Peat moss wholesale and retail in Florida

To be able to offer the highest quality peat products locally, Areapeat has established its representative office in Boca Raton, Florida, USA. Sales to customers will take place both directly from the warehouse and with delivery to the customer’s door. It will also be possible to place orders from the peat production plant in Latvia, Europe with direct delivery to the customer in Florida. The product will also be available in other East Coast states.

Soil (less) where plants grow

Peat – the best growing media for plants. As a substrate constituent peat is superior to any other material.

Everything is important for professional grade soilless growing medium. We talk about Sphagnum peat moss substrates which are still the best and absolutely irreplaceable in horticulture.

What do we know about peat?

Most here know what Canadian peat is. It has its own structure, which is determined by the harvesting method (milled peat/vacuum harvesting), some natural properties of species, the size of the peat particles, porosity, percentage distribution of fine and coarse fractions. Of course also the natural pH and EC level.

What is Baltic Sphagnum peat moss?

Sphagnum Peat Moss is a relatively young white peat, originating mainly from the Baltic States. Although Canadian and Baltic peat are largely similar and both are widely used in horticulture, some important differences do exist. Only in Baltic produce block (sod) peat which are very special.

Florida originated peat mixes

This type of mixture is a big surprise to European and most other growers all over the world. Florida mix have a wide variety of ingredients that are difficult to identify. These mixes are said to contain about 20% Canadian peat, which is hard to be sure of. In general, Florida peat mixtures are very heavy, it is mistakenly believed that they hold water well, because the number of micro- and macropores in them is very small. It is the porosity of the soil that determines the ability to absorb and return water to plant roots. Yes, Florida peat mixes stayed moist longer, but only because the plant can’t absorb the water they contain. Accordingly, the plant is forced to absorb less water. At the same time, oxygen access to the roots is significantly reduced.

Only thanks to the excellent climatic conditions in Florida, the plants continue to grow and convince the growers that everything is fine.

Crucial differences between genuine Sphagnum peat moss and Florida peat mixes

These fundamental differences determine the ability of plants to develop and even survive. The growing medium must have the right combination of physical and chemical properties, and it must be properly handled. Essential requirements must be met for the medium to offer the right amount of available oxygen and water for plant-root uptake while also providing a reservoir of available nutrients.

Definition

Common definition for growing media – maximize the productivity of plants and utilizing from all inputs in an efficient way for commercial and individual.

Growing media is reservoir for water holding, a nutrient holding and exchange system, a zone for gaseous exchange for the plant root system and anchorage for plant roots.

The 10 main requirements that must be met for a good, high professional level growing media:

1.Excellent water-holding capacity (high permeability to water and air)

2.More available water for roots than unavailable

3.Predictable water drainage to avoid overwatering

4.Anti – compaction ability (to be not compacted the roots or to be shrink/flatten out)

5.Proper air porosity (number of macropores and micropores)

6.Decomposes slowly (decomposition time)

7.Laboratory tested and confirmed purity

8.Easily adjustable (cation exchange capacity (CEC), electrical conductivity (EC), and pH )

9.Fertilizers and trace elements deposit and releasing ability

10.Light weight

Ensuring plant roots have sufficient air, water, and the right balance of available nutrients safeguards crop success.

An ideal medium should drain rapidly following irrigation and contain 10% (by volume) or more air space after draining. At the same time, on a volume basis, the medium should contain at least 50% water and available water should be at least 30%.

Pores.

Pores are the spaces between the solid components of the medium. Best soilless growing media contains 60% to 80% total pore space. Pore size determines the rate of drainage and gas exchange. The size and distribution of pores are the most critical factors in developing a growing medium with optimum physical characteristics. The amount of air and water pore space is determined by particle size. Larger or coarser particles have a greater percentage of air pore space, while smaller or finer particles have a greater percentage of water pore space. Adequate distribution of large and small pores is essential. Capillary action allows the micropores to retain water.

Light brown, fibrous peat moss has a porous structure and can hold up 16 times its weight in water, and and at the same time provides very good oxygen access to the roots.

Areapeat® Professional Perlite-Free Growing Mixes were designed for growers who require a perlite-free mix. These blended mixes contain grower grade Baltic Sphagnum peat moss. This combination of different particle size will provide optimum aeration, moisture retention and porosity for plant roots.