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Re: Fluffy Canadian Peat Moss
Andy has a question about Sphagnum Peat Moss.
B.T.W. Andy, your e-mail program isn't automatically wrap lines that run
past 80 characters - they come through (at least on my machine) as one long
sentance. Could you set it so that it automatically word-wraps, it would
make your posts easier to read. Thanks.
What you bought was Peat Moss, and as you guessed it, the package was
compressed. It is packaged and shipped dry to save money (why pay to ship
water?). Peat can absorb up to 20 times its weight in water - it bulks up
once wet. I guess "fluffy" is a relative term - at some moisture level I'm
sure that it would apply, but so would "dry as dust" for the dessicated
stuff and "sodden" for the fully saturated stuff. Its a variable thing. When
I was in university I worked a few summers at a Garden Center which sold
tons of the stuff in a variety of packaged sizes. I can attest to the fact
that a big bale of "sodden" Peat Moss weighs a LOT more than a dry
one....especially when you have to carry it across a big parking lot to get
to a customer's car.
It is sold in a variety of grades - the whole plant would be termed
"unmilled" and that's a bit too coarse for use in a substrate (although it
might be perfect if you want to use Peat to soften water). You bought
"milled" Peat and that's fine for what you want it for. The little bits of
stems and stuff are just part of the plant, don't worry about them. Just
pick out any really big pieces if they bother you.
The best place on the web to find out about Peat is the Canadian Sphagnum
Peat Moss Association's Homepage at http://www.peatmoss.com/.
James Purchase
Toronto