Black peat is a dark, carbon-rich organic material used as a universal substrate and to improve the soil of all kinds of plants.
Black peat is a dark-coloured, carbon-rich organic material used both as a universal substrate and to improve the soils where all kinds of plants are grown. It is mainly extracted from lake areas of glacial origin known as peat bogs.
The formation of peat represents the first part of the process by which vegetation turns into mineral coal. It is also the result of the cumulative degradation of dead vegetation in an environment saturated with acidic water, in places such as swamps, marshes and other wetlands.
What is black or brown peat?
Peat is classified into two groups according to the degree of decomposition of the plant matter: blond peat or black peat. The former is extracted from the surface layers of the bog, is more acidic and has a higher organic matter content, as it is less decomposed. Black peat, on the other hand, is extracted from the deeper layers, where decomposition is greater, which gives it a darker colour and lower acidity.
Properties of black peat substrate
Black peat has a great water retention capacity, up to more than 400 times its own weight, and is able to retain a large amount of nutrients, which reduces fertiliser consumption and watering frequency. In other words, it helps create a spongy soil structure that promotes water infiltration and its retention in the root zone.
What black peat is used for
Because of its porous structure and high water retention capacity, black peat is mainly used in the conditioning of soils and potting substrates. However, thanks to its high content of humic substances, it is also ideal for seed germination.
Which plants black peat is used on
Thanks to its high pH level and its high decomposition with hardly any nitrogen, black peat can be considered a universal substrate suitable for all kinds of plants, provided that the necessary nutrients are supplied.
