5 uses for peat moss in the garden

There are lots of ways you can use a bale or two of peat moss around the garden.

• Peat moss is a popular soil amendment that's especially useful for working into planting holes for trees and shrubs.
• It does not contribute nutrients but loosens and aerates the soil and helps retain moisture.
• Derived from partly decayed sphagnum moss found in cold-climate bogs, peat moss has many garden uses.
• Peat moss is sold dried and pressed in plastic-covered bales and can be hard to scoop out. Loosen it with a hand cultivator before digging in with a shovel.
• Although peat moss is very moisture retentive, it's slow to absorb water when completely dry. Moisten it thoroughly before using it as a soil amendment.

A thin, six-millimetre layer of peat moss spread onto the lawn can improve its growth by boosting the organic matter content in the top 2.5 centimetres of soil.

• Give dahlias and other summer-flowering bulbs a head start by planting them in a bag of peat moss outdoors.
• Cut open the bag, wet the peat well and nestle the bulbs in it. If a cold spell threatens, cover the opening with a board.

In spring, after you plant the bulbs, you'll still have the bag of peat for other uses.

Protect tender plants in a peat moss jacket.

• Ring the plant with a wire cage and line with plastic, then shovel in dry peat to cover the plant.
• Tent the top loosely with a plastic sheet to shed water but permit air flow.

• After lifting the tubers of tender plants for the winter, bury them in a tray of dry peat moss.

It absorbs moisture without letting the tubers dry out and discourages the growth of fungi that contributes to rot problems.

Because peat moss is acidic, it's ideal for heath, heather and their other family members: rhododendrons, mountain laurel and blueberries.

• Dig plenty of moist peat into planting holes and mix more in as you backfill around the plants' roots.