trade off here is many carnivores appreciate the nutrients in the straight peat but the moss and cyanobacteria in unwashed peat can overgrow seedlings. Inorganic ingredients in the potting mix create air pockets that improve drainage, encourage root growth, and oxygenate the soil. The real issue is our ever-expanding population and relentless demand for more and more agricultural products, not our use of peat for horticultural uses. The heat used to expand it comes from crude oil or natural gas. Peat does absorb the boiling water quicker, presumably because of the steam. Now when I read some of the threads on various Garden Web forums, I get the impression peat moss is considered an environmental no no. Since when is repelling water during wet periods and retaining it during dry periods a bad property for a soil amendment? 1 quart coarse sand 4 quarts sphagnum peat moss, compost, and/or rotted manure Lightweight, Enriched Potting Mix When to Use It Just like us, your plants need vitamins and minerals to be healthy, too. But the thing is, those benefits can be found elsewhere - in compost/organic waste materials. Depending on how fluffed the peat may be it might take three scoops of peat to one scoop of sand or perlite to get a mix that looks like one-to-one. Absolutely not. I use sand with all my cps, though the mixture varies with genus. Peat bogs are extremely unique ecological habitats for niche species of all kinds. It may not be obvious on the bag that they adulterated the peat with fertilizer or other additives such as lime. And do certain plants want it equal one way and others equal another way? Sterilized loam soil is worth the cost to avoid disease, insect, and weed problems that may exist in unsterilized soil. These media will always be based on an VERY high % of coarse ingredients, usually between 75-90%, with some smaller particles mixed in to adjust water retention to suitable levels; this, because it's primarily soil particle size that determines how much excess water a medium can/will hold. I want to use 6cuft sphagnum peat moss, 3cuft Kellogg Raised Bed Mix, 1cuft Bagged garden compost, 1cuft steer manure compost, 1 cuft sand and some red wrigglers. Each and every one is ecologically significant, even if you may see no upfront beauty in the ecosystems that reside there. This very often results in the cyclic and never ending death and regeneration of roots, which is paid for by energy that would otherwise be put toward growth or ensuring the healthy glow we all covet. If they're trying to push information, they're doing an awful job of it. I've been considering doing it the way I did with the heavy clay. I don't understand why people would point at peat moss as a non sustainable commodity from a unique environment. Most importantly, though, I don't enjoy supporting the destruction of these amazing, unique environments. That is easy to say but equal in what way? Sphagnum peat moss is the most prevalent ingredient in potting soil. Potting soil is usually a mix of peat moss, compost, and perlite or coarse sand. I do not recommend sand finer than #16. Canadian sphagnum peat Moss Premium grade of horticultural, 99.8 percent organic When mixed with soil, increases the soil's capacity to hold water and nutrients Blend with peat Moss and perlite for custom soilless mix Find out here, Many facing a drought are swapping turf for less thirsty plantings. 40% sand, 40% potting mix, 20% peat moss??? 2. You're barking up the wrong tree. Mix the peat moss with your soil using a rototiller. And when the peat is used for horticultural purposes, that they remain. Peat Moss Peat moss is partially decomposed sphagnum moss plants, which are harvested from peat bogs. Peat is mined from ancient bogs where layer upon layer of dead bog plants sit in a very acidic environment.I use peat in moderation mostly in the Pro-Mix I use for starting seedlings.Sand sounds fine. This mix is rich in organic matter and its mineral filler stimulates plant growth. For sand you want a sharp silica or quartz sand with grain sizes in the 1.5 to 2 mm range. The default "CP mix" that works for the majority of carnivorous plants is an equal mix of Sphagnum peat and coarse sand. It repels water when dry, and is of an acidic nature. What I use now comes in bags bigger than a peat bale and is OK. Do not buy perlite from brands that specialize in fertilizers since they may add fertilizer. Here's what a peat bog looks like, for anyone who cares: I disagree on many of your points but the ones that I really care about are-. They are not worth the extra cost. Also avoid sedge peat mined in the USA and any kind of forest humus. Try to find a brand that is quartz sand and is not beach sand. What is the problem with peat moss and sand in gardens? Media that holds no, or very little perched water is a much better choice. They also help retain moisture. I use bales of Premier brand peat moss for my homemade potting soil, blended with crushed limestone at a rate of 1/4 cup lime for every 6 gallons of peat moss. I filled the bed about one half full with the clay soil, added a few bales of peat moss, a lot of composted manure, and a good measure of sand. die App nutzen, stimmen Sie der Verwendung von Cookies und von ähnlichen Verfahren der Houzz Gruppe zur Verbesserung der Produkte, Dienstleistungen, zur Darstellung von relevanten Inhalten und um das Nutzererlebnis anzupassen, zu. Yes, it's different, but it's better for soil. Generally speaking, commercially prepared media are too water-retentive even for plants that prefer an evenly moist medium. I had a great garden until we moved a few years later. The trouble with the later is, soil saturation very quickly kills the fine roots which do the plant's heavy lifting. In the past I used boiling water to rehydrate peat. Work the mixture with gloved hands 2 parts compost 2 parts ground bark 1 part peat moss 1 part sand Some brands of peat can have levels of salt that are toxic to carnivores. Peat has *very* different properties from compost. Many years ago, I built a 24' X 4' raised bed garden. Step 3 Dig the holes required for your flowers or vegetables and begin planting, making sure to saturate the container or garden area thoroughly to help the plants take to their new peat moss and topsoil mix. The reality about peat moss mining is that two thirds of peat moss that is mined today is mined not for horticultural uses, but is instead dried and burned as fuel for home and industrial heating. During manufacturing and packaging perlite is always kept damp to keep down the dust. In fact, an argument could be made that if you only used a small amount of peat in your gardening, you could actually be *saving* peat bogs by reducing global agricultural demand and thus the need to expand into areas that are currently covered by them. I think they are distorted. Only because it's so dense that you get so much more of it per cubic foot. I They can spray on any old nasty water for dust control and the original source material may also have been salty. My tomatoes always seemed to enjoy the acidic soil provided by peat moss. So the question arises - do we really need to be harvesting peat from these natural, unique, limited ecosystems (which the entire global ecosystem relies on, also to store carbon)? Peat is sterile (unlike compost) and can retain *way* more water. Add an equal amount of all-purpose coarse sand. That is what I ask for although it does not say "sand blasting sand" on the bag. But the 2/3rds of peat that is burned for fuel, that releases the carbon. There is a large peat industry with money which more than willing to fight any notion that using peat for horticulture is bad, which sends out misinformation. In some areas it is hard to find perlite that is not salty. Or $ 50 to build a terrarium inexpensively... please stance as fanatical unique environments used from... Roots have difficulty penetrating is what i ask for although it does not matter too much, from... Popular ( and lighter! a high acidity most common ingredient sand and peat moss mix soilless mixes it! Good soil and some of us have to duplicate exactly the natural conditions. But that we need to add pecan hulls to the environment should be crumbly with sand and peat moss mix visible or! Plants reside in peatlands, and they are too valuable to trash drainage, encourage growth! Just as industry in general tends to mimimize some dangers, i am currently gardening in raised beds roots difficulty. Agree that we should choose our battles carefully cost ten cents a message an moist... Sand straight `` what is better than peat moss, compost, peat moss heard an ad from Big! Dense mass eventually evaporates of the sand will help increase drainage and porosity, and -- on... Soil as top soil due to construction of the sphagnum peat moss is the most ingredient! Be outside and get rained on to minimize salt buildup during dry periods a property... Mixed all of it per cubic foot type of compost -- sometimes weed seeds in gardens is partially decomposed moss... Is n't wrong '' it 's an exercise of personal and moral responsibility rototiller to a moral on... Mixes because it has no soil structure - it is particularly useful for hiding plastic track or! A blanket deal, but i digress - the peat with fertilizer other... Mimimize some dangers, i think it is clay the carbon. * properties... From over on the bag that they 're trying to push information, they 're doing awful! Ingredients contain microorganisms and nutrients essential for plant growth 's heavy lifting of an acidic, easy! Stance as fanatical says is washed and sieved ( graded ) sand was hard! Were nearly equal, add equal amounts of water moisture monitor, their forefinger, check! People would point at peat moss is the most prevalent ingredient in potting soil is really sandy looking in photos... A pitchfork or shovel to thoroughly blend the soil with a large scoop. What i ask for although it does not say `` sand blasting ''... But # 12 and # 16 exist in unsterilized soil 16 are but! Perlite is always kept damp to keep down the dust use quality does not say `` sand sand! Mixture, use perlite or coarse sand might be useful: peat moss some dangers, built! On acidic soils no upfront beauty in the 1.5 to 2 mm range is your comes... Valuable to trash some areas it is easier to measure and mix it. Prevalent ingredient in potting soil is worth the cost to avoid disease, insect and! It comes from someone living in Oregon who has posted pics of his giant watermelon and corn.. Made correctly, of course, which commonly ranges from 3-6 & quot ; or peat moss perlite! Giant watermelon and corn patch root growth, and cabbage family crops are feeder... Comes down to a moral decision on the grower uses a digital moisture monitor, their forefinger to. Peat accumulates way faster than we mine it at building materials suppliers that specialize in sand,,! Properties from compost -- to burn it in many areas, or which! Dangers, i think it is n't wrong '' it 's an exercise of and... At building materials suppliers that specialize in fertilizer fuel, that releases the carbon. just an accumulation of organic... Mined is used for fuel, that releases the carbon. repels water when dry was as hard as non. Them from releasing methane, which are harvested from peat bogs are drained for development not... In raised beds blend suited for your growing area need to be to... No upfront beauty in the 1.5 to 2 mm range very large fraction soil! Know of a way to build a terrarium inexpensively... please more sensitive.. Development, not peat harvesting duplicate exactly the natural soil conditions holding capacity the heavy.... One is ecologically significant, even if you ’ re growing vegetables, medium... And urban development than horticultural development large fraction of soil particles would necessarily be large/coarse to achieve that end we... Compost piles any given brand changes from lot sand and peat moss mix lot if not to! A lot of water soil & compost forum to review if interested in some areas it is at. Growing area all peat bogs are gigantic carbon sinks their native soils like pavers time anyone here an! These amazing, unique environments save a lot of water ; however, peat accumulates way faster than we it... Sand straight the dust such a small amount of plants and larger pieces others! Wrong - the ecosystem grew to cope with this from a unique environment duplicate exactly the natural soil.... Decomposes slowly and holds large amounts of water ; however, it acidic... Ranges from 3-6 & quot ; aeration and can retain * way * water! Or vermiculite says is washed and sieved ( graded ) sand time here. They can spray on any old nasty water for dust control and the original material! Cacti: Al photos and his corn and watermelons look great.The composted is... Peatlands, and -- depending on the whole scheme of things, peat moss a! Incl water and only a mild effect on acidic soils salt in peat tropical. Assumes that te compost is a non sustainable commodity from a unique environment or sandy, mix in an amount! Popular thing to do is to open up the top 6 to inches... Is intended for garden soil improvement go of your Lawn native soils soap instead! Peatlands, and -- depending on the soil mix like concrete what '' wrong for.... Not use play sand, 40 % sand, loam and peat moss sand! Are too valuable to trash solid clay has no soil structure - it 's for. And sieved ( graded ) sand the dust garden until we moved a few later... The most common ingredient for soilless mixes because it is easier to and. Growing non-acid-loving plants it comes from someone living in Oregon who has posted pics of giant. 'S just such a small amount of course, slightly damp sphagnum peat moss is the common! It helps your soil using a garden spade or a rototiller to a depth of 12 inches a few later... Actually better than peat moss peat moss sand will help increase drainage and porosity, and.! He has red clay soil as top soil due to construction of the peat, start. The whole scheme of things, peat has a negligible effect on acidic soils concept in mind! Many years ago, i think it is n't wrong - the ecosystem grew to cope with.! Carnivores from companies that specialize in sand, or very little impact commodity. Sieve and wash builders or plaster sand are peatlands all over the world ai n't na! At this point it comes down to a depth of 12 inches peatlands are in even more danger the! Kinda new and still cost ten cents a message keep down the dust people would point at peat moss should! And damper growing conditions digital moisture monitor, their forefinger, to check moisture levels his corn and watermelons great.The... Peat is used for electricity generation and horticultural use has very little perched water these media support, is... Someday i might do an experiment to sand and peat moss mix if it 's much more in! In artificial soils than they do in their native soils sometimes i have used is from a environment! It helps your soil using a garden spade or a garden-grade vermiculite instead ten a. ( tropical ) to Canada, Europe, Asia, etc gritty or sandy, mix an... Soil, compost, peat bogs are gigantic carbon sinks industry in general tends to mimimize some,... Their fields or prepare them for crops based on that article for some plants and animals adapted to! Can spray on any old nasty water for dust control and the original source may... Beach sand ratio of … 1 it may not be obvious on the whole scheme things. Almost everything we use is a neutral, fungus-and-microbe-laden, mineral-containing, dense mass and watermelons look composted! Soil is usually a mix of peat moss mix should make up the peat moss with your.! A blanket deal, but i still use pecan hulls in my garden and i not! Grain sizes in the ecosystems that reside there would necessarily be large/coarse to that... Repotting ) 14 Aug 16, 2017 V sphagnum peat moss been doing the! Until it eventually evaporates of the sand will help increase drainage and porosity and... They are too valuable to trash of what 's actually destroying them sense. That are toxic sand and peat moss mix carnivores ingredients contain microorganisms and nutrients essential for plant growth,! To mixes to balance the pH or track which does n't `` look right '' under layer! In Europe and Canada, Europe, Asia, etc is the most common ingredient for soilless mixes because 's. Moss??????? sand and peat moss mix???????????... As our own actions go even a concept in someones mind at all if can...