Peat Question - Is quality variable (enough to matter) or is peat basically peat?

TGCooper 8/14/2014, 3:03 pm

Returning to gardening after a many year hiatus and in the process of getting started with SFG. Built the first of 4 planned 2x4 boxes for my balcony last weekend. Lots of calls and a few miles of driving, I think I have located all the components for my own Mel's Mix. What I found in my search was although the composts at the Big Box stores were invariably cheaper, when I found open bags they did not seem as good as what I found at feed/garden stores. So my question is on the peat, probably the easiest item to find. It is available everywhere, and at widely varying prices. I certainly dont want to cut corners if it is going to make a difference. So, anyone with any bad experience with peat from the big big stores? Please name the brand if you can, as I find some have several brands.

Marc Iverson 8/14/2014, 3:08 pm

I don't know if you'll find bad experiences so much as no particularly good experiences to compare them to. All the peat I've seen for years is very fine powder. Many insist that's nowhere near as good for water retention as the peat that is still more chunky and hasn't been broken down so much. But I've never even seen that stuff anywhere in real life, only online.

**camprn** 8/14/2014, 3:42 pm

There are different grades of sphagnum moss. P grade is fine and pretty consistent for our garden mix.
http://www.berger.ca/products/peat-moss

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Peat Question - Is quality variable (enough to matter) or is peat basically peat?

Peat Question - Is quality variable (enough to matter) or is peat basically peat?

Re: Peat Question - Is quality variable (enough to matter) or is peat basically peat?

Re: Peat Question - Is quality variable (enough to matter) or is peat basically peat?

Re: Peat Question - Is quality variable (enough to matter) or is peat basically peat?


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