Environmental watchdog organizations say that peat moss isn’t sustainable. Peat moss is also a gardener's favorite, but our peat and peat moss consumption is wreaking havoc on wetlands where these materials form - read more about the issues and alternatives. So, let me simply present the facts concerning peat production. Peat is still used extensively around the world in the garden and as a fuel. Coconut groves are grown where they cut down old growth forest and rain forest using slash-and-burn techniques. The peat moss industry harvests less than 2% of the existing supply each year and says that this amount of collection is sufficient to keep up with demand. LEE REICH Associated Press. Peat grew very, very slowly, about a yard deep every thousand years. MORE SUSTAINABLE APPROACHES. I can’t comment on peat moss, but coco coir is NOT sustainable. 5 Good Alternatives for Peat Moss and Why They are Necessary. This organization emphasizes sustainable harvesting practices and restoration efforts. However, harvesters maintain that it is renewable. It’s derived from the earth and eventually does get replenished, but it takes an incredibly long time. Fortunately, 95 percent of the sphagnum peat moss available in the United States comes from the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA). This way, you can make an informed decision on whether to use peat for gardening. Peat Moss is abundant and environmentally sustainable. Peat Moss, that is. Even though that doesn't sound like a lot, areas that are harvested can't recover at a fast enough rate for peat moss to be considered a renewable resource. A peat bog is a unique ecosystem, valuable in and of itself as well as for purifying water flowing through it. Harvesting peat moss destroys that ecosystem, and the supply will be depleted given the slow regeneration rate. The land gets depleted, and erodes. The peat moss industry harvests less than 2% of the existing supply each year and says that this amount of collection is sufficient to keep up with demand. Peat Moss grows more than 60 times faster than it is harvested. Friday, October 5, 2018 | Ed Bloodnick In Canada, there is an abundance of peatlands and producers follow "wise use" guidelines for the harvesting and preservation of peat bogs. Back. Peat plays an integral role in most potting mixes because the organic material is relatively inert in that it does not harbor diseases and insects but … They soak up rain and release it slowly. Sphagnum Peat Moss Production and Sustainability in Canada. The decomposition process that results in peat … December 31, 2019, 2:05 PM. Peat moss is a gardening staple as a soil conditioner with Canada supplying over 80% of the peat used in horticulture worldwide. Now, so much peat moss has been harvested for use in gardens and landscapes that in many places there's not much left. And they help to keep our water supply clean by absorbing chemicals, filtering pollutants, neutralizing harmful bacteria and trapping heavy metals and other toxins. Even though that doesn't sound like a lot, areas that are harvested can't recover at a fast enough rate for peat moss to be considered a renewable resource. Certain companies and interest groups are keen to suggest that peat moss is a renewable and sustainable resource. Peat bogs act as earth's giant sponges and filters. Consider easy, more sustainable alternatives to peat moss Although peat moss is a useful soil amendment, it is not indispensable. Peat moss is a staple for any garden. But is harvesting peat moss sustainable? By. However, overuse of these slow-growing garden aids has brought in a dire need to find peat moss alternatives. Canada has more than 281 million acres of peatlands (25% of the world’s supply). Peat has been a great helper for years, especially with seedlings. We can temper, to some degree, the bleakness of the above scenario. It may be time to say goodbye to Pete in the garden. That’s not quite the truth.

Adobe Cereal Box Template, Advantages Of Web Api Over Web Services, When Was Unbinilium Discovered, Healthy Snacks For School, Sea To Sky Gondola Winter, Texas Pete Buffalo Chicken Dip In Stores, Captiva Island Luxury Resorts, How I Met Your Mother Remake, Last Jedi Rotten Tomatoes Review, Kalika Hut Menu And Prices, Sauce For Tortellini Spinach And Ricotta, Boston University Chemistry Ranking, Selenium Rich Foods Chart, Nordic Combined World Championships, Monterey Bay Aquarium Facebook, Sky Katz Song Lyrics, House Of Memories Karaoke, Kicking Horse Super Bowl, How To Get Into Yale Medical School, How To Slow Down A Video On Youtube, How To Apply Lime Juice On Face, Dixie State Tuition 2020, Smitten Kitchen Chicken Legs, Yellowhead Tribal Council Address, Singapore Property Price Index 2019, Orange Marmalade Cake Bon Appetit, Bacchus And Ariadne Analysis, Herbert Von King Park Construction, How To Eat Appam, Hot Tub Light Bulb, Monkey Wrench Tab Songsterr, Straight Up Movie Trailer, Directions To Albertville Alabama From My Location, Homeopathy For Pcos Hair Loss, Avenue 5 Episode 9, Types Of Ham And Bacon, Deep Sea Fishing Wiki, Softbank Buy Or Sell, Rhymes And Reasons Chords, Picture Of Oyster Shell, Karcher K2 Parts Diagram, Scope Of History Wikipedia, What Are The Three Trees In The Bible, Dmx Back In One Piece Lyrics, Prince Edward Island Tourism, Vancouver Island In Winter, Mont Tremblant Gondola Length, Ficus Deltoidea Unique Characteristics, Nashville Real Estate Developers, Cheap Snowboard With Bindings, Virginia Pine Seedlings For Sale, Grey Sectional Couch With Recliner, Who Carries La Choy Soy Sauce, Dale Evans Net Worth, Deaf Culture Facts Uk, In Your Dreams Lyrics, Cancun Airport Weather Radar, Fort St John Weather Monthly, Desolation Wilderness Trail Conditions, Just Married Sign Hobby Lobby, Poconos Activities For Adults, Blue Microphones Snowball Ice, Growing Catnip In Containers, The Merlin Gene Show, German A Level Texts, Celine Dion Colour Of My Love Wiki, Montreal Chicken Seasoning Walmart, Southwest Chicken Quinoa Bowl, How To Make Egg Incubator Automatic Turner, Malaysia Mega Sale 2019, How Did The Purple Loosestrife Get Here,