Peat is good for the soil. Peat is a valuable organic fertilizer. Peat as fertilizer in the garden: how to prepare and when to apply

Peat is a common biological material that is in great demand in garden plots. Many gardeners and gardeners prefer this environmentally friendly material as a fertilizer. Thanks to peat dressing, the soil structure is improved. Such natural dressing will be more effective if it is supplemented with mineral and organic fertilizers. It can also be done at home.

What is peat used for in the garden?

To increase yields, it is recommended to fertilize the soil before planting plants in the garden. Many gardeners use peat for these purposes, which includes carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, sulfur.

Such organic feeding is very popular and at the same time available to everyone. Peat contains plants and organisms that live on lakes and swamps, which die to form biomass. Every year, such layers begin to overlap and are pressed, because the level of moisture is increased, and there is not enough air. Why is peat needed in the garden or in the summer cottage? This mineral fertilizer improves soil structure and increases yields.

Peat has the following benefits for the garden:

Peat can be harmful... This happens if poor-quality fertilizers were used or they were incorrectly applied to the ground. In this case, organic feeding will slow down and suppress the growth of plants, and sometimes leads to their death in places where peat fertilization is used.

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Peat can be of different types, depending on the degree of decomposition of the biomass.

Horse... Such feeding is characterized by high acidity and a small amount of nutrients. The resulting components differ in structure, because they did not have time to decompose to the desired state. This type of peat includes sphagnum mosses, wild rosemary, cotton grass and other light grasses that grow in swamps. This layer is usually used extremely rarely for the garden, because it is not suitable as a fertilizer and is usually used for mulching.

Transition... This is a kind of peat layer between lowland and highland species. The degree of decomposition of the components and, accordingly, the value of this type is much higher than in the first case. But the acidity of the environment is still not enough to be used in agriculture.

Lowland... This is the most optimal option, which is used as a fertilizer, since all components of the biomaterial are completely decomposed, the structure is uniform, and the medium is slightly acidic. The composition of the biomaterial is 50% represented by humus, which is the main indicator of soil fertility. But the presence of such a component does not yet guarantee that a rich harvest will be obtained from its use. Low-lying peat is insufficiently enriched with nutrients, therefore, to increase its value, it is combined with mineral and organic fertilizers.

Where to get peat and what does it look like? Peat deposits are usually located in wetlands. For the extraction of peat on an industrial scale, special equipment and machinery are used. But a stock of biomaterial can be made independently. To get a small amount of fertilizer at home, you need a regular shovel. First you need to remove the top layer of the earth. When you get to the peat, you need to cut it out with a sharp shovel. The resulting material should be dried and used on site.

You can buy peat as a fertilizer at the store. A wide variety of biomaterials are available for sale.

The use of peat as fertilizer on the site

The biomaterial has some distinctive features. It is heat- and moisture-absorbing, and is characterized by a slightly acidic environment. Using it in the garden, it is necessary adhere to certain rules.

How to determine the acidity of peat? To do this, use ordinary litmus paper or pour a few leaves of cherry or black currant with boiling water, adding a piece of peat to the cooled solution. The resulting red color indicates that the medium is highly acidic, if it is blue, then slightly acidic, and green indicates neutral. This helps you navigate the ingredients that are added for composting.

How to fertilize flowers with peat?

Peat is an excellent flower fertilizer. To extract all the useful qualities of the biomaterial, as well as not to harm the flowers, it is necessary mix with sand and black earth... Thanks to this mixture, the plants begin to bloom very violently. Such a soil is usually used in flower shops for long-term storage of flowers, it does not harm them, but, on the contrary, provides them with good growth and development.

Can peat fertilization damage the soil? Thus, peat is a very valuable product that is produced by nature itself. But, like other fossils, it is recommended that it be modified to get the maximum benefit from the application. Many people think that peat does not impair the physiological properties of the soil, but this is not the case. Its misuse can be harmful, so you need to be careful about its features.

Increasingly, gardeners prefer to use organic fertilizers as top dressing. One of them is peat. However, you should be aware that it is not suitable for all soils. And it is necessary to apply this fertilizer wisely, so as not to harm either plants or the earth.

Read about what peat is, what it is and how to use it correctly in the form of fertilizer in your garden plot in the following sections.

Did you know? Peat is widely used in various fields. It is used as a fuel in municipal services, as a heat-insulating material in construction, as a fertilizer in agriculture, as a raw material in the chemical industry, and as a bedding in animal husbandry. The beneficial properties of peat are used in medicine.

How peat is formed in nature, types of peat

–it is a natural fossil fuel of plant origin. It is a dense mass of black or dark brown color, which consists of plant remains partially decomposed in swamps, mixed with the ground.

In this case, high humidity and lack of oxygen prevent the complete decay of marsh plants. It is believed that peat is the first stage in the formation of coal.

Peat is formed as a fossil in peat bogs, in river valleys, on watersheds. It can accumulate there over the course of millennia. Peat occurs on the soil surface or at a shallow (up to 10 m) depth under a layer of mineral deposits.

Did you know? According to scientists, the world's peat deposits range from 250 to 500 billion tons. Peatlands make up 3% of the earth's land surface.

• riding;
• lowland;
• transitional.

About high peat scientific sources say that this is such a mineral, which is 95% composed of the remains of riding-type plants, most often pines, larch trees, cotton grass, marsh sedge, etc.

It forms in elevated areas - slopes, watersheds, etc. It has an acidic reaction (pH = 3.5-4.5) and a low degree of decomposition.

In agriculture, mainly used for composts, container mixtures, as mulch, greenhouse substrate.

consists of 95% of not fully decomposed lowland type plants. Spruce, alder, birch, willow, fern, reed, etc. are most often involved in peat formation of this type. It is formed in ravines and river floodplains.

Lowland peat has a neutral or slightly acidic reaction (pH = 5.5 - 7.0), due to which it has found application in lowering the acidity of soils. It is the most valuable and rich in minerals (contains up to 3% nitrogen, up to 1% phosphorus). Of all the types, it is the most nutritious and common in use.

Transient type contains 10-90% of semi-decomposed plants of the raised type, the remainder is made up of plants of the lowland type.

Formed in intermediate landforms. Has a slightly acidic reaction (pH = 4.5-5.5).

Transitional peat, like low-lying peat, is used as fertilizer for the garden, since it brings enormous benefits to the soil.

Each type, in turn, is subdivided into three subtypes, reflecting the subtype of vegetation from which this peat was formed. The following subtypes are distinguished:

• forest;
• forestry;
• marsh.

• woody(contains at least 40% wood residues);
• woody herbal(contains 15-35% woody remains, among others herbaceous ones prevail);
• woody-mossy(contains 13-35% wood residues, among others - mossy ones prevail);
• herbal(consists of at least 10% wood residues, up to 30% moss, others - herbaceous residues);
• grassy-mossy(in composition: wood residues - 10%, mosses - 35-65%, herbaceous residues);
• mossy(contains 10% wood residues, 70% moss).

In agriculture, peat is divided into two groups:

• light (light);
• heavy (dark).

Characteristics of peat, useful properties of a fossil

To understand the nature of peat, consider the composition and properties of this fossil. So, peat consists of:

• carbon - 40-60%;
• hydrogen - 5%;
• oxygen - 2-3%;
• sulfur, phosphorus, potassium – in small quantities.

Did you know? Some people have a question: "Is peat a mineral or not?" It should be considered a sedimentary rock.

Due to the high carbon content, the average calorific value of peat is 21-25 MJ / kg, which can increase with the decomposition and the content of organic compounds - bitumen.

The appearance, structure and properties of this natural formation change as the stages of decomposition change. So, the color changes from light yellow to black. The structure will also differ from the degree of decomposition - fibrous or amorphous, as well as porosity.

The greater the degree of decomposition of peat, the less it will contain water-soluble and easily hydrolyzed substances, and the higher the content of humic acids and non-hydrolyzable residue.

Did you know? The properties of peat have been known since ancient times. The first mentions of him are found in the works of the Roman scholar Pliny the Elder, dated 77 AD. Sources have been preserved, which indicate that peat was used in the XII-XIII centuries in Scotland and Holland. In Russia, the study of the fossil began in the 17th century.

Adding it to the soil helps to improve its moisture and air permeability, porosity, microbiological and nutritional composition.

In addition, peat is able to improve soil health, reduce the level of nitrates in it, and weaken the effect of pesticides. Thanks to the content of humic and amino acids, it improves the growth and development of plants. It is these properties that can explain why peat is so useful for the garden.

The quality of peat is assessed depending on the content of nitrogen, potassium, phosphorus. It is also evaluated according to such criteria, as ash content, moisture content, heat of combustion, degree of decomposition.

How peat is used as fertilizer

The use of lowland and transitional peat in a summer cottage as a fertilizer allows improving the physiological properties of the soil, making it more air and moisture permeable. Also, peat has a beneficial effect on the development of the root system of plants.

It is best used on sandy and clayey soils. It is irrational to feed fertile soil with a humus level of 4-5% with peat-based fertilizers. But whether it is worth adding it to the loam is an open question, discussions on this matter are still underway.

Since high peat can provoke soil acidification, it is not used as a fertilizer, used only for soil mulching... However, it is worth making a reservation that there are several plants that, when planting, require exactly acidic or slightly acidic soil. These include blueberry, heather, rhododendron, hydrangea. Such plants are fertilized and mulched with high-moor peat.

In order to maximize the effect of peat feeding, it is necessary to use peat with a degree of decomposition of at least 30-40%. Also, when applying to the soil, you need to pay attention to such important points:

• low-lying peat must be ventilated and crushed before use;
• feeding material should not be overdried (optimum moisture content - 50-70%).

Important! In horticulture and floriculture, peat in its pure form is practically not used; for plant nutrition it is used in mixtures with other organic and mineral fertilizers or in compost. Pure application can be harmful to crops and harmful to soil.

In order not to harm the wrong feeding, first you need to know decomposition degree of peat... There is a way to quickly identify it.

To do this, you need to take a handful of peat, squeeze it in a fist, and then hold it over a white piece of paper.

If there is a faint trace left or it is not visible at all, then the degree of decomposition is no more than 10%.

A trace of yellow, light gray or light brown color indicates 10-20 percent decomposition.

Brown, gray-brown color indicates that peat contains biomass, decomposed by 20-35%.

With the highest degree of decomposition - 35-50% - peat will stain the paper in a rich gray, brown or black color, while the smear will be smooth. It will also color your hand.

If the peat contains substances that have decomposed 50% or more, the strip on the paper will be colored dark.

The use of peat in the garden is possible when:

• introduction into the soil to improve its composition;
• preparation of a substrate for planting;
• as a raw material for the preparation of fertilizers;
• as a mulch for covering plants before the winter period;
• for the manufacture of peat blocks for seedlings, fortification of slopes, arrangement of lawns.

The main goal of why peat is to be applied is to improve the properties of the soil. To achieve it, peat is added at any time in the amount of 2-3 buckets per 1 sq. m. This will be enough to increase the level of useful organic matter by 1%. Such feeding can be done annually, gradually bringing the level of soil fertility to the optimum.

When mulching, they use both pure peat and mixing it with sawdust, needles, bark, straw, manure.

Important! Before mulching, you should reduce the acidity of peat by adding wood ash, lime or dolomite flour to it.

However, it is especially useful to use peat as a compost fertilizer.

Peat compost: how to make and how to fertilize plants

There are several options for making peat compost.

Peat and faecal compost. Vented peat with a moisture content of 70% is laid in a layer of 45 cm under a canopy or film. They make a depression in it, into which animal feces are poured, sprinkling them with peat so that they are completely absorbed. On the sides, the compost is strengthened with earth to create a special microclimate. When the compost material dries up, water it. It will be suitable for use after a year. It is best used in the spring. Consumption - 2-3 kg / 1 sq. m.

Peat and manure compost. For the preparation of this fertilizer, any manure will fit: horse, bird, cow. The principle is to lay in turn a layer of peat (50 cm) and a layer of manure. The height of the bookmark should not exceed 1.5 m. Peat is used as the top layer. Once every 1.5-2 months, the compost should be mixed, changing layers in places.

You should also periodically watered with herbal infusions, an aqueous solution of potash fertilizers, slurry.

Compost from peat, manure, sawdust. This recipe will tell you how to get a valuable DIY peat-based top dressing. It is prepared like a layer cake. A layer of peat is poured down, sawdust with a layer of 10 cm, weeds, tops, food waste 20 cm high are placed on it. Then, if available, a 20-cm layer of manure is poured.

A layer of peat is laid on top. The whole pile should not exceed 1.5 m. It is covered with earth from the sides. You can use such compost after 1-1.5 years. All this time it must be mixed, watered with a superphosphate solution, slurry. Apply in the spring at the rate of 1-2 kg / 1 sq. m.

Important! Compost heaps must be protected from sunlight by constructing sheds for them. In autumn they are covered with fallen leaves.

Compost is applied in the same way as manure - it is simply scattered with a shovel all over the site, or soil is sprinkled around the plant trunks, followed by digging, and introduced into the holes before planting. It is necessary to adhere to the following recommended standards:

• for digging - 30-40 kg / 1 sq. m;
• in the near-trunk circle, the hole - a layer 5-6 cm thick.

Peat as fertilizer: all the pros and cons

We examined the main characteristics and properties of peat and what it is used for. In this section, we will try to understand the advisability of using this fertilizer, and also compare its useful properties with other organics.

The use of only one peat as a fertilizer is not able to give the expected results - it is better to use other types of fertilizing in the form of organic matter and minerals.

Today, when organic fertilizers have become widely available for sale, gardeners and gardeners face a difficult choice of which top dressing to give preference to. If you are wondering whether peat or humus is better, then we note that they are both good and are not inferior to each other in their nutritional properties. However, much less peat is needed than humus. So, for example, on a plot of 10 sq. m will require peat - 20 kg, humus - 70 kg.

Plus, you need to understand for what purpose you want to apply this or that fertilizer. If the soil is very poor, then first you need to improve its structure with peat, and later take care of its fertility by adding humus. You can also start digging peat, and cover it with a layer of humus on top for a better effect.

Often, the owners of infertile areas are faced with a dilemma: peat or black soil - which is better. A huge plus of chernozem is the high content of humus - an organic part that is necessary for plant growth.

However, at the same time, black soil is the most infected with diseases and pests, which jeopardizes future crops.

Peat also contains humus in an amount sometimes exceeding that found in chernozems. If it is mixed with sand, perlite (vermiculite), humus, then this substrate will surpass black earth in its properties.

By using peat as a fertilizer, you can relatively inexpensively improve the soil structure in your garden, provide nutrition to the soil microflora and, as a result, increase yields. But the benefit of feeding the earth with peat will be only if it is applied correctly. Today we will talk about how to properly use peat for the garden, what types of peat are and what each type is suitable for.

Types of peat and how to use them for growing crops

The use of peat in the garden directly depends on how much the peat has decomposed. According to this criterion, peat is divided into three main groups:

-Low peat represents decayed reeds, green mosses, horsetails, tree species. The degree of decomposition of lowland peat exceeds 40%. The acidity of this peat is neutral, therefore it is recommended to use it for fertilizing the earth.

- Transitional peat consists of rotted green and sphagnum mosses, wild rosemary, sedge, cotton grass and other plants. The degree of decomposition of such peat is 25-40%. This type of peat is used for composting.

- Horse peat is a mixture of white mosses, wild rosemary, cotton grass and other plants that are undemanding to food and water. The degree of decomposition of such moss is minimal - up to 20%. High-moor peat, like transitional peat, has a very high acidity, therefore, it is not introduced directly into the ground without preliminary processing. Nevertheless, such peat is used as a substrate for greenhouses, and bedding for animals.

Peat types are easy to identify, even visually. If you are new to working with peat, do a little test: take a sheet of white paper and a lump of peat, squeeze it in your hand and slide it over the sheet. When the trail left by peat on the paper dries up, assess it visually. Peat traces can be:

• Very dark, black-brown, while the peat is heavily smeared - the degree of decomposition is higher 50%
• Brown or dark brown, peat is smeared - the degree of decomposition is up to 40%
• Gray-brown or light gray - degree of decomposition 20-30%
• Light gray or yellowish brown, with some adhering fibers - degree of decomposition 10-20%
• Light yellow or colorless with a lot of adhered fibers - the degree of decomposition is not more 10% .

Peat as fertilizer: what is it for?

To understand what peat is for in the garden, you need to look at the composition of the peat. Low-lying peat consists of 40-60% carbon, 5% hydrogen, 2-3% oxygen, 2.5% nitrogen, and also contains a little sulfur, phosphorus and potassium. Not impressive, right? That is, peat can be called a fertilizer rather conditionally.

Peat is a soil helper that increases the humus content in it and improves its structure. However, the organic matter of peat itself is not humus; it only contributes to the nutrition of the soil during decomposition. And even the nitrogen component of unprocessed peat is assimilated by plants by a small 3-5%.

So, peat is an assistant. Such properties of peat in the garden as the ability to loosen the soil, make it more moisture and air permeable, are very valuable for heavy, clayey, sandy, depleted and poor organic lands. Top dressing with peat is good for soils prone to crusting on the ground. But if the soil in your garden is light loamy, sandy loam, fertile, fertilizing the soil with peat in its pure form will not bring visible results. The function of peat as a soil structure improver is not needed here, but you can combine peat with mineral and organic fertilizers and make the most valuable compost, which any soil will gladly respond to. But more on that later.

Another thing you need to know is that peat fertilizer can acidify the soil. This applies not to low-lying peat (its reaction is neutral), but to transitional and high-moor peat. A horse is not suitable for fertilizing a vegetable garden, but a transitional one can be used to feed the soil, having previously deoxidized it. The acidity of peat is 2.5-3 pH. For sour peat, it is enough to add dolomite flour, limestone (5% of the peat mass) or ash (10%) to it. Neutralized peat can be safely applied to the site; over time, the acidity of the peat in the soil will decrease. If in doubt about the acidity of the peat at your disposal, do a simple one. Or just pay attention to what plants grow on peat - if it's quinoa, horsetail, wormwood, then the acidity is really high.

Peat as a fertilizer contributes to the rapid heating of the soil, and thanks to organic acids and phenolic compounds, it has antiseptic properties. Another important property of peat is the ability to absorb a lot of moisture and retain nutrients in the soil, preventing them from being washed out. The more peat decomposes, the higher its absorption capacity.

Peat as fertilizer in the garden: how to prepare and when to apply?

The preparation of peat for application to the soil consists of at least aeration. The fact is that low-lying peat was in a swamp without oxygen access, bacteria unknown to the garden soil "worked" in it, which leads to a high content of harmful substances in the peat. Having poured fresh peat into the soil, you can literally poison it with toxins. Therefore, fertilization of the land is carried out only with ventilated peat, which has lain for two to three months in the air, in the wind and the sun. From time to time, peat needs to be shovel, or better - to mix peat with plain earth, so that microorganisms accelerate decomposition.

However, it is important not to overdry the peat, bringing the moisture level in it to 50-70%. Too dry peat loses its water-absorbing capacity and decomposes slowly.

Regarding the timing of the introduction, there are no prohibitions here: you can introduce peat in winter or before winter, simply scattering it over the surface, but, nevertheless, it is better to dig up the ground. Classic peat feeding - application for digging before planting or around trees or shrubs.

Peat as fertilizer: methods of application

Peat as fertilizer: feeding the land with peat

To improve the structure of the soil, as well as to increase the humus content in it to normal values ​​(at least 4-5%), the soil is fertilized with peat. It is impossible to overfeed the soil with peat - do you know that greenhouse soil can be 100% peat? However, in order to rationally use peat as a fertilizer, it is enough to add a couple of buckets of peat per 1 "square" of poor soil - this will increase the humus content by 1%.

For example, in the normal state, sod-podzolic soils contain up to 2% of useful organic matter, and in order to bring this percentage to the optimum, it is necessary to apply at least 40 kg of our fertilizer per 1 "square" of the garden, or even more. In the future, peat feeding can be carried out in small quantities - about 3 kg per 10 "squares". If you do not have so much peat at once, it does not matter, you can add it gradually, over several years, bringing the amount of humus in the garden soil to optimal proportions.

Peat as a fertilizer decomposes slowly in the ground without losing its properties for many years.

Peat mulching

Due to its loose structure, high peat can be successfully used as a mulch. You can simply mulch with peat, or you can mix peat with sawdust, straw, manure. Peat mulch is usually used to shelter plants for the winter.

Peat as fertilizer: making compost

As already mentioned, most peat nitrogen is not available for plants, however, when the temperature rises to 60 degrees, nitrogen begins to be released. on the basis of peat is not only an opportunity to release nitrogen, but also to create the most valuable mineral and organic fertilizer for plants, in many ways superior to manure.

How to make peat-based compost? Let's consider several options.

Peat compost: option no. 1

If you have animals on your farm, we suggest preparing peat and faecal compost. This is perhaps the most concentrated peat-based fertilizer. It is prepared as follows: in a designated place (under a canopy or film), peat is laid in a layer of up to half a meter, a hole is made in it and feces are poured into it, immediately falling asleep with peat. This will completely absorb the liquid. When the compost dries out, spill it with water. Peat-fecal compost will be ready in at least a year - it is not worth using it earlier for sanitary reasons, since with a gradual increase in the compost heap, the mixture will decompose slowly. It is recommended to make it 2-3 kilograms per "square".

Peat compost: option No. 2

Another way to use peat as fertilizer is to compost with. Manure can be anything - horse, cow,. Usually layer-by-layer compost is made: peat is placed on the prepared area in about half a meter layer, a layer of manure is poured on top, peat is poured onto it, then manure again, etc. until the heap reaches a height of one to one and a half meters. There should be peat on top of the pile. If you have enough manure, you can make layers of peat: manure in a ratio of 50% / 50% and a layer thickness of 0.2-0.3 m.In summer, the ratio of peat: manure can be adjusted as 1: 3, 1: 4 and even 1 : 8 (if peat is well decomposed). In winter, it is preferable to keep the concentration 1: 1 (minimum - 1: 3). Lime can also be added here for deoxidation (if necessary). From time to time, especially in the heat, it needs to be spilled with water with potash fertilizers (0.5 kg of fertilizer per centner of compost), superphosphate (1-1.5 kg per centner), slurry and herbal infusions. All this is needed to activate the processes of nitrogen breakdown, and in order for this process to occur evenly, it must be mixed into the compost every one and a half to two months.

Peat compost: option no. 3

You can make a real vinaigrette based on compost by adding sawdust, tops of garden weeds, food waste (previously we wrote about and as fertilizers). The first layer is necessarily peat, because it is able to absorb all the moist components of the compost without letting them into the soil. We put sawdust on the peat layer, then grass, weeds, food debris, and cover it with a layer of earth on top. It is advisable to lay a layer of manure on top, if there is no manure - purchase dry bird droppings, dilute 0.5 kg in a bucket of water and spill the compost. It is advisable to lay soil or peat on the sides of the peat compost. The ripening period of the "puff pie" is a year and a half. During this time, the heap should be regularly spilled with either slurry, or a solution of bird droppings, or a solution of superphosphate, and also mix several times. The dose of such compost is 1-2 kg per "square" of the garden.

Let's summarize what fertilizing the soil with peat gives:

Peat improves soil structure, as a result of which air access to the roots improves, moisture and minerals are retained in the soil longer;

Some types of peat can increase soil acidity

- peat enriches the land with nitrogen, albeit in small quantities. Peat contains even less phosphorus, potassium and sulfur

- peat as a fertilizer provides nutrition to the soil microflora, as a result of which the content of humus in the soil increases

Peat as a fertilizer is not the most ideal option, because it is poor in minerals that plants "eat". And here peat-based composts are one of the best do-it-yourself fertilizers.

And now we bring to your attention a video on how to use peat as fertilizer.

Tatiana Kuzmenko, member of the editorial board

Peat is an organic fertilizer. For many years, gardeners have been actively using it to feed the soil in the plots and indoor plants. To obtain benefits, you must follow the rules for the use of peat, otherwise you can harm the plant. Not every soil needs fertilization. If it contains 4–5% humus, then peat will be superfluous. Soil with a lot of clay and sand will improve after adding peat. Properly prepared, it will saturate the soil with organic substances, prevent nutrients from leaching out of the soil when watering plants, and make it looser and warmer. In addition, peat has antiseptic properties.

How peat fertilizers are produced

In terms of composition, peat is a dead and decayed plant. It is formed on in the process of long-term formation of layers of biomass of dead plants in conditions of humidity and lack of oxygen. There are three degrees of decomposition of peat layers:

1. Horse - with partially decomposed plant remains.
2. Lowland - completely decayed plants.
3. Transitional - intermediate layer.

In agriculture, horticulture and ornamental floriculture, peat is used as a fertilizer. It should be non-acidic, well-ventilated, lowland and transitional, with a decomposition rate of 30–40%, ash content of 13–15% and humidity of 50–70%. Just scattered peat on the site will not bring the desired benefit. In its pure form, it gives nitrogen poorly to plants. Insufficiently ventilated and freshly dug peat will harm the plants, as it contains many toxic substances and has a high acidity, which adversely affects the life of the plant. Improperly prepared, it can spoil the soil.

Peat extraction process and technology

Extraction takes place in two ways: by milling and by extracting sod peat.

Milling

A method in which layer-by-layer development of peat deposits occurs during short cycles. First, the top layer is milled with milling drums to a depth of 6–20 mm and, as a result, peat chips are obtained. Moreover, it must be intensively dried with particles of 15–25 mm in size. Further, the layer is agitated, loosened for ventilation and evaporation. The next stage is the swathing of the layer, that is, the collection of peat in rollers with a triangular cross section from the plant. Then - stacking and isolation of the collected peat.

After harvesting, a new milling starts, the cycle repeats. Depending on the weather conditions, the availability of equipment, and the quality of the layer, the number of iterations can reach 10–50 times. This method has been used since 1930 in all types of deposits. Preparation of land areas includes drainage and cleaning of woody and grassy remains of the peat massif. Milling mining involves short cycle times and intensive drying. It is characterized by an increase in peat extraction per unit area and 100% mechanization of technological production, which reduces the cost of production. The main consumers of milled peat are power plants and production, in agriculture they use 15–25% of this production.

Lump

Sod peat extraction is an excavation process that uses bucket devices and slot milling to a depth of 0.4–0.8 m.
In this case, the following operations are applied:

• Extraction and processing with the formation of bricks from peat mass.
• Lining of peat bricks on the field.
• Drying and stacking of products.

The price of peat directly depends on the place of its extraction and the method of delivery. The less these costs are, the lower the price. You can buy these fertilizers in any region of the country.

The impact of peat extraction on the environment

The ecology of our planet is under threat due to the increase in the content of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere, which creates a "greenhouse effect". Swamps affect the content of "greenhouse gases" in the atmosphere, being a regulator of climate and atmospheric gas composition. Bogs in the ecosystem take part in the cycle of substances, intensively absorbing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And they do it more actively than the forest.

Carrying out the process of peat formation, they accumulate carbon in the organic matter of peat. The annual growth of peat deposits is 1 mm. To accumulate a layer 6–8 m thick, it takes 6–8 thousand years. During the drainage of bogs for peat extraction, the biosphere functions of its ecosystem are disturbed. This negatively affects our nature and ecology.

On the other hand, in the process of their vital activity, bogs emit methane into the atmosphere, the "greenhouse effect" of which is 20 times higher. during peat extraction, it prevents methane from entering the atmosphere. They negatively affect forest land, gradually absorbing them.

From the positive aspects, one can single out the energy intensity of peat as a fuel. There is an economic benefit compared to the consumption of natural gas. When peat is burned, twice as much carbon dioxide is emitted into the atmosphere, which negates its advantage as a fuel.

In addition, peat contains additional impurities and ash. It is worth considering the advantages and disadvantages of using peat as a fuel. In this regard, its production is regulated by law. The government is developing special programs for the extraction and use in a rational manner.

There is a list of peat bogs at the state level intended for mining based on the results of a tender or auction. To ensure safety and environmental protection, restrictions on the use of peat bogs may be introduced.

Alternative to peat fertilizers

Manure, bird droppings, silt, feces, sawdust and bark, green manure, and compost act as a substitute for peat as a fertilizer.

Manure

One of the best substitutes for peat: it is very rich in organic fertilizers. Manure is 75% water, 21% organic matter, 0.5% total nitrogen, 0.25% assimilable phosphorus, 0.6% potassium oxide. In many ways, the quality of manure depends on the type of animal, what kind of food it ate, what bedding was used and what storage method was chosen. There are four stages of manure decomposition:

• slightly decomposed (in the straw in manure, the color and strength remain almost unchanged);
• half-ripe (the straw becomes dark brown in color, the strength decreases, it breaks easily);
• rotted (black spreading mass, the straw is completely decomposed);
• humus (loose earthy mass).

It is not recommended to use fresh manure as fertilizer.

Bird droppings

It is considered the best peat substitute among organic fertilizers. The most valuable are chicken and pigeon, less valuable are duck and goose. It is best to apply bird droppings to the soil in the fall. Most effective in liquid feeding.

Il

In nature, silt accumulates at the bottom of water bodies, so it is very rich in humus, nitrogen, potassium and phosphorus. Before use, the sludge should be ventilated and used in sandy soils.

Feces

Before use, this type of fertilizer must be prepared in advance. The cesspool is lined with 20–25 cm peat for better preservation. Further, weekly, feces are overlaid with an additional layer of peat to preserve nitrogen and get rid of the characteristic odor. To disinfect feces from worms, they are composted, since eggs die at a temperature of 45-50 °.

Sawdust, bark

The cheapest organic fertilizer. It should be introduced only in a rotted form. Can be mixed with slurry, fallen leaves and plant residues. It is good to interlayer with the ground. The bark is pre-composted, then crushed, mixed with mineral fertilizers, stirred and moistened from time to time. After six months, the fertilizer is ready for use.

Siderata

They represent a tall-stemmed plant mass plowed into the ground. In terms of properties, green manure is almost equivalent to manure. They include annual and perennial crops such as legumes, sunflowers, buckwheat. While in the soil, nutrients are gradually released from the green manure, restoring the structure of the soil.

Composts

The creation of a compost heap together with peat and manure will make the peat as a fertilizer rich in nutrients and harmless.
The compost heap is prepared on site in 2 x 2 m layers.

1. Peat is laid out with a height of 25-30 cm.
2. Sawdust 10 cm high is poured on top.
3. The next layer is a mixture of garden soil with tops, weeds, food residues 20 cm high.
4. Horse manure, mullein or bird droppings 20 cm high are laid out.
5. It is necessary to lay out the peat again with a height of 20 to 30 cm.

To ensure a special microclimate in the heap on the sides, the structure must be covered with peat or garden soil. To prevent rainwater from flowing down, but absorbed into the heap, it is necessary to raise the edges by 10-15 cm. It should not be higher than 1.5 m in height. Now this compost heap must be left to rot for 12-18 months. For periodic moistening, use a bucket of water with 100 g of superphosphate. To hide the pile from the sun, a canopy can be helpful. And with the arrival of autumn, it must be sprinkled with dry foliage, high peat or earth. In winter, you should wrap a bunch of a snow coat.

Of course, peat is good for nutrient-poor soil. By its structure, it improves the physiological properties of the soil: fertilized with peat, it becomes looser, water and air permeable, the root system of plants "breathes" freely.