Grasses Chinochloa flavicans One of my first tasks at Dean's Nursery was pricking out grasses. Chinochloas, Carexes, Sedges, Festuca, Poa.... I did not know how many different grasses there was until then. To give you an idea: Chinochloa rubra (Red Tussock), Chinochloa flavicans (ToeToe), Chinochloa cheesemanii and many more Carex testacea, Carex comans, Carex secta, Carex buchananii, Carex dispacea... well it would take me forever to list them as the genus has more than 2000 species! Apparently there is even a study called caricology. All grasses are Monocts and perennials and belong to the family Cyperaceae also known as Segdes. Carex is considered a true Sedge. New Zealands grasslands is mostly covered by tussocks. There are around 190 native grasses. Next time you to the Tablelands try figure out which grasses are growing there. Or look around gardens, as many grasses are loved and used by Landscapers.
Let me introduce you to a medium that is used a lot in Horticulture. PEAT MOSS The dark brown organic matter known as Peat is a unique organic material with several benefits for any gardener or horticulturist. To keep it very short and simple Peat is sterile, absorbent and prevents soil compaction. Peat Moss retains water much better than average soils. It can hold up to 20 times it's weight in water. In addition it aerates and improves drainage of heavier soils, allowing roots to grow and take up nutrients. It also does not contain harmful pathogens or any weed seeds. Therefore Peat Moss makes a great seed starting medium and is often added to potting mixes to improve the soil structure of the growing medium. So what is Peat Moss and where does it come from ? Peat moss is a non-renewable resource that takes several millennia to form and grows less than a millimeter a year. It is formed out of the decomposed remains of sphagnum moss and other living things formi...