al-k-mist
Member
heres an article i came across looking up somethin else. I definitely see a point, but i cannot see growing medicine with many of the alternatives listed, especially biosolids...human shit(Not my own).
Ill let people make their own decision. maybe share your opinion...or not...
I was going to mention that i bought a pallet of peat a while back. those are going to be permanent beds...but after reading of the environmental impact, i must look into it a bit more
pdf was at
http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda ...ral myths_files/Myths/Horticultural peat.pdf
Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Extension Urban Horticulturist and Associate Professor,
Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University
The Myth of Permanent Peatlands:
"Peat moss is an environmentally friendly organic amendment essential for many
horticultural purposes"
The Myth
Peatlands are specialized types of wetlands whose value to human civilization has been
recognized for centuries. Perhaps the most continued use of peatlands is as a fuel source:
chunks of peat are cut from bogs, dried, and used for cooking and heating purposes. Though
many societies have turned to other forms of energy production, this practice continues today
especially where other fuel sources are absent.
Peat moss, a principal plant component of peatlands, has also been an important part of the
horticulture industry; it’s used as a soil amendment both in gardens and container plants and as
an aesthetic topdressing for potted plants and floral arrangements. Consisting primarily of
Sphagnum species, peat moss has an amazing capacity to hold water like a sponge, slowly
releasing it as the surrounding soil dries out. Since peat is 100% natural, it must be a truly
“green” gardening product – right?
The Reality
The “greenness” of any product is determined both by the environmental friendliness of the
product and its method of production. Unfortunately, there is no economically realistic,
environmentally friendly way to harvest peat moss. This is a natural resource that accumulates at
the glacially slow rate of 0.5 – 1.0 mm per year, or about ¼ of an inch. Peat harvesting involves
the removal of deep layers of peat that have literally taken centuries to accumulate. In fact, since
harvesting implies sustainability, it is more accurate to describe commercial peat removal as
mining.
While peat used for fuel can be necessary for human survival, that used for modern horticultural
purposes is not and therefore represents luxury consumption. For consumers to make an
informed decision about whether or not to use peat moss requires an understanding of the roles
peatlands play in the environment. Like other wetlands, these systems help purify and store
water. Perhaps most important is that they are the single largest terrestrial store of carbon,
equivalent to 75% of all carbon in the atmosphere (CC-GAP, 2005). Paradoxically, the
destruction of peatlands is not yet recognized as a significant part of global climate change.
Most damaging to educational efforts regarding peatland conservation is industry assertions that
there are no substitutes for peat moss in horticultural applications. Similarly, there is often a
perception that this natural resource cannot be diminished; sales material from one local peat
producer claims their supply of peat from a 150-acre lake is “virtually limitless.” One industry
group asserts that “peat is still the only affordable and readily available substrate that can be used
to grow all kinds of plants….It is still the underpinning of the horticulture industry, worldwide.”
Ill let people make their own decision. maybe share your opinion...or not...
I was going to mention that i bought a pallet of peat a while back. those are going to be permanent beds...but after reading of the environmental impact, i must look into it a bit more
pdf was at
http://www.puyallup.wsu.edu/~linda ...ral myths_files/Myths/Horticultural peat.pdf
Linda Chalker-Scott, Ph.D., Extension Urban Horticulturist and Associate Professor,
Puyallup Research and Extension Center, Washington State University
The Myth of Permanent Peatlands:
"Peat moss is an environmentally friendly organic amendment essential for many
horticultural purposes"
The Myth
Peatlands are specialized types of wetlands whose value to human civilization has been
recognized for centuries. Perhaps the most continued use of peatlands is as a fuel source:
chunks of peat are cut from bogs, dried, and used for cooking and heating purposes. Though
many societies have turned to other forms of energy production, this practice continues today
especially where other fuel sources are absent.
Peat moss, a principal plant component of peatlands, has also been an important part of the
horticulture industry; it’s used as a soil amendment both in gardens and container plants and as
an aesthetic topdressing for potted plants and floral arrangements. Consisting primarily of
Sphagnum species, peat moss has an amazing capacity to hold water like a sponge, slowly
releasing it as the surrounding soil dries out. Since peat is 100% natural, it must be a truly
“green” gardening product – right?
The Reality
The “greenness” of any product is determined both by the environmental friendliness of the
product and its method of production. Unfortunately, there is no economically realistic,
environmentally friendly way to harvest peat moss. This is a natural resource that accumulates at
the glacially slow rate of 0.5 – 1.0 mm per year, or about ¼ of an inch. Peat harvesting involves
the removal of deep layers of peat that have literally taken centuries to accumulate. In fact, since
harvesting implies sustainability, it is more accurate to describe commercial peat removal as
mining.
While peat used for fuel can be necessary for human survival, that used for modern horticultural
purposes is not and therefore represents luxury consumption. For consumers to make an
informed decision about whether or not to use peat moss requires an understanding of the roles
peatlands play in the environment. Like other wetlands, these systems help purify and store
water. Perhaps most important is that they are the single largest terrestrial store of carbon,
equivalent to 75% of all carbon in the atmosphere (CC-GAP, 2005). Paradoxically, the
destruction of peatlands is not yet recognized as a significant part of global climate change.
Most damaging to educational efforts regarding peatland conservation is industry assertions that
there are no substitutes for peat moss in horticultural applications. Similarly, there is often a
perception that this natural resource cannot be diminished; sales material from one local peat
producer claims their supply of peat from a 150-acre lake is “virtually limitless.” One industry
group asserts that “peat is still the only affordable and readily available substrate that can be used
to grow all kinds of plants….It is still the underpinning of the horticulture industry, worldwide.”
