Sphagnum moss is one of the key crops being trialled by Palus Demos and, last month, volunteers from LeaveNoTrace and Deloitte joined us at Ballaghurt to plant hundreds of sphagnum plugs.
Sphagnum moss can be a key ingredient of horticultural compost.
Depending on the species, it can hold between 16 and 26 times its own weight in water. While our volunteers rooted the plugs in the soil, this is mainly to stop them being blown away, as the moss takes its nutrients from the air and from rainwater, rather than from the soil.
When harvested, sphagnum can be a key ingredient of horticultural compost. In addition, it can:
- Significantly reduce flooding
- Contribute to the restoration of the bog
- Benefit air quality
- Create cleaner rivers and water systems
Freya Connolly of the Rivers Trust, a key Palus Demos partner explains:
“Many peat soils under agricultural land have been drained in the past for conventional farming, which not only eliminates their natural carbon-capturing capacity but also increases the risk of contaminating nearby watercourses through drainage.
“Paludiculture offers a sustainable alternative, allowing for productive use of these lands through the cultivation of wetland crops, while being far more sympathetic to the natural habitat. It helps safeguard our vital water resources and contributes meaningfully to climate change mitigation.”