If you plan to apply wood chips or sawdust, you may need to apply nitrogen fe rtilizer at the same time to avoid nitrogen deficiency. Sphagnum Peat vs. Mountain Peat Sphagnum peat is an excellent soil amendment, especially for sandy soils, which will retain more water after sphagnum peat application. Colorado mountain peat is not as good a soil amendment. It often is too fine in texture and generally has a higher pH. Mountain peat is mined from high-altitude wetlands that will take hundreds of years to rejuvenate, if ever. This mining is extremely disruptive to hydrologic cycles and mountain ecosystems.
Sphagnum peat is harvested from bogs in Canada and the northern United States.
The bogs can be revegetated after harvest and grow back relatively quickly in this moist environment. Biosolids are byproducts of sewage treatment. They may be found alone or composted with leaves or other organic materials. The primary concerns about biosolids are heavy metal content, pathogen levels and salts. To avoid excessive levels of heavy metals and to ensure that pathogens have been killed, always choose a Grade 1 biosolid.