As someone with a degree in global sustainability who runs a carnivorous plant nursery, I initially questioned the use of coconut coir in horticulture, as compared with peat moss. This was especially true during the COVID-19 pandemic, when bales of peat moss disappeared off the shelves of big-box stores.
Because of its high capacity for water retention, peat moss is in many store-bought soil and seed-starter mixes. It’s also used in the soil mixture for carnivorous plants and as a soil amendment for acid-loving plants, such as blueberries, camellias, azaleas, and tomatoes.
Peat moss is formed when partially decomposed plant material accumulates at the bottom of a wetland (known as a “peatland” when there’s peat moss in it), and, over thousands of years, gradually turns into peat moss. The lack of oxygen in the peatland prevents the plant material from fully decomposing and thus keeps carbon dioxide from being
