Turf Blonde Masso Garden in 5-litre bags

This acidophilous blonde peat from Masso Garden is a naturally fibrous plant substrate, rich in sphagnum, which helps to lighten the soil and has a good water retention capacity. With a very acidic pH (4.8) and very low in nutrients, this peat is most often used mixed with potting soil or topsoil. It is perfectly suitable for growing acidophilous plants and heathland plants like azaleas, camellias, and other rhododendrons that are sensitive to the presence of limestone in the soil.

Peat is the result of the slow decomposition and transformation of various species of mosses called sphagnum, which have accumulated over several hundred years. Blonde peat, less decomposed, is found towards the upper part of peat bogs, just below the living sphagnum. When it dies and becomes submerged without oxygen, sphagnum decomposes very slowly, gradually turning into blonde peat, brown peat, then coal and/or oil. It is an almost essential component of so-called heathland soil, also found in many potting soils. Rare and precious, it should be used wisely and sparingly.

Masso Garden's blonde peat is composed of over 80% sphagnum, capable of absorbing about twenty times its weight in water, which it will gradually release to the plant roots. It can be re-moistened when its fibers are not excessively dry. Blonde peat is useful for lightening heavy soils and improving the water retention capacity of sandy soils. It also has antibacterial properties, promotes good root oxygenation and formation, facilitating plant growth. Used alone as a growing medium, it is a naturally aerated material that prevents the rotting of roots sensitive to excess moisture and lack of oxygen. With an acidic pH (5.2), sphagnum is particularly suitable for plants that are sensitive to the presence of limestone in the soil. To compensate for its low nutrient content, mix it with potting soil or topsoil and regularly add compost, roasted horn, or guano, for example. Used pure, blonde peat is suitable for the culture of epiphytic plants that thrive away from the ground harmful to their root system, but still require a certain degree of humidity. In the context of a green wall or roof, it can be hung on a trellis to allow plants to anchor their roots. A closed circuit irrigation system helps maintain the vertical surface moist and provides a low-dose fertilizer to nourish the plants.

Tip: Do not let your growing substrate containing peat dry out completely, as it would become very difficult to re-moisten.