Heavy top-dressing, poor mixing or other practices that cause distinct layering should be avoided. Peat in the soil creates favorable changes. It makes the soil more granular and more easily worked. It hastens the escape of excess water and, at the same time, absorbs and holds more water for plants. Peat allows more air to enter the soil, thus encouraging the growth of roots and microorganisms that help make plant nutrients more available.
Most commercial peats are free of weed seeds and plant diseases.
Major characteristics of peats. Although peat contains some plant nutrients, it should not be considered a fertilizer. It is the long-term improvement in the soil's physical characteristics that make it valuable. Peat materials that are black and fine-textured are of little value for improving soil structure. It contains more nutrients than peat, and its acidity is usually less.