More Manure, Less Peat Moss, Please!
Industrial peat harvest
Each spring, it makes me crazy to see well-meaning people load up on bales of peatmoss. I know they think they are doing a Good Thing but sadly, they are not. All kinds of sphagnum peat moss are harvested by destroying boggy natural habitats. That’s sad enough, but even more sadly, this is senseless destruction, because peat moss isn’t helpful for our soil or plants.
For one thing, peat moss is very low in nutrients and it degrades to fast to make a truly helpful soil conditioner. In addition, it is very acidic, which does not help balance our already acid Northwestern soils. In fact, peat moss is so acidic that it can kill bacteria, which is why sphagnum moss was used as bandaging material for centuries (maybe millennia). Wounds packed with clean sphagnum moss had a better chance of healing cleanly, and it was still used for British troops during WWII.
Once Dry, Dry Forevermore
It really makes me crazy when I see peat moss recommended for top dressing. Top dressing is the final layer of a garden bed, usually consisting of an inch or two of fine textured mulch such as compost or aged dairy manure. This layer conserves moisture, suppresses weeds, and promotes rapid root growth.
That old standby, peat moss, makes a horrible top dressing and is a remarkably poor mulch, drying to an impervious, water-shedding (rather than water-conserving) mat in no time. Peat is very difficult to rewet in garden soils and peat based potting mixes, which is annoying and very hard on plants. Peat based potting mixes are light in weight, which is good if you are carrying the pots around, but also means wind can rock plants easily, distressing the roots.
Peat’s Hidden Dangers
Though fresh peat is highly acidic, by the time it is dried and baled, it can harbor spores of fungal diseases that can be dangerous to handlers. Nursery workers are warned by law to wear double gloves and micron filtration masks when handling peat moss. The gardener is not told anything, yet those who use peat moss regularly are at risk for fungal pneumonias and other illnesses.
Finally, peatmoss is not a renewable resource except in glacial terms. If you visit bogs that have been harvested for many years, you can see plainly that cuts made a century ago have barely begun to heal. Bogs are delicate, intricate environments that host hundreds of living fauna and flora. When bogs are destroyed by peat mining, companies are now forced to “restore” them, but the artificial, “managed” bogs never achieve the biodiversity of the original habitat.
What’s Better?
If peat is not a truly renewable resource, manures definitely are. One thing we can count on is that poop happens. However, it does matter which manure we choose. Initial testing of various kinds of animal manures at Oregon State University in Corvallis show that animal manures vary widely in their qualities. Horse manure, for example, is often contaminated with worming agents that continue to kill worms in compost and soil after passing through the horse. Horse manure mixed with bedding may contain clopyralid, a long-lasting pesticide that remains active indefinitely (it especially affects legumes, nightshades, and composites, which covers a lot of floral ground).
Instead, I use aged dairy manure as a soil amendment and as top dressing. Recent research indicates that a mulch of dairy manure can slow down or even halt the growth of certain soil pathogens, notably several root rots that are prevalent in the native soils of the Northwest.
Let’s Do Use Dairy Manure
Most modern dairies have holding pits where manure is stored. The barns are washed down daily and the manure accumulates in the holding pits. The nitrogen-rich effluent is drawn off and returned to the fields where alfalfa and other fodder is grown. The washed manure is sold as an excellent soil amendment. Dairy manure from an organic dairy will not contain bovine growth hormone, steroids, or other “prophylactic” medications.
Dairy manure differs from steer manure in several important ways. For starters, it is nearly always far less salty. Steer manure is gathered from stockyard holding pens, where salt licks encourage animals to drink lots of water. The resulting manure often has a very high salt content, which can burn young plants and seedlings. Steer manure is very apt to contain hormones and steroids as well.
Here’s a link to Ken Druse’s article on peat moss (which I like since he agrees with me):
http://gardenrant.com/2009/04/ken-druse-dishes-the-dirt-about-peat-moss.html
I have been curious what to use in place of peat when planting a blueberry bush in a half-barrel. Would coir be a good replacement for the peat? Could you suggest a good “recipe” for my container mix that does not contain peat?
Also what type of places sell dairy manure? Smaller independent garden centers perhaps? Is it available in bags or bulk?
Hi Gail,
Great questions! Since blueberries appreciate slightly acidic, moisture-retentive soils, I plant my container-grown blueberry bushes in a combination of my own garden slightly acid soil blended with dairy manure and compost. If I don’t have stockpiles on hand, I use the mix produced in the Seattle area by Cedar Grove, currently called Booster Blend, which combines compost with composted dairy manure, adding that to my own garden soil. No peat, because the dairy manure replaces it.
To find local sources for composted dairy manure, check with your local agricultural extension agent and/or Master Gardener program. Many offer manure hotlines, especially at this time of year. If possible, get manure from a dairy that doesn’t use Bovine Growth Hormone or give cows routine doses of antibiotics, steroids, etc. These days, quite a few dairy farmers sell pit-washed dairy manure and many deliver as well. You can sure check with local independent nurseries to find bagged dairy manure (not common, as far as I know), but I’m guessing that it will be easier to find by the truckload. Five yards is enough to get delivered, usually, and I routinely get 10-15 yards a year.
Another good peat replacement is coir fiber, a byproduct of the coconut industry. Wiry and tough, yet fine textured, coir breaks down slowly, providing soil nutrients and improving soil texture for several years (or more).
Happy gardening!
Ann
Would like to grow blueberries in half barrels. Peat was a major component of mixes used in such applications in the past. Would coir be a good replacement, or do you have a “recipe” that you could suggest for a mix?
Also, where might one buy dairy manure? So independent garden stores usually care it? Much thanks!
Hi Jan,
I’ll offer you the same response I gave to Gail, who had similar questions: Great questions! Since blueberries appreciate slightly acidic, moisture-retentive soils, I plant my container-grown blueberry bushes in a combination of my own garden slightly acid soil blended with dairy manure and compost. If I don’t have stockpiles on hand, I use the mix produced in the Seattle area by Cedar Grove, currently called Booster Blend, which combines compost with composted dairy manure, adding that to my own garden soil. No peat, because the dairy manure replaces it.
To find local sources for composted dairy manure, check with your local agricultural extension agent and/or Master Gardener program. Many offer manure hotlines, especially at this time of year. If possible, get manure from a dairy that doesn’t use Bovine Growth Hormone or give cows routine doses of antibiotics, steroids, etc. These days, quite a few dairy farmers sell pit-washed dairy manure and many deliver as well. You can sure check with local independent nurseries to find bagged dairy manure (not common, as far as I know), but I’m guessing that it will be easier to find by the truckload. Five yards is enough to get delivered, usually, and I routinely get 10-15 yards a year.
Another good peat replacement is coir fiber, a byproduct of the coconut industry. Wiry and tough, yet fine textured, coir breaks down slowly, providing soil nutrients and improving soil texture for several years (or more).
Happy gardening!
Just want you to know how much I appreciate your knowledge. Thumbs up on the peat moss article.
Hi Ann,
My husband and I have a dairy farm in Enumclaw and have been marketing our manure solids, Scarecrow’s Pride, for three years. This product is certified by WSDA for Organic Use and contains 100% dried, processed cow manure with no wood chips or other foreign bedding. Scarecrow’s Pride is also weed free as it is composted for 3 days in a BeddingMaster in-vessel composter. The end product is very much like peat moss. We have several fans, however, the most faithful are the giant pumpkin growers. Our website has photos of the process in addition to the various crops and gardens using Scarecrow’s Pride. Mark Musick of King Conservation District forwarded this article and encouraged me to contact you. Thank you for promoting sustainability! If you would like a farm tour or a free sample, please do not hesitate to ask. Happy Gardening, Leann Krainick
Hey Leann, I wish I lived next door to you! I’ve been happily using aged dairy manure for years now and have never had any kind of problem, except not having quite enough to go around!
Ann
Some bad information here. Nursery and floral workers have NOT been warned about handling peat moss. They have been warned about handling Sphagnum Moss, the living moss that’s used to line floral baskets, etc. They are not the same product. There is no danger in handling peat moss. Check the MSDS for both products.