By Katherine Placzek

Dear reader, 

This article began initially with a straightforward trajectory. I was going to lay out why using peat moss in soil mixes is environmentally harmful and that we all should make the switch to using coco coir. But as I continued my research, I found it was not that simple and the subject required lots of continued digging to find accurate information. Instead, I am going to try to educate you on both substrates to the best of my ability.   

Peat Moss:

Why is it used: 

Peat moss has an incredible water retention capability- holding 20 times its weight in water.  It also has a small but not insignificant amount of nutrients. You can pot a plant directly in peat moss and it will grow due to these nutrients. It is light and fluffy, used by many gardeners to lighten existing soils. It is highly acidic if not amended with lime, and shrubs like hydrangeas or blueberries can successfully be planted into peat.  It also can be used as a pea/bean inoculant. It was not until the 1970s that peat became commonplace as a planting substrate for plant people. 

How is it harvested/manufactured: 

Peat bogs have centuries (possibly more) worth of plants and decomposing peat/sphagnum peat growing and compacting in a dynamic cycle and ecosystem. It is estimated that peat bogs contain more than 44% of all the Earth’s soil carbon and thus are considered a carbon sink (where carbon is stored and absorbed from the atmosphere). Harvesting practices vary in different bogs and countries. The majority of the peat sold in the United States is harvested in Canada. 95% of all peat in Canada is harvested in partnership with the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA). The CSPMA has strict regulations that they follow, and are involved in many ecological restorations, as well as scientific research behind peat bogs, and the living organisms that use the bogs as habitat.  Many of their practices publicize that they attempt to reduce harm, prevent overharvesting, protect habitats, and replant as part of their aim toward sustainability. While this sounds good, in 2021, it was reported that peat harvesting released 2.1 megatonnes of carbon dioxide into the environment. That’s the equivalent emissions of the annual emissions of five gas-fired power plants. Critics also point out that rehabilitated peat bogs are unable to become a carbon-accumulating ecosystem (or a carbon sink) until roughly 20 years after harvesting. Harvesting in other countries is not regulated and they are likely not as concerned with any harm associated with their practices. All harvesting is mechanical due to utilizing fossil fuels. The UK has banned all peat sales for personal gardens beginning in 2024. 

Factors to consider: 

1. Peat bogs house diverse and intricate habitats for all sorts of living organisms. Harvesting, regardless of practice, disrupts this environment.
2. Peat bogs are considered carbon sinks- absorbing carbon from the atmosphere. Harvesting peat releases carbon into the atmosphere, causing concern that this practice contributes to climate change.
3. Fossil fuels are used in the harvesting process and are used in the shipping of this product to garden centers and other plant/ home improvement stores.

Coco Coir:

Why is it used: 

Coco Coir also has a high water retention rate, retaining 8-9 times its weight in water. It does not have any innate nutrients or pH implications, so it is a neutral starting point as a substrate. Coco coir is a waste product from all other food-grade products made from the meat/ milk of the coconut. Before the 1980s, millions of tons of coco coir were left to decompose in large piles, often taking close to 20 years to decompose.  Now there is a market for this “waste product,” as a soil substrate.

How is it harvested/manufactured: 

Many coconut plantations are based in the poorest countries, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, the Philippines, and more recently, in Central and South America and even Mexico. Coconut plantations are often monocultures that reduce natural biodiversity and cause displacement of living organisms. Coconut trees produce a lot of coconuts but do so at the cost of soil degradation. The coconut hull first is soaked in water (freshwater or saltwater) for a long time to break down the fibers on the hull. This process is called retting. The retting process generates water pollution. Among the major organic pollutants are pectin, fat, tannin, toxic polyphenols, and several types of bacteria including salmonella.  While scientists are experimenting with treatment options, there does not seem to be a broad-scale accepted solution at this time. This wastewater is often returned to the local community’s water supply or the ocean. Then, either the coconut hulls can be highly processed through mechanical mastication, or beaten and broken down further by hand.  This manual process creates a lot of dust, and workers are typically not provided any PPE (Personal Protective Equipment).  Reports indicate an increase in respiratory illnesses in communities with coco coir processing. Many of the following processes, if mechanized, are achieved with fossil fuels. There are currently no regulations on the industry’s standards. I also found conflicting information on whether a second rinse with chemicals is necessary, so that is an additional set of pollution outputs to consider. In general, it’s harder to find reputable sources explicitly sharing information about coco coir. This makes me concerned about the transparency of the industry, as well as possible offenses that are intentionally hidden from the public’s knowledge.

Factors to consider:

1. Many coconut plantations are monocultures, created by destroying native habitats for diverse organisms, thus causing soil degradation.
2. Pollution of the environment due to wastewater from retting processes.
3. The lack of regulations concerning this product allows for humanitarian abuses to occur, including health hazards for workers and the surrounding community.
4. Fossil fuels are used in portions of the manufacturing process and in transporting this product to your local garden center.

I think continuing to use coco coir or peat moss warrants extra research. Dig into the companies that you are supporting. Do they have certifications, and third-party ratings that indicate that they care about their staff’s health and wellbeing? The environment and the community they impact? Their carbon footprint? Other points that you are passionate about?

All of this makes me consider, there have been gardeners and plants people before me who did not have access to these substrates. What did they use before? Compost. Manure. Leaves. Green manures/ cover crops. Aged forest products (humus). Straw. None of these probably have the water retention that peat moss or coco coir boast, but they all have higher nutrition, which means prior plants people did not have to fertilize in the same manner that we do when we utilize a peat or coco coir base. Many of these local inputs are also free. All of this is interesting and will lead to further research on my part.

The most honest conclusion that I can make is that, when we are removed from the product we are buying, we also become naïve of the ultimate cost and any negative impacts of the product. Perhaps, the point here is to grow plants that are acclimated to our growing habitat (for instance, native plants do not need peat or coco coir to thrive), or to build soil from what nature provides in our local vicinity. While this is easy to say, it is harder to do. I think this new knowledge is powerful, though. We can always experiment and try new things in hopes of finding replacements that have a lesser negative impact. Good luck with your own decisions ahead of you! 

Soils that we carry that do not contain peat moss or coco coir:

Back to Earth-

• Composted Cotton Burrs (Acidified and Non-acidified)

EKO-

• Clay Buster
• Top Dressing

Happy Frog-

• Soil Conditioner

Rocky Mountain Soils-

• Top Soil
• Humus
• Compost Cow
• Tree and Shrub

Yard Care-

• Soil Pep

Note: We also carry a variety of only coco coir or only peat-based soils, if you decide you prefer one over the other. 

Resources to utilize in your own research:

I think that Gardener Scott (A gardener in CO, who has an excellent library of YouTube videos on vegetable gardening) has a comprehensive video on the pros and cons of both of these substrates.

The link to the website that Gardener Scott references: https://www.gardenmyths.com/coir-ecofriendly-substitute-peat-moss/

Canada’s National Observer on the carbon footprint of peat harvesting: https://www.nationalobserver.com/2023/07/07/news/canadas-carbon-storing-peat-digs-climate-dilemma#:~:text=According%20to%20Environment%20Canada%2C%20about,of%20growth%20within%20those%20sites.

21 report on carbon sinks and greenhouse sources in Canada: https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2023/eccc/En81-4-2021-1-eng.pdf

A Q&A with the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association (CSPMA):

The CSPMA’s website (includes the history of peat, how their manufacturers harvest peat, industry reports, and more) https://peatmoss.com/

Generalized information on how coco coir is made: https://www.madehow.com/Volume-6/Coir.html

Another source on how coir is made: https://coir.com/utility/how-to-make-coconut-coir-the-manufacturing-process/

A study linking coco coir to impaired respiratory function: https://www.thepharmajournal.com/archives/2023/vol12issue3/PartAR/12-3-455-522.pdf

By Katherine Placzek

Every item that we use in our green spaces–  fertilizers, pesticides, sprays, powders and granules, etc. all make their way into the water, after it rains or when we water our plants. This means a myriad of compounds, organic and synthetic, are making their way in our or someone’s drinking water. Yes, most of our drinking water is filtered, but this also impacts lakes, streams, aquifers, wells, and other sources of water that can be a habitat for other living organisms, big and small. While this may feel overwhelming initially, we have the power to make little meaningful changes in the way we manage our landscapes.

Lawn and Garden Fertilization

Three things make a difference here. Quantity, quality and timing:  

Quantity: When you use fertilizer, always use the instructed amount of fertilizer or a diluted/ lesser amount. This ensures that your plants can take up the applied fertilizer and that excess is not making its way into our waterways. Excess fertilization can stress plants and negatively impact water quality. Over fertilizer use through agriculture, golf course maintenance, and community landscaping have contributed to dead zones in waterways. A dead zone is where all aquatic life ceases to exist.  First, expansive algae blooms occur that crowd out sunlight, which choke oxygen out of the environment, causing inhabitable levels for any life, plant or animal. While some dead zones do occur naturally, the second largest one in the world is in the Gulf of Mexico, where many of North America’s waterways meet. This dead zone is widely attributed to human causes.

Quality: When choosing a fertilizer, it is advisable to read the ingredients, similar to reading food labels.  If you cannot recognize an ingredient, know it is likely synthetic. Not all things that are human made are bad, but do your research. You may decide that you do not want some of these ingredients in your garage, home, yard, and local ecosystem. This is why Rick’s is proud to continue to carry our Organic Lawn and Garden fertilizers. Both of these are gentle fertilizers, with low nitrogen levels, and contain ingredients such as chicken manure, bone meal and blood meal. 

Timing: Never fertilize before a severe rainstorm where run-off can take the majority of your fertilizer downstream. This is also cost prohibitive. If you plan on putting fertilizer down before predicted moisture, consider prior to a snowfall, where the melting snow can bring the fertilizer into the ground gently. Also read the instructions. Many fertilizers recommend a fertilizing schedule. Follow this, or see if you can stretch the schedule out further, to reduce the amount of fertilizer that you have to buy and apply throughout the year. Never fertilize more than what is recommended, this can stress the plant, and excess product will be absorbed into the waterways.

Pesticide Use

Pesticides include insecticides, herbicides, and fungicides. Similar to fertilizing, follow the same wisdom regarding quantity, quality and timing.  We have said it before, but just to remind you: “While pesticides are convenient and sometimes necessary especially when mitigating invasive plant species, pesticides negatively impact pollinator numbers…. It is important to remember that while applying control products at night can reduce pesticide exposure to several pollinators/ beneficial species, this does not protect nocturnal pollinators such as moths and bats. When we use pesticides there is no current method that does not negatively affect pollinators or their second tier predators, who are further up the food chain (Excerpt from our March 2024 newsletter).” All of these pesticides reach water sources that are drinking water for pollinators and larger organisms: birds, fish, fox, deer, etc. Many of the chemicals used in popular pesticides, including glyphosate do not break down with water. This means the problem is washed downstream, but never away, and can exist in our waterways indefinitely.  Manual removal of weeds is no fun- we all know this. When we choose conventional pesticides, we give up clean water. Limiting the amount of pesticides we use in our yards is one step to keeping our watershed less polluted.

General Maintenance

When you mow your lawn, consider mulching the cut grass instead of bagging it unless you use the cut grass in your compost. Mulched grass that has been chopped by the mower multiple times and is spread evenly over the lawn acts as a wonderful additive of organic material to the soil. This method improves water retention, and overall soil health, decreasing your need for fertilizer.  If you mulch the cut grass, but leave large clumps of thatch, this can burn your grass and be swept away into a waterway. This process can act similarly to over fertilization, causing algae blooms downstream. Use the same logic with fall leaves. Mulch leaf litter and either use it on your lawn or in your garden, to add nutrition to the soil. Avoid abandoning leaves in gutters, and storm drains, as it increases excess nitrogen in the watershed. In the winter, make sure you are using a low saline and non-toxic ice melt as well. Water guardianship takes place in all four seasons!

Plant Selection

Finally, the fun stuff! Select plants and grasses for your landscape that are resilient to the Rocky Mountain circumstances. When we do this, we automatically reduce the need for mowing,  fertilizing and the use of pesticides. Native plants especially, have been living here in the Colorado landscape much longer than any human lifespan. They have been taking care of themselves without any of our human care measures, such as fertilization, and will continue to do so into the future. I believe that by choosing to plant native plants in a landscape, you are actually simplifying your overall workload in the yard. You will fertilize less, you will use pesticides less, and regarding grass, you will mow less. That means more money in your pocket and more sitting on the back porch, sipping on a cold beverage. Cheers!

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ECO-BRAN BRAN FOR GRASSHOPPERS DIRECTIONS

DIRECTIONS PULLED FROM PEACOCK INDUSTRIES BOOKLET ON ECO-BRAN

WE CLAIM NO OWNERSHIP OF GUIDE

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