What Are the Causes of Peat Moss on Dirt?

Uses

• Peat moss holds large amounts of both air and water, something that many different plants need. It is used as a potting medium, a soil amendment, a mulch and a compost. But peat moss alone may not be suitable for all plants, because it contains very few natural nutrients. Natural peat lands cover 1 billion acres around the world, and they are found everywhere expect in arctic and desert regions.

Composition

• Commercial peat moss often contains decomposed sphagnum moss and is commonly sold dry. Natural peat is very moist and made of organic materials from many decomposed plants. Hypnum peat moss, for instance, is largely composed of hypnum moss. Reed peat moss is formed through decomposed phragmites and scirpus reeds. Leaves, stalks, roots and rhizomes of sedges also contribute to the formation of peat moss. Dark brown or black peat -- sapric peat -- is so rich in aged decomposed materials it can be used as a fuel source. Sphagnum moss, which grows in bogs, is the most common contributor to peat moss in North America. Bogs are wet and nutrient-poor.

Habitat

• Peat moss grows in peat land or peat bogs, naturally-occurring wetlands made up of decomposing moss at least 16 inches deep. The peat grows naturally on the ground at a rate of 1 mm per year. Bogs form naturally in areas of rich plant and animal life, which die over time and begin to decompose. As these materials break down, they become peat moss in soil that's habitually moist. Finland, Canada, Ireland and Sweden -- regions where regular rainfall occurs -- have the world's largest peat bogs. The peat moss is dug up from the bog, dried on the ground by sun and wind and packaged before it is sold commercially.

Peat Moss Alternatives

• Peat moss is nonrenewable, and debate continues about the whether it's appropriate to mine peat. Mushroom compost, wood chips and even rotted mature may all be used as natural alternatives to peat, and these materials all contain many more nutrients than peat moss. Straw, coconut husks and even pruning clippings may also be used as viable alternatives to peat moss.