Peat is a real treasure which nature has endowed human with nothing required in return.
Peat is formed by decomposition of vegetation with limited air access: as a rule, most often in wetlands.
High moor peat is a result of moisture exposure to plant environment: sphagnum, fir needles, leaves.
Low moor peat lies deeper, and is formed from plant residues of moss, sedges, alders and other vegetation characteristic of floodplains of rivers and marshes. High and low moor peat varies in physical and chemical properties.
The unique properties of low and high moor peat are explained by the fact that in microbiological processes accompanying the decay of plant mass, a lot of useful substances form. These substances can stimulate the growth of many crops, and, importantly, peat is a natural, environmentally friendly and neutral to humans. Realizing the value of peat, many European farmers use peat mixtures, growing pure products of the so-called "eco-class".
Currently, low and high moor peat is used mainly in agriculture, but a few decades ago this natural resource was used not only for soil fertilization, but also as fuel, as well as for insulation of buildings.
Recently, the increase in prices for traditional energy sources stimulates the development of peat extraction. It is possible that a number of enterprises experiencing difficulties with the laying of power lines and pipelines will replace expensive coal and fuel oil with less expensive peat. There are prerequisites for this.
The extraction is as follows: the layer of high moor peat is loosened with cutters installed on agricultural machinery. Passing through the tractor's hinged equipment, high moor peat is crushed and loosened, and then dried for several days in the open air.
The next phase of milling peat is to collect with conveyor belts and deliver to the storage site, where mounds are formed from dry peat. High and low moor peat extraction depends on seasonality explained by weather conditions. Some process cycles require dry clear weather, and this limits the peat extraction capabilities. In addition, the demand for peat is subject to seasonal fluctuations, with positive dynamics in the autumn-spring period. Thus, the availability of purchasing peat or peat mixtures is better to agree upon in advance.