What Does Peat-Lite Mix Mean?
The term peat-lite mix refers to a type of soilless growing medium that contains peat moss and other ingredients, mainly perlite, sand, composted bark, or vermiculite, to lighten the texture of regular peat moss.
Peat-lite mix is made from decomposing plants such as moss that is mined in boggy areas, in addition to added ingredients such as composted softwood bark, sphagnum moss, vermiculite as well as perlite.
Peat-lite mix is known to be extremely lightweight while retaining plenty of moisture and nutrients. For best results, it is commonly wetted and sterilized before use.
Maximum Yield Explains Peat-Lite Mix
Peat-lite mixes were researched and tested extensively starting at Cornell University in the 1960s. Their popularity grew and grew and good topsoil became harder and harder to obtain.
Peat-lite mix is available at garden centers, or it can mixed up at home. The easiest way to make peat-like mix is to add lime to a wetting agent, and then add 50 per cent perlite and 50 per cent peat. However, some sand is also recommended so as to reduce the amount of perlite present. (Too much perlite and it will float!)
The major advantage with peat-lite mix is that gardeners won’t need to add any additional ingredients or compost for their plants to thrive. However, sometimes potting soils or soilless mixes are modified to suit certain plants. Because it is so lightweight and fibrous, this product can hold up to 20 times its own water weight.
Peat-lite mix is commonly used in agricultural crops because it has an impressively large amount of pore space that can go up to 90% of its total volume. As a result, it not only assimilates and stores nutrients properly, but also distributes them within the plant’s roots.
Peat-lite mix, like all other forms of soilless mixes, can be used for almost all containerized plants, indoors or outside.
In addition, there are finer textured versions of peat-lite mix that are sold as seed-starting media.
