I read somewhere that you shouldn't put peat moss in your garden. Is this true?
There is a great deal of debate surrounding the use of peat moss in the garden and that debate revolves mainly around whether or not peat moss can be considered a sustainable resource.
Canada has something like 113 million hectares of peat bogs (only Finland has more) and only a tiny fraction – .02 percent - is currently being harvested for commercial purposes. Although these bogs are supposed to be returned to functioning wetlands after they've been harvested, there's some question about whether it's possible to fully restore an ecosystem that took thousands of years to evolve into its current state.
Environmentalists say no.
So then why do we use peat moss in our gardens? There are a number of reasons, most notably because of its superior ability to retain water and to aerate the soil. Commercially available peat is also sterile, so we know it isn't introducing any problems into our gardens.
Where possible, try substituting manure or compost and when you do find yourself resorting to peat moss, try not to worry too much about it. You've probably already done several things today that are just as environmentally destructive.
If you have any questions or comments, please send them to me at vanessa@gardenmuse.ca.
