The History of Peat Moss | Garden Guides The History of Peat Moss The History of Peat Moss Reason for flagging? Submit Overview Peat moss is a natural product that has been used over the centuries. It is ancient soil mixed with plant matter that is submerged under water, creating a bog. It is harvested in many different countries including China, Ireland, Canada, Finland, Sweden, Soviet Union and in the United States. The uses of peat moss are many because it is plentiful. Peat causes no damage to the environment to harvest and it goes back to the earth when its usefulness is over. Early History Peat moss is ancient sphagnum moss, reed or sedge that has mixed with soil to form a dense matting of material. Peatlands have been in existence since the Stone Age and probably provided food for many animals. In Ireland, there have been ancient historical digs in the peatlands, proving that they were in existence early in history. Neolithic artifacts have been discovered under the peat in Ireland as well as artifacts from other periods of time, including sacred and burial sites. There is written evidence of peat being used for fuel during the 7th century.

Food History Peat dust was mixed with molasses and given to livestock. It was thought that this made other food stay in the stomach longer and the nutrients would be better absorbed into the animal's system. It was eaten by humans in China during famine periods throughout history and the Laplanders made bread from it. Farming History Peat was used in the 1700s and 1800s as bedding material for animals. It was much more plentiful in some areas than hay or straw and worked just as well if not better. It absorbed liquid, so it kept livestock clean and dry when they had to be indoors. It also neutralized any odors from animal waste. History as Fuel Peat moss was used to heat homes in Ireland more than 1,300 years ago. Peat was very plentiful, more so than even wood, and it burned well to make a house warm in cold weather. It was also used to heat fires and stoves for cooking. Once coal was mined, using peat for fuel took a back seat, but once World War I started, it became the mode of heating and cooking once again. In Ireland, peat moss was used to produce electricity since the 1950s.

Medicinal History An old remedy uses tea made from peat that will stop bleeding and help any diseases related with the eyes. Sphagnum moss was used to dress the wounds of soldiers in World War I. It has been used to treat sores and wounds since ancient times as well. It was developed into surgical dressing in Germany and is still used today. Harvesting Methods In the 17th and 18th centuries in Ireland, landowners were allocated areas in the peatland where they could cut peat. It was always cut by using a turf knife. Hand cutting peat was the way it was harvested for centuries until a modern method was developed. The bog was drained and a device pulled by horse or vehicle was used to cut the peat. Cutting was the most common method of harvesting up until the 1980s when another method was developed using a vacuum that sucked the peat from the land. In some countries, equipment is used somewhat like strip mining equipment to cut peat from the earth. It is called peat mining instead of harvesting.

Current Uses Today, a gardener would be hard pressed to develop a good soil mix in his or her garden without the use of bales of peat moss. It makes the soil light and plants are able to grow more easily while water and nutrients are retained better in the garden. It is used extensively in greenhouses and to develop seedlings. Keywords: peat moss history, history of peat, peat moss past Peat Moss Associations in Canada | History of peat | APTHQ Next 1864 As in Europe, initial interest in Canada centered on the production of fuel peat. Commercial operations first began in Québec in 1864 and later extended to Ontario, but the activity remained small-scaled. 1890 A small plant for the production of peat moss litter is built near Saint John, New Brunswick. The peat produced by the Musquash Moss Litter Company was sold as bedding material for horses. Operations ceased in 1895 after the plant burned down. 1914-1918 During World War I, sphagnum moss and peat were gathered from peatlands near Saint John, New Brunswick, for the production of surgical dressings.

1918-1939 In order to reduce its dependency on imported coal, the Canadian Government conducts several surveys of peat resources across Canada. 1939-1945 Before World War II, most of the sphagnum moss peat used in North America came from Europe, more particularly from the Scandinavian countries, Netherlands and Germany. Because of the war, traditional sources of peat were interrupted and efforts to develop local sources of peat triggered the modern era of peat production in Canada, mainly in British Columbia, Québec and New Brunswick. 1945-1960 Canadian companies become the main suppliers of sphagnum peat moss for the North American market. Although mainly used for animal bedding, peat is also used in horticulture and as packing and insulation material. Harvesting the peat consist of cutting blocks of peat by hand with shovels and stacking them for drying. The blocks are then cut into chips at the plant and pressed into bales. Increased productivity was achieved by importing cutting machines from Europe. 1970 Peat producers gradually abandon the block cutting method in favour of the milling method using vacuum harvesting machines to collect the peat.

1970-1990 A period of growth and product diversification with the development of specialized potting soils intended for the various horticultural markets. Plant operations and bale handing benefit from automation. 1992 Canadian horticultural peat producers initiate the first research project on peatland restoration, conducted by the Peatland Ecology Research Group (PERG) at Laval University. This leads to the development of Canadian expertise in peatland restoration research. 2000-2010 The Canadian peat industry dominates the North American market and is present in many other countries, being the first producer of horticultural peat in the world. It is also a model in term of its approach to the development of the resource as it fully endorses the notion of sustainability and responsible use of the resource. 2015 Bryophytes, Ferns and Fern allies Introduction to Bryophytes - Mosses, Liverworts, and Hornworts As we pass from mosses to ferns, we see a gradual transition from primitive to modern traits. There are two major trends you should focus on in today's lab.

The first is a transition in life cycles, the second is a change in basic internal structure. First, all plants undergo an alternation of generations, between a haploid gametophyte stage and a diploid sporophyte stage. In the most primitive plants, like mosses, the gametophyte is dominant (i.e. it's big and green). In higher plants like ferns and fern allies, the sporophyte stage is dominant. Gametophytes produce gametes (sperm and eggs) in a special structure called a gametangium (-ia), while sporophytes produce spores in a special structure called a sporangium (-ia). Second, all plants need to get water to their cells. Primitive bryophytes like mosses and liverworts are so small that they can rely on diffusion to move water in and out of the plant. Mosses have a few strands of water conducting tissue in their central stem, but nothing like the large and well organized network of tubes in tracheophytes, or "tube plants".

The vascular tissues in the more advanced ferns and "fern allies" are made up of xylem and phloem, which conduct water, nutrients, and food throughout the plant body. We'll look at these tissues in a later lab. Bryophytes also need a moist environment to reproduce. Their flagellated sperm must swim through water to reach the egg. So mosses and liverworts are restricted to moist habitats. There are no mosses in the desert. But mosses are surprisingly resistant to drying up, and can survive under very harsh conditions. Mosses are the most abundant plants in both the Arctic and the Antarctic. Asexual reproduction in bryophytes is accomplished by fragmentation or by tiny vegetative "sprouts" called gemmae, which form in special little structures called gemmae cups. Mosses and liverworts are lumped together as bryophytes, plants lacking true vascular tissues, and sharing a number of other primitive traits. They also lack true stems, roots, or leaves, though they have cells that perform these general functions.

The leafy green plant that we see when we look at a moss or a liverwort is really the gametophyte, which is the dominant stage in all bryophytes. The sporophytes of bryophytes do not have a free-living existence. They grow directly out of the fertilized egg in the archegonia, and remain dependent on the parent gametophyte for their nutrition. Characteristics of Divisions Division Bryophyta - (9,500 sp.) - mosses, Mnium, Sphagnum Mosses come in two basic types, a cushiony type, with erect stalks, and a feathery type, which forms flattened mats of low-lying and highly branched moss plants. In both cases, the leafy green gametophytes are dioecious They can be male plants, with antheridia at the top of the plant, or female plants, with archegonia at the top. Remember that these gametophytes are always haploid (1N) plants. Sperm are produced within each antheridium, and an egg in each archegonium.

Because the plant is already haploid, these gametes can be created by mitosis, simple cell division. The sperm swims to the archegonia through a thin film of water, drawn by a chemical attractant produced by the female plant, then swims down the neck of the archegonia to the egg. A good morning dew is more than sufficient water for the sperm to swim. Once the sperm enters the archegonia, it fuses with the egg. The 2N zygote develops into a diploid sporophyte plant, a small stalk that grows directly out of the top of the archegonium. This stalk is initially green, and photosynthetic, but later turns brown and becomes essentially a parasite on the female gametophyte. The sporophyte plant consists of a stalk, and a small capsule on the top. Within the capsule, cells undergo meiosis to produce tetrads of haploid spores. When the capsule is ripe, its hinged lid or operculum opens up, and the spores are quickly dispersed by wind and water. The spores germinate into a tiny green thread, which looks like a simple strand of green algae.

This similarity is one more clue that bryophytes are descended from green algae. This early threadlike stage is called the protonema (= first thread, plural = protonemata, like stigma/stigmata). The new adult gametophytes grow from a tiny bud that develops on the protonema. Eventually these gametophytes will grow to produce gametes, and the whole cycle will start over again. Mosses can also reproduce asexually by fragmentation or by growing little vegetative buds called gemma, which can break off and grow into a new plant . While bryophytes in general are more interesting than important, in the usual sense, a conspicuous exception are mosses of the genus Sphagnum. Sphagnum moss forms dense mats which become compressed into peat, which can be used as fuel, although it’s very smoky. Peat also contains other plants such as reeds, that grow amid the sphagnum. In dried form, peat moss is remarkably absorbent and, and has been used for diapers, for enriching poor garden soils, and as a field dressing for wounds.

Whereas cotton absorbs 4-6 times its dry weight, dried sphagnum can absorb 20 times its own weight in fluids! Peat bogs are very important and interesting ecosystems. Sphagnum mosses greatly increase local acidity by releasing H+ ions, and the pH of peat bogs can drop to 4 or lower, perhaps the most acidic natural environment. Peat bogs cover about 1% of the Earth’s land surface, an area about half the size of the United States. Division Hepaticophyta - (9,000 sp.), liverworts, Marchantia, Conocephalum, Porella Liverworts have the simplest bodies of all the green plants. The gametophyte, the dominant stage, looks like a flat scaly leaf, with prominent lobes. It looks for all the world like a tiny flattened liver, hence the scientific name hepatico-phyta = liver plant. During the Middle Ages, this similarity caused physicians to prescribe liverwort for diseases of the liver. According to the Doctrine of Signatures the Creator had designed all of nature, including plants, with our welfare in mind.

People believed that plants had been intentionally designed to resemble the organs of the body they were supposed to heal! Hence liver-wort, wyrt being the Anglo-Saxon word for herb. The shape of the liverwort was the signature of the Creator in nature. Can you guess what walnuts were supposed to cure ? (diseases of the brain) Liverworts share the general properties of bryophytes, but are not very closely related to mosses or hornworts. Many botanists think they may have evolved independently, from a different group of green algae. For one thing, liverworts don’t store food as starch but as oils. If you get the aquatic liverwort Porella in lab, take a sniff of the jar, but not too deep! It smells of rancid oils, oils that went a little funky while the plant was being shipped. Another characteristic unique to liverworts is their lack of stomata, which are found in all other plants, including mosses and hornworts.

In many species of liverworts, such as Marchantia, the one you will most likely see in lab, the antheridia and archegonia are not on top of the plant, but hanging down from the underside of odd little structures that look like tiny umbrellas. (These umbrella-shaped structures are called the antheridiophore and archegoniophore). The bi-flagellated sperm swims to the egg, and fertilization takes place to form a diploid (2N) zygote. The tiny diploid sporophytes, which remain attrached to the parent plant, have a very simple structure. Meiosis within the sporophyte produces a number of haploid spores. These spores are surrounded by curious long and twisted moist cells called elaters. When the capsule dries and bursts, the elaters twist and jerk around in a way that scatters the spores in all directions. Liverworts can also reproduce asexually by means of special structures called gemmae cups. These little cups can be easily seen on the surface of the plant. Each gemma cup contains a number of tiny plantlets called gemmae, and a single drop of water will disperse them.

These little vegetative “clones” will then grow into a new gametophyte. Division Anthocerophyta - (100 sp.), hornworts, Anthoceros The green gametophytes of the hornwort look very much like a liverwort. But their small sporophytes more closely resemble those of mosses. The sporophytes grow out of the gametophyte, and look like a little upright horn. Like mosses, hornworts have stomata, and so are probably more closely related to mosses and other plants than to the liverworts they mat resemble. These plants are symbiotic with the cyanobacteria Nostoc. The cyanobacteria fixes nitrogen for the hornwort. Taxonomy gemmae cup To Do and View Examine the living mosses on display. Notice the small capsules on top of the tiny sporophytes. Mosses generally grow in one of two growth types: cushiony moss and feathery moss. Examine slides of the antheridia and archegonia. The sausage shaped antheridia produce sperm, and the flask shaped archegonia produces eggs. Examine slides of the moss capsule, and identify the spores.

Examine slides of the protonema. What type of algae does it remind you of? This resemblance is additional evidence that green algae gave rise to all higher plants. Examine the terrestrial liverworts Marchantia and Conencephalum (one or both should be on display). How does their growth habit differ from that of the mosses? Can you see any gemmae cups on the upper surface of these plants? Examine slides of the liverwort Marchantia. Examine the aquatic liverworts like Porella and Riccia (one or both should be on display). Notice how they differ from the more terrestrial forms of liverwort. Look at the preserved liverworts, and observe their distinct reproductive structures (they look like little green umbrellas). How does their life cycle differ from mosses? Examine slides of the hornwort Anthocerophyta. Things to Remember Know the life cycle of the moss in detail, and be able to recognize the various stages. Hint: Be sure you understand the general life cycle of plants, and can tell which stages are haploid gametophytes (1N) or diploid sporophytes (2N).

We'll learn several life cycles in lecture and in lab (moss, fern, pine, flowering plant), but all of them are variations on the same basic theme. Ecological, Evolutionary, and Economic Importance Mosses are important in landscaping and gardening, especially peat moss (Sphagnum). Peat moss (Sphagnum) has been used historically as dressings for wounds. Peat moss can be used as fuel. Mosses are the most primitive living land plants. Hornworts contain symbiotic colonies of the cyanobacteria Nostoc. ground pine (Lycopodium) showing strobili The ferns and fern allies germinate from spores. These plants are mostly homosporous - their spores are identical and you can't differentiate which will grow into male or female plants. They are also monoecious - both the archegonia and antheridia (male and female reproductive structures) are borne on the same plant. Contrast these primitive vascular plants with the more advanced seed plants, the gymnosperms and angiosperms, which germinate from seeds rather than from spores. Seed plants are all heterosporous.

It is easy to differentiate the larger female megaspore from the smaller male microspore. The sperm of seed plants have no flagella. They lack antheridia, and only a few still have an archegonia. Unlike the more primitive ferns and fern allies, seed plants are mostly dioecious, having separate male and female plants. In many of these primitive plants, certain leaves are specialized for reproduction. These modified leaves, or sporophylls, bear the sporangia at their bases. These sporophylls usually branch out from a shortened stem, forming a club shaped structure called a strobilus. The pine cone and the flower are elaborate variations on these primitive strobili. There are four divisions of non-seed tracheophytes, vascular plants that reproduce by means of spores, the Psilophyta, Lycophyta, Sphenophyta, and Pterophyta. Before these non-seed tracheophytes evolved, the bryophytes were the dominant form of plant life. The evolutionary edge of having a more efficient conducting system, and a well-developed root-shoot system enabled them to outcompete bryophytes.

If you’re lucky enough to see ground pine or other club mosses growing in the shade of a large pine tree, think for a moment about how these tiny plants were once the masters of the planet, forming vast forests with trunks from 20 to 100 feet tall! Taxonomy Tracheophytes (vascular tissue, no seeds) Division Lycophyta - club moss, quillworts (Lycopodium, Selaginella) Division Sphenophyta - horsetails (Equisetum; fr.L. equus = horse) Division Psilophyta - whisk fern (Psilotum) Division Pterophyta - true ferns (Pteris; fr.Gr. pteridion = little wing) Terms Characteristics of Divisions Division Psilophyta - (fr Gr. psilo = smooth), whisk ferns, Psilotum There are only two living genera of whisk ferns, sole survivors of a large and widespread group of early land plants. In addition to the living Division Psilophyta, the psilopsids, there are two extinct divisions of primeval vascular plants. The primitive whisk ferns resemble these extinct pioneers in many ways.

They are the only living vascular plants that lack a root-shoot system, a characteristic they share with both extinct Divisions of ancestral vascular plants. Some recent molecular evidence suggests that one, or even both, of the living genera of psilopsids may actually be more closely related to ferns, like a fern that has reverted to more primitive traits. If this is true, then Psilophyta will join the ranks of the numerous extinct Divisions of plants. Psilopsids are found in tropical and subtropical areas, and occurs throughout the southern US. I once found one growing on my back porch under the leaves of a spider plant. Whisk ferns are a common weed in greenhouses all over the world. They are simple green upright stems, with dichotomous branching. They have no leaves, and no true roots. The outer tissues of the stem do all the photosynthesizing. A portion of the stem called a rhizome runs along the ground, or just below it. A rhizome is a horizontal stem that spreads the plant around. Roots grow out the bottom of the rhizome, and a new plant can arise at the same point from the top.

The green stem-like plant is the diploid sporophyte, the dominant stage in the life cycle. In the small sporangia (bright yellow) that form along the upper stems, the spore mother cell forms haploid spores by meiosis. Their gametophytes are tiny little thread-like underground plants that lack chlorophyll, and live as heterotrophs in the soil, looking and acting much like a tiny fungi. It actually contains a symbiotic fungi, the same mycorrhizae that live in the rhizomes of the adult sporophyte. Division Lycophyta - (1,000 sp., fr. Gr. lycos=wolf), club mosses, quillworts, Lycopodium (podus=foot) Their are only five living genera of lycopsids, but at one time from the distant Devonian, about 400 mya, well into the Carboniferous, they were the dominant form of vegetation on the face of the Earth. Now they are reduced to a shadow of their glorious past, inconspicuous little plants in the forest understory. The tropical species are small epiphytes (plants that grow on other plants).

Their roots grow from special underground stems called rhizomes, as do most of these primitive tracheophytes. In some species the sporophylls are mixed in with the scale-like leaves. In many species, the sporophylls are organized into strobili, hence the common name of “club moss”. The sperm swim down the strobilus to the archegonia, and the zygote that forms is retained in the cone, which ripens and falls to the ground. The gametophytes are independent and free-living, They are curious creatures that look and act nothing like their sporophyte parents. They can be either heterotrophic or autotrophic, and usually have a symbiotic fungi associated with them. Many of the lycopsids are heterosporous. Selaginella is a good example of a heterosporous plant. Division Sphenophyta - (15 sp., one genus, fr. Gr. sphen=wedge), horsetails, Equisitum In waste places, disturbed areas like trails and railroad beds, and in odd corners of fields and forests you might find another small plant quietly dreaming of its former splendor, the horsetail.

Horsetails appeared in the late Devonian, and were among the dominant forest trees for hundreds of millions of years. Only one genus of Sphenophyta still exists, the genus Equisetum, and it may be the oldest living genus of plants on earth. Horsetails towered among the Carboniferous forests, reaching heights of 30-60 feet. Much of the coal deposits we exploit for fuel today were formed from horsetails and other trees during the Carboniferous, toward the end of the Paleozoic. Horsetails have true roots, stems, and leaves, though the leaves are little more than flattened stems. Their hollow, ribbed stems are jointed, kind of like a stalk of bamboo, and a whorl of leaves arises at each joint. The plants are spread vegetatively by rhizomes. The stems feel very rough, because the epidermal tissues are impregnated with tiny grains of silica (sand). This probably helps protect the plant against herbivores. These rough stems made this plant ideal for pioneer women to use for scrubbing pots and pans, hence its other common name, “scouring rush”. The green plant we see is the diploid sporophyte generation.

The stalks can be highly branched vegetative stalks, which actually look like horse tails, or straight unbranched reproductive stalks, which are tipped with a large strobilus containing the sporangia. The homosporous spores develop into a teeny-tiny green gametophyte, just a few mm long, that looks like the gametophyte of a fern. The gametophyte is haploid, free-living, and autotrophic. Division Pterophyta - (12,000 sp., fr. Gr. pteridion=little wing), ferns Ferns probably evolved from the psilopsids, sometime in the Devonian, relatively early on in land plant evolution. They are very abundant and diverse, ranging in size from a single centimeter to trees 24 meters tall with 5 meter fronds. Ferns have been better competitors with seed plants than other seedless vascular plants, and are a conspicuous part of the landscape throughout the world, but especially in the tropics, where 75% of their 12,000 species occur. Ferns are relatively advanced plants, with true roots, stems and leaves.

The blade of the fern is called a frond, and the little individual leaflets are called pinnae. Ferns have true leaves, what botanists call macrophylls. While the leaves of more primitive plants, which are called microphylls, are simply extensions of the epidermis of the stem, the leaves of ferns and higher plants were formed as a web of tissue stretched between small terminal branches. The leaves of higher plants, as well as the modified leaves that make up the pine cone and the flower. The life cycle of the fern is typical of other non-seed vascular plants. The leafy green plant is the sporophyte. Fertile fronds develops clusters of small sporangia on the underside of the frond. These clusters of sporangia are called sori (sing. sorus). Sori are often protected by a tiny umbrella-like cap called an indusium (-ia). Ferns are mostly homosporous, though some are heterosporous. The heterosporous state is a more advanced condition, that seems to have evolved independently in several groups of plants. The haploid spores are formed by meiosis inside the sporangium.

They are ejected in a miniature explosion caused by the unequal drying of the alternate thick and thin-walled cells that line the outer surface. The top pulls slowly back until it reaches a critical point and then snaps forward at an incredible speed. At that size scale, the expulsion of fern spores is one of the most explosive events in nature. The spores germinate into tiny gametophytes. The little heart shaped gametophyte is called a prothallus, literally “first-body” (pl prothalli). the prothallus has no vascular tissue. Its small size lets it rely entirely on diffusion. Its tiny rhizoids are associated with mycorrhizal fungi. The little prothallus is green, and photosynthetic, and bears either antheridia and archegonia, or sometimes both together, on its upper surface (lab slides have both on same prothallus). The archegonia are always found at the arch of the heart, and the antheridia are tucked away among the tiny rhizoids at the other end. The sperm swims to the egg to fuse into a diploid zygote. The new sporophyte grows directly out of the top of the gametophyte.

When it first begins to uncurl, the frond looks like the scrolled neck of a violin or fiddle, and this stage of development is called a fiddlehead. To Do and View Examine the living lycopsids on display. Why are they called club mosses? Notice that quillworts and Selaginella are very different in appearance from the club mosses. Examine slides of Selaginella's strobilus. Identify megaspores and microspores. Examine the living horsetails on display. Notice the prominent strobili of the reproductive stalks, and the bushy growth form of the vegetative stalks (if available). Examine the living whisk ferns on display. Psilopsids have a simple dichotomous branching pattern. You may see tiny yellow sporangia on the branches. Whisk ferns lack strobili. These primitive plants are closely related to ferns. Examine the living ferns on display. Can you see any fiddleheads? Look for the rhizomes. Rhizomes are modified horizontal stems bearing roots, that run along or just underneath the ground, and spread ferns and fern allies around.

Examine the living fern prothallus on display under a dissecting microscope. Note its characteristic heart shape. Some prothalli may have a tiny new fern emerging from the notch of the "arch" heart, where the archegonia are located. Examine slides of the prothallus: Find the archegonia (can you see an egg?). Examine the fern leaflet on display under the dissecting microscope. Notice the prominent indusia, and the small sporangia peeking out from beneath. You'll see a few groups of sporangia that have lost their indusium. If you're lucky, as the heat of the microscope dries out the leaflet, you might see the sporangia eject its spores. But don't blink - it's one of the fastest and most explosive acts in nature. Use high power to observe the spores. Examine slides of the sori and indusia; use high power to observe the spores. Things to Remember Know the life cycle of the fern. Recognize specimens and slides of the various stages. Economic, Ecological, and Evolutionary Importance Ferns and fern allies are primarily responsible for our modern deposits of coal.

The fiddleheads of some species of ferns are edible. Ferns are important for the florist, gardening and landscape industries. Consider This Doug Elliott - Adventures - Camper's Pampers I just couldn’t get it out of my head! Ever since I had seen the article in that old National Geographic Magazine about the Cree Indians, I hadn’t been able to get that picture out of my head. It showed a young Cree mom diapering her baby with sphagnum moss. Wow! What a concept! I knew sphagnum moss well. I had seen it many times in my wanderings in wetland areas in various parts of the country. I had marveled at its pale green color and its soft, absorbent, spongy texture. I had picked it up by the handful and marveled at how much water I could squeeze out of it. One time I did a test with a bunch of dry sphagnum and a sensitive scale. I found out that it would hold 12 times its own weight in water. Sphagnum's remarkable ability to soak up water is why it is so important in nature.

Because of its water retaining properties and its ability to create and maintain an acid habitat for itself and other plants, sphagnum plays a key role in the formation of bogs. Bog environments act like huge sponges that control erosion on mountain slopes and flooding in valleys. In fact the drainage of almost all the vast northern regions of our planet is controlled by sphagnum moss. Sphagnum moss deposits also provide a medium for the seeding of trees and other plants that are important in the development of northern forests. The peat moss that we buy to mulch our shrubs and mix with potting soil is primarily ancient sphagnum moss that has been mined out of former bog areas. I had spent time with traditional moss rakers in southern New Jersey. These backwoods folks, known as “pineys”, who live in the relatively undisturbed and ecologically unique area known as the Jersey Pine Barrens, rake fresh sphagnum moss out of bog areas, dry it and bale it for sale to nurseries and garden centers. The photos above are of William Wasowich, one of the last South Jersey moss rakers hard at work in 1992 in a Pine Barrens sphagnum bog.

Wasowich was one of the characters mentioned in John McPhee’s book, The Pine Barrens. Sphagnum moss also has a long history of use as a wound dressing, reaching a peak in its use during World War I when it was used by both the Germans and the Allies. By the end of the war, the British production of sphagnum dressings was estimated to have been about one million pounds a month. In the 1730's the great Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus, observed, "The Lapland matrons are well acquainted with [sphagnum] moss. They lay it in their children's cradles to supply the place of bed, bolster, and every covering; and being changed night and morning, it keeps the infant remarkably clean, dry, and warm ... and makes a most delicate nest for the new-born babe." Yes, what a perfect material, I thought -- a completely organic, biodegradable, disposable diaper. What new parent wouldn’t be thrilled to have such a thing? As my friends began to have babies I would often go into a bog and collect and dry a batch of beautiful soft sphagnum moss and present it to them as a gift at baby showers.

I was astounded that even some of my more earthy friends were simply not interested. They would often say, patronizingly, “Yeah right, Doug, go ahead use that moss on your baby.” Well the time had come. My wife was pregnant and the nesting phase had begun. The nesting phase is that time during pregnancy when many women get seriously focused on “preparing their nest” for the arrival of the new baby. From knitting tiny garments and shopping for blankets and diapers, to preparing the cradle, crib, playpen and other neonatal accoutrements. The nesting phase is a busy, exciting time in an expectant mother’s life. As an expectant dad, I found my own nesting instinct had kicked in powerfully and now this old rolling stone was scurrying around in bogs gathering every bit of moss he could find. By the time our little one was due, I had stored away several big bags of carefully dried sphagnum. What marvelous material it is. I can’t say that it was the only diapers we used because we tried all kinds. But sphagnum was our favorite, not only because it is natural and biodegradable but because it was simply, the best.

The moss seems to wick moisture away from the baby's skin and the tiny dry particles of moss act almost like a talcum powder so that the baby’s skin stays smooth and dry. Feces is absorbed and enclosed in a wad of moss. Because of these properties, as well as the fact that the moss is slightly acidic and is reported to contain small amounts of iodine, sphagnum can be helpful to prevent and heal diaper rash. And it was so convenient. When it was time for a diaper change, we would simply remove the moss, and if we were home, we would compost it under a fruit tree. If we were on the trail hiking, we would simply tuck the soiled moss into the topsoil and cover it with leaves or other forest duff. On car trips we would pull off the highway and bury it.

(Once we even discretely slipped a wad of our nitrogen-enriched sphagnum deep into the mulch under landscape shrubbery outside a shopping mall.) I realized that not only were we being gentle on the earth and giving our baby the best care available but we were also, in some ways, tapping into our ancient heritage because sphagnum moss was used by our northern European ancestors as well as native North Americans. I asked a native-American friend, who is a speaker of Cree and other northern Algonquian dialects about sphagnum. He told me about how it is still used in the back- country. Mothers wrap their babes in a soft buckskin bag filled with dry sphagnum and change it as necessary His people use the word "otaow" (rhymes with cow) to refer to sphagnum moss. When I asked him about how the word translates, he said the root of the word, "ota," is associated with the word for father. “Is that because the fathers gather the moss?” I asked expectantly. “Not necessarily,” he said.

Men might collect moss sometimes but it is usually the women who gather it because they also use it in the moon lodge where the women spend their menstrual periods, singing, talking, praying and hanging out with each other while seated on pads of sphagnum. (Modern women tell me it is hard to use sphagnum if they remain active.) This root word, “ota,” he went on to say, is a word that implies presence, meaning something like "right here" or "being there." I thought about how fatherhood had imbued the words "presence" and "being there" with new meaning for me. The word for sphagnum, "otaow,” he told me, would translate out to mean "protectively holds" or "embraces." “Is that because it’s used for diapers,” I asked. “Not necessarily,” he replied (again), explaining that it is more because of the way the sphagnum covers the ground -- like a carpet in some moist areas, growing over rocks and logs and everything -- protectively holding the Earth Mother. When I would protectively embrace and hold my young son in my arms, I would sometimes think about our responsibility to protectively hold all that we touch.

When I think about that spongy wad of sphagnum moss in our son's diaper, I marvel at the vast millions of acres of sphagnum moss that are currently embracing our planet, protectively holding, and ever so gently, softly, controlling the flow of the countless trillions of gallons of water that drain boreal land masses all around the globe. That wad of sphagnum tucked in our child's diaper, containing the fluids and mopping up our own baby's nether regions seemed like a wonderful parallel - sort of a microcosm of what is happening on our planet every day. How (and Where) to Gather Sphagnum Moss for Diapers To gather sphagnum moss for baby diapers, it should be picked as clean as possible and promptly dried. When gathering moss I generally carry a tarp or large drop cloth, a pillowcase and /or a pack basket with me into a bog area. Late spring and early summer seem to be ideal times to gather because there is a lot of new tender growth. Boots, amphibious sandals or wading shoes are recommended.

In the boggy areas where sphagnum is found, it usually grows as the first layer of vegetation, anywhere from a few inches to a foot or more in depth. It forms a moist, fluffy substrate with various other plants poking through. These might be tufted sedges, delicate flowering orchids, exotic looking pitcher plants, robust red cranberries, or low thickets of pink-flowering sheep laurel and wooly-leaved Labrador Tea. Sometimes sphagnum moss will completely cover a partially submerged fallen log or creep up the base of a tree trunk. The best places to gather the moss are the more open areas where it grows in thick clumps or beds. From areas like these you can pull one handful after another and still leave large amounts to regenerate. When gathering moss, (or any natural resource) it is important to diffuse your impact, taking a few handfuls from one clump then moving to another. Of course it is important not to gather in an area where the moss is not common. You will see, however, that in areas where moss is abundant, you can pick for a few hours in a relatively small area and there will still be so much moss left that it will be difficult to tell where you have harvested.

Pick the moss as cleanly as possible, removing pine needles and other bits of debris when you find them. (There will be more opportunities to do this when you spread it out to dry later.) When I pull the moss, if the bottom of the clump is muddy where it was rooted in the bog, I cut or break this part off. I collect the moss in a gathering basket or a sack. When this container is full I carry it to the edge of the bog, ideally to a sunny area, and spread the moss out on a clean tarp or large cloth and go back for more. The moss dries amazingly fast if it is spread thinly. If tarp space is limited and the moss is piled rather thickly it will still dry in a day or two, especially if you turn it regularly and break apart the moist clumps. A few hours of gathering and a day or two of careful drying can yield several months' worth of sphagnum. The use of a tarp is important to keep the moss clean and away from contact with the soil. This will virtually eliminate the risks of sporotrichosis, a fungal infection that sometimes affects greenhouse workers who work with sphagnum.

Recent studies indicate that the offending fungus, Sporothrix schenckii, lives in the soil. It has not been found (and apparently will not grow) on living sphagnum moss. It can be a problem, however, in greenhouses where the dead moss is mixed with water and dirt and allowed to stand for extended periods in a heated environment. (1) Footnote: (1), Mycopathologia 123: 87-94, 1993. Diapering with Sphagnum Moss In the 1730's the great Swedish naturalist, Linnaeus, observed, "The Lapland matrons are well acquainted with [sphagnum] moss. They lay it in their children's cradles to supply the place of bed, bolster, and every covering; and being changed night and morning, it keeps the infant remarkably clean, dry, and warm ... and makes a most delicate nest for the new-born babe." Though some of our friends lay the sphagnum moss on a cotton diaper, we find that a moss filled nylon diaper cover works best for us. To prepare for diapering, open the diaper cover and place it on a flat surface.

Place a couple handfuls of the moss in the diaper cover and arrange it "strategically" (more in front for boys). Examine the moss carefully to be sure it is free of leaves, pine needles and other potentially uncomfortable debris. (I press the moss into place with the back of my hand to be sure it is soft and free of projections.) Sometimes we use different "grades" of moss. The softest moss is reserved for the inner layer and the rest is used as the "backfill". Sometimes we place a few sheets of toilet paper on top to cover the moss. Then we set the babe down onto the moss and fasten the diaper up as gracefully as possible. Since managing a squirmy baby on an easily scatterable pile of moss is not always easy, having an extra person helping usually makes it easier. (We call it "tag team diapering.") Once the diaper is fastened we found that training pants or rubber pants help hold the whole assembly together. The moss seems to wick moisture away from the baby's skin and the tiny dry particles of moss act almost like a talcum powder so that his skin stays smooth and dry. Feces is absorbed and enclosed in a wad of moss.

Because of these properties as well as the fact that the moss is slightly acidic and is reported to contain small amounts of iodine, sphagnum can be helpful to prevent and heal diaper rash. We used moss primarily as a travel diaper and it was amazingly simple. We could go for weeks with only a stuff bag full of moss and two or three nylon diaper covers. While one cover was on the babe, the other, after being rinsed was drying out. Our youngster, as fussy as he was about diapering in general, never did develop an aversion to the sphagnum. When he got to older toddlerhood, he would even help us tuck the loose pieces of moss into his diaper cover. Of course using such an unusual method of diapering does leave you open to a few raised eyebrows as well as the occasional wisecrack. One friend watched us undo our son's diaper.

When he saw the huge wad of soggy moss he asked, "Don't you think that boy has a little too much fiber in his diet?” Doug Elliott • Naturalist • Herbalist • Storyteller • All rights reserved ©Doug Elliott • Site: Storybiz Design Peat Moss - Sphagnum - Overview - Encyclopedia of Life Learn more about this article Sphagnum is a genus that comprises one of the major groups (superclasses) of the largest phylum of mosses (Bryophyta) generally found in boreal areas in the Northern Hemisphere (although diverse species also occur in tropical and subtropical areas, and in the Southern Hemisphere), best known as a typical species of bogs, coniferous swamps, and fens, and used horticulturally (as a plant growing medium or soil amendment), as a biofuel (traditional in Ireland), and to flavor alcoholic beverages (whisky and Scotch), among other products. The Sphagnum genus contains roughly 135 species, although classifications have varied considerably in the number of species recognized. All species display a distinctive branch arrangement, with 3 or more fascicles (groups) of branches produced with every 4th leaf.

Within a fascicle, at least 2 branches hang downwards, pressed close to the stem, while 1 to 3 are held out, diverging from the stem. Sphagnum mosses are a dominant component of bogs and other wetland ecosystems, and affect important ecological processes. They tend to acidify their environment, and thus to direct future succession. The presence of Sphagnum deposits and spores has been used in paleoecological studies as an indicator of past climates and ecological conditions. This group of mosses has a tremendous water-holding capacity, potentially retaining 25 times their dry weight in water, which modifies spring runoff in vast stretches of permafrost in the Arctic; however, when permafrost melts, the Sphagnum becomes saturated and may suddenly release large volumes of water. Sphagnum, often referred to as peat or peat moss (although “peat” includes various species of partly decayed vegetation), is widely used in horticulture, as a planting medium, mulch, soil conditioner, and for grafting trees and cultivating mushrooms.

However, nearly half of the peat harvested annually is used for fuel; it is an important fuel source in northern European countries including Finland, Germany, Ireland, Poland, Russia, and Sweden. Peat may be burned directly or converted to other burnable fuels, including methane, ethylene, natural or synthetic gas. Sphagnum is also used as fiber or pulp for paper manufacture, and is a component of recently developed construction materials, including “peatcrete” (peat mixed with concrete, then pressed with Portland cement and water and cast or molded) and “peatwood” (mixed with phenolic resin and molded). Sphagnum peatlands have been used for wastewater treatment. When sewage is discharged to an active peatland, Sphagnum can absorb toxic heavy metals, oil spills, PCP (pentachlorophenol), microbes, and excess nitrogen and potassium from eutrophic river water. Sphagnum has also been used in diverse ways in the past. Native Americans used it for diapers, and it was used during World War I in bandages instead of cotton—both applications took advantage of its absorbency, but also its antimicrobial and antiviral properties, which have been confirmed in recent studies.

It has been used to stuff mattresses, pillows, furnishings, and as insulation, and in sanitary napkins and boot liners (to absorb moisture and odors), as animal bedding, or mixed with molasses as livestock feed. It can be mixed with alkaline to produce a brown dye. Scotch and Irish whisky are flavored by peat when germinated malt (or barley) is dried over peat fires. Threats to Sphagnum peatlands are outlined in the “Threats” section. (Anderson et al. 2009, Crandall-Stotler and Bartholomew-Began 2007, Crum 1988, Crum and Anderson 1981, Glime 2007, McQueen and Andrus 2007, Wikipedia 2012.) Trusted Moss in Your Landscape: Friend or Foe? | University of Maryland Extension Connect With Us Moss in Your Landscape: Friend or Foe? This spring HGIC received many questions regarding moss in home lawns. Many homeowners have healthy growths of moss even in bright sunny exposures. The key to moss’s success is if we experience an abundance of wet, cool spring weather.

Moss is an under-appreciated plant that deserves a closer look. Consider that moss is able to thrive in compacted, low fertility, poor drainage soil and can be quite attractive. Such a tough plant deserves more credit. There are many different species, some amazing color shades and textures, and all are very carefree to grow. Here are a few facts to help you learn more about this interesting little plant. What is Moss? There are over 15,000 species of mosses found all over the world wherever there is moisture. They are part of a subdivision of non-flowering plants known as Bryophytes. Unlike other green plants, moss has no true vascular system. They absorb and translocate what they need directly from cell to cell by ‘osmosis’. Mosses do not have traditional roots but still achieve the same function with root-like structures called rhizoids that are actually tiny parts of the stem. Instead of true leaves they have needles and scales of various sizes, shapes and colors. What is its life cycle? The moss life cycle is quite different from higher flowering plants. Mosses reproduce by spores - sexual reproductive cells that develop from the centers of rosettes of leaves at the tips of shoots.

Water transfers the male cells to fertilize the female reproductive cells (eggs) that after fertilization become spore containing capsules. When mature, the capsules release their fine contents onto moist soil, logs or rocks and produce new moss plants. What are some of the common types of Moss in the Home Landscape? Sheet Moss (Hypnum spp.) a moss that typically grows flat on rocks, logs and soil. It can be easily peeled back like a cloth. Rock Cap Moss (Dicranum spp.) a common type of moss that forms clumps on the ground. Hair Cap Moss (Polytrichum spp.) another clump forming moss that is often found growing directly on the soil. Cushion Moss (Leucobynum spp. ) another clump-forming moss that grows directly on the soil. Sphagnum Moss (Sphagnum spp.) There are actually about 50 species in North America. Sphagnum mosses are the largest of the mosses and come in a range of colors; including green, reddish orange, and golden yellow. Sphagnum mosses are usually found in very wet areas such as stream, lake or pond edges, or marsh land.

Over many years it grows into and fills up the body of water creating a ‘bog’. The peat moss is so acidic that it is sterile. It was used during the civil war as a wound dressing. Ancient peat bogs in Ireland that are now dry land are routinely harvested for making peat logs to burn in fireplaces and stoves. Sphagnum peat moss is shredded, baled and sold to gardeners to improve soil structure. How can you control unwanted moss in your Lawn? Moss is usually found in the shade, but sometimes in full sun if the soil is very moist. The key to moss control starts with a healthy lawn. Correct soil drainage problems. Test your soil once every three years. Maintain the soil pH at around 6.5, maintain the proper levels of plant nutrients: Nitrogen, Phosphorus and Potassium. Prune trees and shrubs to allow more light to filter in and to improve To eliminate moss from lawns, rake with a steel rake until moss is removed and bare ground is exposed. Apply the recommended amount of fertilizer and lime (according to your soil test), and improve the soil by adding organic matter.

Sow grass seed and water daily, keeping the top layer of soil moist but not saturated. See HG 100 for more information on moss control. Section:

Question: The moss Sphagnum produces what traditional ancient fuel?
Answer: Peat