Plantlet The Blogging Platform of Department of Botany, University of Dhaka
(AB: This article only contains the use of peat from Sphagnum and it’s uses in gardening. Although some constructive discussions are in here to facilitate it, they are not exhaustive.)
If you are fond of gardening or concerned about the dying condition of your trees, this article will be helpful one for you.
Sphagnum, a genus of moss from Sphagnaceae family, shows a special characteristic. It can hold a huge amount of water in both alive and dead condition ( more than upto 8/10 times greater than their weight). Actually, the intercellular space of the leaf of Sphagnum is huge in comparison with ordinals. It helps in absorbing water or watery molecules/ ions in it.
That’s not our business actually. The fact is, we can use Sphagnum in the purpose of storing water to deliver to plants whenever necessary.
Let’s talk about the ‘peat’…..
What is peat?
Dead gametophytic tissue merges with others plants year after years and caused peat.
Most of the time people mix the idea of Sphagnum and peat. Actually peat is the outcome of dried Sphagnum for hundreds or thousand of years. You can also collect Sphagnum, dry it and use as peat.
How to use peat in Gardening?
Peat doesn’t carry any nutrient itself for the plants. It works like sponge, absorbs water and all other nutrients from land and be something like a supporting nutrients-storage for plants.
- Peat improves the water retaining quality of lands.
- In packing plants for long time, specially in nursery, peat moss is used inside the packet.
- In the tub of homely plants, you can use peat. It will help you to take care of your plants easily without watering them regularly. Peat-mixed fertilizer gives more benefit in gardening.
How to collect Peat?
It naturally grows in dense masses or cushions in swamps, ponds and lake margins, moist and wet hill sides. You can collect from there. But it should be processed properly before use.
You can rather collect it from commercial buyers both in online and offline. Or try to grow it at your land. Highly saline land would be preferable.
After using peat in your garden/tub/land, you thyself can feel the difference. Have halcyon days with plants….
Written by
Tarek Siddiki Taki
