Earl May peat moss

I have a question about Earl May pure sphagnum peat moss. I got a couple of bales last fall, to finish filling my new bog. My question is that it does not say Canadian, (as i thought it had before), and is this company one of those that I read about putting fertilizer in theirs? I'm wondering if i should use this to top off the bog with. Thanks!

Earl May is not a brand I've ever seen for sale out my way. You've stumped me. I'd call them up on the phone and point blank as them and tell them what you bought the bales for. Whe knows, maybe you'll find that it is Canadian peat that is fertilizer free but doubtful. Just out of curiosity, what does it smell like? I've gotten bad bales of peat before and they noticeably smelled like compost and fertilizer. Say, worse case scenario is that you return it all for an exchange.

adding this-
Just did a quick search for you. Don't use it until you call. Looks as if it's from these people and they're not exactly bagging in Canada-
http://www.lgyp.com/Mulch-in-Iowa_3.htm


This message was edited Mar 2, 2008 1:34 PM

I haven't opened the bags yet. Seems like, somewhere i was told that Canadian is more acidic. Is that right? I will call them tomorrow, hopefully will get an educated answer, not just a, sure it's good.

Little bit more to it than just the pH. Please come back and share what they tell you.

Will do...

I called our local store. He said the reason could be, that the bag i bought last summer was labeled 'Canadian', was that they may have been out of the peat that was packaged for Earl May. But from the same company. He didn't think there would be any fertilizer in it because it's all stored outside, therefore would get wet, and not do any good when the gardener would need the fertilizer. As far as where the peat moss came from, he thought Canada, but couldn't say for sure. He thought all peat moss would be the same and acidic value. So what's others' opinion of the source of peat moss?

Hello 7 Oaks & Equilibrium, I am new to the carnivorous plant world and was wondering if you"ll would give some tips. I have been told to use 2" of sand and top that off with spaghnum-peat moss. I am going to build my bog garden 12'x6' and 12" deep. I live in South Georgia, any advice as to which carnivorous plants that would do well in our climate and who is a good supplier? Thanks so much for any suggestions or ideas. Sharon ---- Broxton, Georgia Zone 8

Based on having been out and about buying for a few years, I suspect you will have a good experience with most carnivorous plant nurseries regardless of where you place an order. Some advertise more aggressively than others but for the most part, they're all an ethical lot. I tend to gravitate toward the CP nurseries that give back to the community by donating plants or growing supplies so that places Dangerous Plants at the top of my personal list. I can call them on the phone and tell them I want to buy a starter kit and have it shipped to a classroom across the US and mark my words... when I recontact the recipient they are rattling off plants I didn't even order or pay for??? The other thing that I find nice is that if you call them on the phone for personal help, you get it. He's a real good sport. He also gave me "seed" photos to help populate the PlantFiles here by us which was very good hearted.

http://www.dangerousplants.com/

Any Sarracenia should be fine for you. You might also want to add Drosera intermedia and D. rotundifolia. Toss in a Pinguicula caerulea or a P. primuliflora for fun. The depth of your bog at 12" isn't deep enough. Best to go to at least 2'. I don't know who suggested you use 2" of sand and top that off with spaghnum-peat moss but might not be the way to go. Try a mix of Canadian sphagnum peat and rinsed sand. Play sand should be fine. You won't need any winter protection where you live. 7oaks can tell you all about rinsing sand, she's an expert these days- tee he. FYI, rinsing sand sucks but you have to do it. Once you get your bog going, you should look into other companion species that are locally native to your area that you could work into your bog over time. Nothing more beautiful than a mini-community of native plants and you're in the heartland of carnivorous plants!

Here's a website to give you a feel for what you can do and it's all about bogs-
http://carnivorousplants.homestead.com/Index.html
It's a fun site and gives you a good taste for what you can create. My favorite is Phil Faulisi's Bog but then he's a pretty darn sharp cookie! You'll find more information on his bog by clicking on the area for "other bogs". Regrets are that the bogs of Brooks Garcia aren't showing as that man is definitely an artist as well as an accomplished grower. Maybe you can do a web search and see what pops up for him. He might have updated his site but that's not a priority for him so maybe not.

Here's a great organization that provides FAQs that you might want to read-
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html
Might be a good idea to start reading the FAQs at that site so you can get a better feel for what you're going to be doing.

Hello again. Finally got an answer on the peat moss. First, I thought I found out who packed their peat moss. Corresponded with different people, only to find out that they didn't pack for Earl May. Tried contacting Earl May via e-mail, and had it bounced back as spam. Went back to the store, and was going to have the manager contact them for me. They had gotten their new shipment in, and it said Canadian on it! The package was the exact same, except for the word Canadian... so I used what I had boughten last fall. What a drawn out deal over nothing. Oh well. Now to top it off with the pine needles and more sand. Joy Joy! I'm placing a 1 1/2 inch flexible pipe through the center, about 6 inches deep, with one end capped and the other sticking up about 10 inches, with holes drilled in it, for watering. Saw that somewhere, this way I can pour water down the pipe, or siphon water from a bucket into it. Have ordered a certain amount of $'s in plants from Dangerous Plants. Haven't yet got an invoice to see exactly what and how many of each I'll be getting. It has been so wet here, haven't been able to do much at all in the garden. Sounds like more rain is on the way too. Boy are those little weeds growing! What a pain this will be when I can actually get out there and work....