Authors:
Silvan, Niko, Silvan Kaisa, Näkkilä, Juha, Tahvonen, Risto & Reinikainen Olli
Book:
Proceedings of the 14th International Peat Congress
Venue:
Stockholm
Keywords:
growing-media, renewability, sphagnum-biomass
Documentfile:
Silvan et al 2012: Renewability, Use and Properties of Sphagnum Biomass for Growing Media Purposes
Summary:
Theme V. Restoration, rehabilitation and after-use of disturbed peatlands
SUMMARY
Horticultural peat is a microbiologically active growing medium, which also binds nutrients and water well because of its favourable cation exchange capacity and porosity. Unfortunately, horticultural peat is a slowly renewable biomass and good quality horticultural peat is rather uncommon even in peatland-rich countries. According to our results from two experimental Sphagnum biomass harvesting sites in Central Finland, harvested sites will regenerate rapidly. Areas with light Sphagnum removal (to depth of < 25 cm) clearly regained their function as carbon sinks within three years, and no statistically significant detrimental effects on watercourses were observed during the water quality monitoring period. Excluding S. riparium, all other Sphagnum-based growing media led to 30─47% higher seedling growth than rockwool or horticultural peat.