Hi, Could you please tell me is there a indigenous plant similar to peat moss/coconut but like coconut renewable? I would like to make a square foot garden; peat moss, vermiculite and compost, but with something like coconut except local to BC. Regards Andre Paris
Hi Andre--there has been quite a bit of research at the U of Guelph on using compost for "soil" and if the quality is good there might be no problem just using that. I know one grower who uses the Vancouver municipal compost straight in his container operation, which is what the researcher (Chong) found as well. In a container the porosity might be an issue, tho the municipal stuff is pretty porous, but in a garden bed this might work well. Compost may have high salt/conductivity issues, which are tough to know without a conductivity meter, so it might be worth "diluting" it with say potting bark (1/2 in. minus fir/hemlock bark here) to be safe, unless you know it's within safe levels (as the municipal product seems to be, they test the stuff constantly at their facility). I'm thinking the bark would fit your desire to use a local renewable product, as it's a byproduct of our forestry, yes?
im looking for more something that retains water as well as coconut coir does, will bark be a suitable replacement in this regard?
SeaSoil (composted timber waste (bark) and fish-processing waste) is an excellent addition for improving life in the soil and increasing moisture retention. $7 for 32L bags at Home Depot.
No, bark is not as moisture retentive as coir, or peat moss. If you need more water holding capacity, I would just use more % compost...I've seen great garden beds growing in pure municipal compost here. Seasoil is a great product, too. I think it would work out a fair bit pricier, esp. if you had to truck in two products separately for your project. The best deal on trucking is always for a full load, 16 yards in a full size dump truck, or 12 yards in the truck that Stream Organics delivers with here, for e.g.