Peat – mineral which is formed as a result of congestion on swamps of the remains of not completely decayed mosses. Peat is used for production of peat humus and the peat earth which are widely applied as fertilizer.
Riding and low-lying peat
Peat considerably improves fertility of the soil. It is used as component of soil mixes for window plants and hothouse plants. The peat earth with sand mixes up for landing of seeds and cultivation of seedling.
Peat by origin is divided into riding and low-lying. Between them emit transitional peat. As a part of riding white mosses and such plants as the Labrador tea is also fluffy. Low-lying form green mosses, horsetails, sedge, tree of woods. Riding differs in high acidity and in pure form for fertilizer it is unsuitable. But it is excellent substrate for cultivation of seedling and vegetables in greenhouses and material for mulching.
For fertilizer use half the decayed low-lying peat. The peat which has decayed less than for 40% goes on compost and is applied to production of torfoperegnoyny pots. Low-lying peat not sour, in it up to 15% of ashes. It contains 3% of nitrogen, but it is not available to plants. In not decomposed fertilizer there are not enough phosphorus and potassium. Therefore in the first year of use of this substance add manure, chloride potassium, ammonium nitrate and superphosphate to it, and then use as fertilizer. Purely low-lying peat can be used for mulching too. To define as far as peat has decayed, it is necessary to take it, to squeeze in lump and to carry out according to white paper. On color of dab left fertilizer it is possible to judge extent of its decomposition. Light – has decayed for 10-15%, Yellow – about 20%, light brown – 30%, brown – up to 50%, darkly brown – more than 50%.
Peat humus
Peat humus produce by the following method. Low-lying peat is mixed with excrements of animals in proportion 2:1 (on 100 kg of peat of 50 kg of excrements). Stack it layers and water each layer with excrements, or do in peat stack on the center deepening and fill it with fecal weight. After warming up and maturing in peat of useful microorganisms nutritious humus which is used for fertilizer of any plants, especially room turns out. In peat humus of nitrogen it is much more, than in peat and the peat earth. And from it it is easily acquired by plants. Not decomposed low-lying peat is useful to enrichment of soils, especially sandy and clay. Thanks to the to structure, it significantly improves physiological properties of the soil, doing it vozdukho- and water-permeable. In such soil the root system of plants has access to oxygen and moisture and can fully develop.