Different Types of Peat Moss

Types

• Natural peat moss is a fibrous, light and spongy substance that varies in color in accordance with content and age. Peat moss ranges in color from a pale blond to black. The lower the carbon content and the younger the peat, the paler the color of the moss. Peat moss is composed mostly of water, ash and decomposed organic matter. The different types of peat moss are identified by color.

Black

• Black peat moss possesses the highest carbon content at greater than 60 percent and is used as fuel in some countries. It is found in the ombrotrophic peatlands or bogs and is pasty and contains no fiber. Black peat is the oldest type of peat moss and is an intermediate stage in the formation of coal.

Pale Blond

• This type of peat moss is the youngest and is fibrous so it easily absorbs fertilizer nutrients. This characteristic also allows the pale blond peat moss to hold 700 times its volume of water according to the Quebec Peat Moss Producers Association. However, when this type dries out, it is difficult to re-hydrate. Sphagnum peat moss is a species of pale blond peat that grows at a faster rate, making it the most common of peat mosses.

Brown

• The brown peat moss is the middle or intermediate decomposition moss. It holds less water and is poor in nutrients. This peat moss is seldom harvested and used but is allowed to decompose further to develop into black peat moss, which has more uses. It takes a century for approximately 2 inches of peat moss to form naturally.