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Sat, Aug 11, 12 at 10:23
| Good morning gardeners. I have a 2.2 cu ft bag of sphagnum peat moss I don't need for anything. Would there be any issues incorporating that into my compost bin? I probably will finish the present compost to add to my raised beds later this fall and maybe add the peat moss to over-winter in the compost bin for spring. Would appreciate any thoughts. Thanks so much.
Keith |
Follow-Up Postings:
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| Sphagnum is a genus of over 150 mosses & they can hold 16-26 times their dry weight in water. I would keep the moss & use it as a mulch in the spring. It will compost & it is organic, but it is better in it's dry form.IMO. |
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| Thanks jolj, that was kinda what I was thinking. Appreciate it. |
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- Posted by tropical_thought San Francisco (My Page) on Mon, Aug 13, 12 at 10:02
| It will fill up your bin, but not help the process, so it does make better mulch, or mix it with finished compost and mulch or use it as amendment when putting in plants. |
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- Posted by still_kris z17 NoCA (My Page) on Mon, Aug 13, 12 at 20:25
| According to some information I read (Rodale?), 70% of the organic matter from peat moss is still in the soil after 10 years so it is very slow to "compost." The difficulty with keeping it wet might inhibit the cooking of your heap and I agree that it would be better mixed into finished compost. |
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- Posted by nevermore44 (My Page) on Mon, Aug 13, 12 at 21:17
| I would think that in an active compost pile it would cook down much faster though right? Either way though... It would go to better use outside the compost. |
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- Posted by tropical_thought San Francisco (My Page) on Mon, Aug 13, 12 at 21:40
| But, you don't want it to break down. The whole point is that it lasts and makes your soil softer. |
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| tropical thought, You got it there. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Tue, Aug 14, 12 at 11:03
| Agreed. And although it's hard to wet when dry, once it's wet - whether in the compost bin or in the ground - it should be no harder to keep it wet than any other organic matter. It could be a problem used alone as mulch, though. Once it gets dry it could shed water. |
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| Could, and will. There aren't many mulches worse than peat moss. |
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| Could, and will. There aren't many mulches worse than peat moss. |
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| Could, and will. There aren't many mulches worse than peat moss. |
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| This is going to surprise you, but my computer has some sort of repetitive disorder as of late. |
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| You will find answers all over the spectrum on this subject, some pro, some con. Peat Moss is a material that is mostly digested already with little to no nutrients to contribute to compost, so it really adds little of value to compost. When flower pots with peat based potting soils are added to my compost I will very often find it in the mix, easily distinguishable for what it is, even though everything else put in the mix is well digested. You can add peat moss to your compost, nut it will not add much of any value to that compost. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Thu, Aug 16, 12 at 11:20
| annpat's being sampled like a rap tune! Rock on with your bad self annpat. |
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| No, I want to hear the better self. Brava, peat moss! |
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| "Brava peat moss" as a mulch? Peat moss left on top of soil makes a water insoluble surface. While there may be debate about peat moss, I don't think many people think it's a good mulch. It's great for the perimeter of the garden where the water run-off settles. Dry peat moss repels water. You can moisten it and incorporate it into your soil, but---as a mulch---it's a terrible choice. |
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- Posted by tropical_thought San Francisco (My Page) on Thu, Aug 16, 12 at 19:45
| But, mixed with your home made compost it is great. It will drain right. |
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| Never had a problem with sphagnum moss, but I do not let my sandy soil stay dry for days, now that I use soaker hose. Come to think of it, did not have a problem before. My garden is never powder dry, not even when it has not rained in weeks, in the peak of summer. So I can not say what the problem would be like. My house plant with sphagnum moss do not shed water, so maybe I am doing this peat moss thing wrong, but it works for me. |
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| I think I will just leave it out of the lasagna or compost and use for something else. I am so appreciative of the responses here. What a great group of folk helping out each other. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr (My Page) on Fri, Aug 17, 12 at 12:38
| Just to be clear, I don't think people are suggesting it will be a problem mixed into soil, potting mixes, etc., but if used by itself on top of the ground as mulch, it can form a surface that sheds water when it dries out. It would be fine mixed into a lasagna bed, dug into soil, etc. |
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| Right. Moisten thoroughly first. |
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- Posted by tropical_thought San Francisco (My Page) on Fri, Aug 17, 12 at 22:30
| Some brands of peat moss contain a wetting agent. |
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| the whole idea for the home gardener, is after many years, replacing your need for store bought peat moss with home made compost. It takes a long time. For instance, my potting mix is 5 parts pinewood fines mulch, 1 part peat moss, 1 part perlite. But gradually I am able to replace the peat moss with compost. It takes forever. So yes, everything goes in the compost pile. Unused peat moss, the bones from lambchops, leftover miracle grow potting mix, coffee filters, last year's tomatoe vines. You can speed things up by adding alfalfa pellets (Rabbit Food you buy at the local hardware or Walmart.) It gets really hot. At some point you ask yourself, "Is this a suitable substitue for peat moss?" And if the answer is "Yes" you have done your small part to save the planet (and a little of your wallet.) |
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| My vote would be to add the peat moss directly to finished compost, about 3-5 parts compost to peat moss. Blend it well and then use the mix just as you would normally use your compost. The there is "Mel's Mix" for the SFG folks -- compost + peat moss + vermiculite in equal amounts. |
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| I've heard that dish liquid soap can be used as a wetting agent, not sure how it would do in this case but should not be a disaster if it just does nothing, I've never tried it with peat moss. |
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- Posted by toxcrusadr 5 (My Page) on Mon, Apr 15, 13 at 13:57
| I assume that would be diluted in water and sprayed on to wet the surface? Interesting idea. It shouldn't take much soap, just a dab'll do ya. :-] |
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