Compost and Peatmoss are popular soil amendments. Whenever you add any of these to the soil it will definitely enhance it in many ways. However, there are various differences that each one of them has, for this reason, you may have to consider these differences while selecting them for your garden. In this article we will discuss the differences between them both to save your time from extensive research work. So, keep reading, and by the end of this article, you would know for sure which one to go in for.
In our experience, we have seen that peatmoss is awfully expensive. I’ve always felt that making your own compost, is any day more economical, and has more than one effect on our surroundings. Peatmoss that we purchase is from Canada, therefore it adds to the cost, because of the shipping.
In comparison to compost, peatmoss may have extremely limited nutrients, also compost isn’t a fertilizer. Therefore, when peatmoss is compared with fertilizer, it seemed to have extraordinarily little nutrients. For those of you who have just started composting, let me add, the value of nutrition in the compost comes from the effect that it has on the soil and the microorganisms in it. Now peatmoss is good as it allows the soil to retain nutrients. This is done by increasing CEC.
If you’re planning to utilize peatmoss, then you must add lime along with it, because it is low on pH. You may be familiar that there are certain plants that do extremely well with acidic soil, these plants are called ericaceous plants. Plants such as rhododendrons and blueberries do extremely well with peatmoss however, if you look at the pH level in compost it is neutral or maybe even a bit alkaline.
Peatmoss will last in the soil for years together, because when it is added to the soil it does not compact, and it offers excellent aeration as well as increases the capacity of the soil to hold water. When you add compost to the soil, frequently we have noticed it compacts. Therefore, I suggest adding compost annually. Compost quickly loses the nutritional value, especially during the growing season, therefore you must replenish the soil once a year.
Compost and Peatmoss help the soil hold water; however, we have seen that peatmoss is better in this regard. It is extremely helpful to utilize peatmoss if the soil in your garden is rocky or sandy and dries out very quickly.
Initially, you would find it a bit difficult to wet peatmoss, and as it dries up rewetting it is also challenging. On the other hand, compost tends to vary, it depends on the source. This trait is contradictory, because when both are wet, they can retain water and slowly releases it to the roots of the plant. Suppose you realize that peatmoss is very dry, you can easily wet it overnight in the bag. Try and use warm water, it will absorb faster in comparison to cold water.
So, depending on the texture of your garden soil and your convenience, you can choose to go with either compost or peatmoss. Do let us know which one you used and why. Thanks for stopping by, take care.