Healthy soil is the key to healthy plants and lawns; it’s the “plant insurance” you need to protect your investment. How can you best prepare your soil? Use Black Gold® Peat Moss and Black Gold® Peat Moss Plus. Both are made with pure Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss, and the Peat Moss Plus has an additional organic wetting agent to aid in rewetting the peat moss. Peat moss is a wonderful gift to gardeners, with some of its benefits being:

• Saves water – soil treated with Black Gold Peat Moss needs less frequent watering. Peat moss retains up to 20 times its weight in moisture and releases water slowly as the plants need it.
• Aerates heavy clay soil – peat moss allows for proper root growth by loosening and aerating heavy clay soils.
• Binds sandy soil – by adding body to sandy soil, Black Gold Peat Moss helps retain water and nutrients.
• Save on fertilizer – reduces leaching of nutrients in or added to the soil, releasing them over time. Peat moss has double the Cation Exchange Capacity of fir bark and coconut coir.
• Easier gardening - Black Gold Canadian Sphagnum Peat Moss protects soil from compacting, drying and hardening which makes it easier to weed while adding needed organic matter that allows your plants to flourish.
• Long-lasting – peat moss resists decomposition, so the addition of it to your garden now will provide benefits for years to come. It’s Organic – both Black Gold Peat Moss and Black Gold Peat Moss Plus are OMRI Listed.

Black Gold Peat Moss is specially processed so consumers enjoy a uniform quality product with all its remarkable horticultural benefits. It is 100% natural and contains no toxins, additives or preservatives. The unique cell structure of peat moss allows it to perform all these garden benefits. Black Gold Peat Moss can be used to:

• Seed new lawns – Spread 2" (5 cm) of peat moss across the lawn. Rototill or dig it into the top 6" (15 cm) of soil. After seeding, fertilizing and watering lightly, carefully spread a ½" (1 cm) top dressing. Moisten daily for 2-3 weeks.
• Rejuvenating and Top-dressing established lawns – Rake ¼" to ½” (1 cm) top dressing across the entire lawn.
• Amending flowering beds and vegetable gardens - Spread 2" (5 cm) of peat moss across the flower bed or vegetable garden surface. If you have some garden compost, you can blend them equally. Add the appropriate Black Gold fertilizer and rototill or dig it into the top 6" (15 cm) of soil. For an existing garden, use half the peat moss, and make sure not to damage the roots when incorporating the amendment.
• Amending soil when planting trees and shrubs – Dig a hole three times the width of the root ball and as deep as the pot. Loosen the soil in the bottom of the hole. Add the appropriate Black Gold fertilizer and mix one part peat moss with two parts soil that was removed from the hole. Place the plant in the hole making sure it is 1-2 inches higher than the original soil level. The final step is to fill in the remainder of the hole with the amended and fertilized soil. The plants should be watered immediately, and monitored and watered for three to four weeks.

• Planting acid loving plants (Azalea, Rhododendrons, Camellias, Blueberries, etc.) – follow the guidelines outlined for trees and shrubs above, except combine the peat moss on a one to one basis with the soil and use Black Gold Azalea, Rhododendrons, Camellia Fertilizer.

Why is the use of peat moss so popular? Gardeners have found that the use of peat moss in their growing mixes and as a garden amendment allows them to dependably maximize crop performance. Peat moss has one of the highest measured Cation Exchange Capacity (C.E.C.) of any potting soil or garden amendment component, while coir and aged fir bark have roughly half the Cation Exchange Capacity of peat. This higher C.E.C. maximizes the nutrient retention of the growing media. When you use peat moss as a garden amendment, you can immediately reduce the amount you fertilize and water your plants.

Historically, homeowners have purchased Sun Gro products because they know they can depend on consistently high horticultural performance. Homeowners also feel confident that when they use Black Gold potting soils, garden amendments, fertilizers and peat moss they are using products that are made from resources that are plentiful, renewable, and well-managed. Home Gardeners can trust Sun Gro, a company that cares about our environment. If you still have questions about the sustainability of peat moss, we suggest you read The Leader in Sustainability Peat Resources article.

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