Lowland peatland sites can be excellent for growing cereals, fruit and vegetables because of their fertile soils. For example, a large marshy area of eastern England, known as the Fens, was drained in the 17th century and has since become a major hub for British food production.
Dec 30, 2020
What are the advantages of peat soil?
Peat soils have the ability to store human remains or ancient artefacts for thousands of years; since they have very minimal microbial decomposition. A good example of this is the 4000 year old body of a man found in peat from Cashel-Central Ireland.
What are the best soil management practices for peat soil?
Due to the instability of peat soils, good soil management practices should be used. Utilization of fall seeded cover crops is highly recommended in order to reduce wind and water erosion.
What makes peat soil different from other types of soil?
Peat soil has it’s own unique traits/properties that makes it different from other types of soils These traits/properties impact how suitable or unsuitable it is to grow different plants, fruits, vegetables, crops etc. in peat soils
What plants grow well in peat soil?
Trees & Shrubs That Grow Well In Peat Soil Heather, Lantern Trees, Witch Hazel, Camellia, and Rhododendron do well in well-drained peaty soils.
Is peat good for farming?
Because of its low pH, peat is still a go-to amendment when planting acid-loving plants such as heathers, azaleas, blueberries and pieris. For general soil improvement, I use mixtures of compost and leaf mold, either homemade or commercially produced.
What grows best in peat soil?
What to grow in peaty soilShrubs such as heather, lantern trees, witch hazel, camellia, rhododendron and azalea.Vegetable crops such as Brassicas, legumes, root crops and salad crops do well in well-drained peaty soils.
Is peat soil fertile?
The most important property of peat is retaining moisture in container soil when it is dry while preventing the excess of water from killing roots when it is wet. Peat can store nutrients although it is not fertile itself – it is polyelectrolytic with a high ion-exchange capacity due to its oxidized lignin.
What are the disadvantages of peat soil?
Peat soil is a non-renewable resource. The most significant downside to peat soil is that it is an unsustainable, non-renewable resource. Harvesting peat soil can contribute to climate change by releasing greenhouse gas emissions like carbon dioxide and methane into the air.
Can you grow veg in peat soil?
With pH levels of 3.5 to 4.5, acidic-loving fruits and vegetables are the ones that will do well when planted in a mix containing peat moss. This includes tomatoes, blueberries, and strawberries. Some plants enjoy the pH levels of a peat moss mix as well, such as camellias.
What is peat soil used for?
In horticulture, peat is used to increase the moisture-holding capacity of sandy soils and to increase the water infiltration rate of clay soils. It is also added to potting mixes to meet the acidity requirements of certain potted plants.
What is the problem with peat?
It immediately starts emitting greenhouse gases. After mining, the remaining peat continues to release carbon dioxide and methane into the atmosphere. 2. The carbon in peat, when spread on a field or garden, quickly turns into carbon dioxide, adding to greenhouse gas levels.
Which soil is suitable for agriculture?
Loamy-textured soilsLoamy-textured soils are commonly described as medium textured with functionally-equal contributions of sand, silt, and clay. These medium-textured soils are often considered ideal for agriculture as they are easily cultivated by farmers and can be highly productive for crop growth.
Is peat soil acidic or alkaline?
acidicAs noted above, peat Moss has an acidic pH, generally in the range of 4.4 (a pH of 7 is neutral; higher pH numbers indicate alkaline soils).
What are the advantages of peat?
Peat stimulates plant growth and root development by improving the structure of the growing media. It also increases soil buffering capacity and prevents the leaching of fertilizer nutrients. Peat can loosen clay soils and improve their porosity making it a choice ingredient in potting soils.
Does peat soil drain well?
Does peat moss loosen soil? Adding peat moss to heavy or compacted soil is a good way to loosen and aerate it for gardening. Peat moss also improves soil’s ability to drain well, and in sandy soils, adding peat moss helps the soil retain water and make moisture available to plants.
Is peat water good for plants?
Peat moss can also help neutralize alkaline soil by bringing down the overall pH. This can help you grow plants that like roughly neutral soil like camellias. Excellent water-holding capacity: Peat moss is known for its remarkable water retention.
Why is peat soil more vulnerable to erosion?
Peat soils drained for agricultural purposes are more vulnerable to wind and water erosion when the topsoil is severely dry. 5. Drainage of peatland can lead to peat fires which destroy forestland and habitation and further increase the emission of CO2 to the atmosphere.
How is peat soil formed?
Peat soils are formed from partially decomposed plant material under anaerobic water saturated conditions. They are found in peatlands (also called bogs or mires). Peatlands cover about 3% of the earth’s land mass; they are found in the temperate (Northern Europe and America) and tropical regions (South East Asia, South America, South Africa and the Caribbean) 1.#N#Peat soils are classified as histosols. These are soils high in organic matter content. Peat formation is influenced by moisture and temperature. In highly saturated anaerobic soils, decomposition of plant material by micro organisms is slowed down, resulting in high carbon accumulation. In colder climates decomposition of plant material by micro organisms is slowed down leading to quicker peat formation. The carbon content of peat soils makes peatland a major storage of carbon on the earth surface. This is why its importance in fighting climate change can never be overemphasized.
Why are peatlands important?
Peatlands bring enormous economic benefits to regions where they are found. 1. Peat is extracted for use as horticultural compost. It is highly sought after in commercial horticulture because of its high water retaining ability and flow of air.1. 2.
What are the causes of the decline of biodiversity in peatland?
1. Drainage of peatland causes decline in biodiversity because its natural hydrological habitat is disturb ed. Peatlands provide habitation for diverse species of meadow birds, animals, vegetation and insects. 2. Peat oxidation can lead to release of dissolved organic matter and peat particles into surface waters. 3.
What is peatland used for?
3. Peatlands are drained and used for agricultural purposes (pasture and crop production) and forestry. Peat use for forestry and agriculture are beneficial but it alters the natural peatland hydrology. This causes oxidation of stored carbon therefore declining its organic matter content.
Why is peat drained before storage?
These processes reduce the water content and encourage microbial decomposition of organic matter.
How to preserve peatlands?
1. Conserve wet peatlands: This approach is preventive and avoids the expensive cost of restoring peatlands to their natural hydrological state. This is simply putting a stop to the drainage of peatlands. There is no need for soil restoration projects if efforts are made to keep the soil in its natural state. People in surrounding communities must be educated on the benefits of conserving the peatland natural ecosystem.
Abstract and Figures
Peat has excellent permeability, good hydrophilicity and strong activitya and wide range of applications in agriculture, which is a loose fibrous natural biomass material, in the paper, the research and application of peat as soil amendment, fertilizer and horticulture were elaborated in detail, and the application prospect of peat in agriculture was prospected..
References (29)
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What is coco peat soil?
Coco peat soil is made from the pith inside a coconut husk. It is naturally anti-fungal, making it an excellent choice to start seed but it is also used in rugs, ropes, brushes, and as stuffing. Coco peat gardening is also used as a soil amendment, potting mix, and in hydroponic production.
Can you plant coco peat alone?
If you are planting in coco peat alone, you will probably want to mix in a time release fertilizer since the coir has few nutrients to disperse. It does have plenty of potassium as well as zinc , iron , manganese , and copper .
Can coco peat be used as a water retainer?
If you wish to use soil and add coco peat as an aerator or water retainer, it is recommended that the product makes up just 40% of the medium. Always moisten coco peat well and check frequently to keep up on plant water needs. Printer Friendly Version. This article was last updated on 11/12/19.
Is coco peat soil good for you?
It often doesn’t drain well and may contain peat, which is strip mined and causes environmental damage. An alternative is coco peat soil. Planting in coco peat provides numerous benefits while recycling what was once a useless product. Coco peat soil is made from the pith inside a coconut husk. It is naturally anti-fungal, making it an excellent …
What is good for growing in peat soil?
Summary – What Grows Well In Peat Soil. Peat soil has traits/properties that make it different from other types of soils. These traits/properties mean that different plants, fruits, vegetables, and other things are going to be more suitable for growing in peat soil than others. There’s different materials that can be added to a peat soil in order …
What is peat soil?
Peat soil: – Usually dark brown or black in color, and feels spongy. – High in organic matter. – Holds water well. – Easily compacts. – Can sometimes have drainage problems. – Is usually a slightly acidic soil, or a soil that contains acidic water (which can slow down decomposition of organic matter, and lead to lower nutrients).
What are the factors that affect peat soil?
This is just a guide on peat soils in general, without going into extreme depth about all these other factors (factors like soil fertility, soil health, soil quality, fertilizer added, top soil added, pesticides added, tilling practices and so on). It would do you well in the long term to get information on the soil in your location …
Can peat soil grow?
However, some peat soils may never be able to grow certain things. Some soils may be a peat mix, which means that it may be predominantly peat, but also include a certain % of another type of soil as well. This may change the suitability of the soil to grow different things in it, as it isn’t a full peat soil.
