[MaggiesMom]

I read this on another forum, but there was no info as to why. Can anyone shed some light on this for me?

 

[MaggiesMom]

Well, I found my own answer, and it was what I thought it was. What it boils down to is *sedge* peat is considred to be like oil when it comes to its renewability. Technically, it can probably be made naturally again, but only over long, log periods of time, and we are consuming it much more quickly than it can ever possibly be replaced.<br><br>
Here is a link: <a href="http://www.garden.org/subchannels/landscaping/ground?q=show&id=695" target="_blank">http://www.garden.org/subchannels/la...?q=show&id=695</a><br><br>
Another:<br><br><a href="http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/perennials/14588" target="_blank">http://www.suite101.com/article.cfm/perennials/14588</a>

 

[gardenmom]

Thanks for the links..very interesting.<br><br>
I've been using less peat lately than I used to because of the sustainability issue. I got some milled coir bricks (coconut husk) that seems to work really well for making my own soil mix in planters and such, but it really makes my skin itchy, so I don't love it as a substitute for peat.<br><br>
Peat is great for water retention and acidifying the soil, and that's about it. Otherwise its overused, imo. I usually buy one or two bales a year to work into my new garden areas, otherwise I use composted cow manure.

 

[myrrhmaid]

I stay away from peat too. It is over harvested. And once that stuff dries out it is almost impossible to get it to retain water once again. I love the coconut hull bricks and manure.

 

[girlndocs]

If you want something to do a similar job to peat, you can buy a big bale of pine shavings from a feed store. I know it's said that using wood-shavings straight can rob the soil of nitrogen or overly acidify it or or or ... but my mom & I used them for our couple vegetable plants for years, and I've used them here in my garden, with no problem.<br><br>
Nowadays, of course, I let the rabbit & chicks poop in the shavings *first* and then compost it ... <img alt="" class="inlineimg" src="http://www.mothering.com/discussions/images/smilies/thumb.gif" style="border:0px solid;" title="thumbs up">