 The Peat Moss Industry
Overview
The growing media industry provides a broad range of peat, peat-based growing mixes, soil amendments and other growing media products to professional plant growers, and directly to retail consumers through mass merchandisers, ''big box'' home improvement centres, independent garden centres, food and drug chains and other retail outlets. Strong demand for quality growing media is expected to continue, with increasing consumer lawn and garden activity throughout North America driving demand for all types of green goods (primarily annuals, bedding plants, evergreens, shrubs and indoor/outdoor plants). Professional growers, the principal suppliers of green goods to the retail market, have focused on responding effectively to this increasing level of demand, and are using high quality growing media in order to maximize cost efficiencies and product quality and to meet delivery schedules on a timely basis. The North American peat industry has historically been characterized by a small number of long-term participants, stable pricing, a diversified customer base and increasing demand for its products. The North American industry benefits from significant barriers to entry, including the superiority of peat moss compared to other growing media, the significant capital required to develop new peat bogs and establish processing facilities and transportation networks, and the strong customer loyalty exhibited by professional customers.
Growing Media
Natural (virgin) peat bog
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Growing media are the materials in which plants are grown and include peat moss, bark, top soil, sawdust, coir (coconut husk fibre), peanut hulls and various composts made from yard and/or sewage wastes. A growing medium can be comprised of one ingredient or a mix of ingredients, with or without soil. Soil-less growing media have long been recognized as superior to soil-based alternatives and are generally peat moss-based or, for certain plant species, bark-based. The advantages of soil-less growing media include its low cost, consistency, uniformity, transportation efficiency and a more suitable air and water relationship which facilitates optimal plant growth. Among the variety of growing media available, peat moss is recognized by professional growers and knowledgeable gardeners as the best ingredient to include in growing media or as a soil amendment. Peat moss is a unique and ideal growing medium due to its homogeneous composition, high structural stability, high capacity for retaining water and air, low and easily adjustable pH and nutrient status, and lack of pathogens, insects, pests and weed seeds. The superior characteristics of peat moss stem from a unique cellular structure that consists of large, sponge-like cavities that are ideal for holding air, water and nutrients. This ability to achieve a proper balance of air, water and nutrients is essential for root development and plant growth. As a result of these factors, for professional growers and retail consumers requiring high quality growing media there are no effective substitutes for peat moss and peat-based growing mixes, resulting in a dominant market position for peat relative to all other growing media products. Bark is another raw material used as a growing medium. Bark can either be aged or composted. Aged bark is not fully composted and is less consistent. Aged bark is used as a growing medium for outdoor production of trees and shrubs and by landscapers. Composted bark is a more consistent and higher quality material than aged bark and is used as a major component of mixes for indoor greenhouse production of crops such as poinsettias, chrysanthemums and other bedding plants. Growing media can also include cheaper, lower quality components, such as sawdust, yard waste compost and top soil; however, these lower-quality materials generally do not meet the rigorous quality standards of professional growers and knowledgeable gardeners and tend to appeal principally to less demanding, price sensitive retail customers.
Peat Moss
Peat in its natural state
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Peat moss is derived from the decomposition in bogs of organic material, including mosses, reeds and shrubs. Peat bogs are found throughout the world but are principally located in the northern hemisphere with significant numbers of peat bogs found in Canada, Finland, Ireland and Russia. During the last ice age, melting glaciers left large bodies of water suitable for the formation of peat bogs. The natural accumulation of sedimentary deposits in these bodies of water was conducive to the growth of herbaceous organisms such as moss. As these organisms invaded the organic deposits, grew and died, they formed a bed of partially decomposed organic residue, commonly referred to as peat or peat moss. The types of peat in a peat bog depend upon the particular species of plant growing in the bog. Although there are several types of peat moss, sphagnum peat moss is the high quality peat moss preferred for horticultural purposes.
Peat Harvesting
Prior to a peat bog being harvested, it is first drained of near-surface water and cleared of all surface vegetation. The bog is then harrowed to a depth of three to four inches to expose the top layer of peat to the sun and wind. Once dried, the peat is vacuumed with harvesting machinery. A vacuum harvester can harvest an average of 100 acres per day and ideally the number of harvesters per bog should enable the entire exposed portion of bog area to be harvested each day. Given the location of Canada's peat bogs in northern wetland areas, the peat harvesting season is generally limited to April through October, with 40 to 50 suitable harvest days during this period. Once harvested, the peat is stored in large piles, or stacks, adjacent to the bog area until it is transported to the processing facility. For a typical peat bog, the more valuable professional-grade peat is found near the surface. As the harvest depth increases during the life of the bog, the volume of older, more decomposed, retail-grade peat increases. The harvest from a new bog is typically 75% professional-grade peat and 25% retail-grade peat.
Canadian Peatland Reserves
Digging in the bog
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There are more than 270 million acres of peat lands in Canada representing 25% of the world's supply; however, harvesting currently takes place on less than 40,000 acres in Canada and has been completed on less than 3,000 acres. Rights to virtually all of the economically accessible Canadian peat lands are held by a small number of industry participants, each of whom has been involved in the industry for some time. The majority of Canada's peat bogs over which industry participants hold rights contain sphagnum peat moss, uniquely positioning Canadian producers as the primary suppliers of peat to the North American horticultural market because of the lack of sphagnum peat moss in the United States. Canadian Peat Production The chart below sets out peat moss production levels in Canada for the years 1989 to 2000, with peat production for 2000 totalling 1.2 million tonnes.
Founded in 1988 to promote the benefits of peat moss to horticulturists and home gardeners throughout North America, the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association is comprised of 18 peat moss producers and marketers representing 95 percent of Canada's total production. Canada, the world's largest producer and exporter of sphagnum peat moss for horticultural use, produces more than 98 percent of the sphagnum peat moss used in the United States.
In addition to promotional efforts, the CSPMA undertakes a pro-active campaign on environmental issues. This campaign resulted in our adoption of a Preservation and Reclamation Policy (revised 1999), the publication of an issue paper on Canadian Peat Harvesting and the Environment (second edition, 2001), and the production of an environmental video (2001) that has been viewed by hundreds of garden and environmental writers in Canada and the USA.
The Association has supported research projects comparing competitive products, for example the report on Peat Moss, Coir fiber, and Compost: Comparison and Evaluation. As well, the Association has been a strong supporter of research into ways to speed up restoration of harvested peat bogs.
The CSPMA is a member of the Washington, DC based Compost Council, the Mulch and Soil Council, the Garden Writers Association of America and the International Peat Society, headquartered in Finland.
Membership consists of Voting Members, which includes all producers and brokers of Canadian sphagnum peat moss; Affiliate Voting Members, which includes all the bag suppliers; and Affiliate Non-Voting Members, which includes suppliers of the industry. Sun Gro is a member of the CSPMA.
Production of Peat Products in Canada1 1989 - 2000
Notes:
(1) All figures provided by Statistics Canada.
(2) 1999 and 2000 production levels increased due to increased exports to meet increased off-shore demand resulting from abnormally low harvest levels in Europe.
For more information, contact the Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss Association.
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