I don't like peat's water repellent properties when it get's dry, so if it were me, I'd re-use the peat in flats when germinating seedlings or mixed with leaf mold as a top dressing/mulch only.

I think you can, corn resists many kinds of soil. Anyway I agree with dicot, you should mix it with something else.
Luck.

you could, if you wanted to contribute to environmental destruction of peat bogs

Wow shiggle, what a rude remark.

A. I had no idea there was any environmental controversy surrounding the use of peat moss. I only bought it because I saw it recommended as good for hilling potatoes.

B. If that's true, shouldn't you be happy I am trying to find a way to REUSE said peat moss, rather than just throw it away?

Uhhh, how was that rude?

Yes, I'm happy you're trying to reuse, but I'd only be truly happy if you never bought peat again ;)

Regardless of whether the remark was rude or couched in more delicate terms, it was unnecessary AND inaccurate! Comments like that about the widespread environmental destruction of peat bogs show little insight and a complete lack of understanding as to how peat is farmed and harvested and how doing so plays a very minor role in any kind of habitat destruction....probably much less than the new housing development being built down the street!!

The Canadian peat industry is highly controlled by governmental regulations. It is estimated that Canada has 25% of the world's peat reserves, some 279 million acres. Of that, less than two tenths of a percent or approximately only 45,000 acres has been or is currently under production in the 85 years of the industry. A mere drop in the bucket!

And the industry has worked very hard to become sustainable. The harvested bogs are actually farmed just like any other commercial crop and seeded with new mosses, fertilized and encouraged to grow and develop at a much faster rate than peat left on its own and offer a fully restored ecosystem within 3-5 years.

This silly debate has been going on for years and really, REALLY needs to be set to rest. Do your research before coming here to post what is essentially just blatant misinformation!

Actually, ten years ago, that fear about unsustainability of peat moss was largely justified.

https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165253.htm

Gardengal is correct, however, in that there have been big changes in the production strategy, at least in Canada, where most American peat moss comes from. It is now produced there arguably sustainably. Nevertheless, the Royal Horticultural Society still considers its use unacceptable, and it's not quite a closed case.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/home/should-sustainable-gardeners-use-peat-moss/2017/05/09/1fc746f0-3118-11e7-9534-00e4656c22aa_story.html

Arguments in ten year old threads are a little silly, however, especially accusations of rudeness to people who are long gone. Someone was saying they were happy about something, and you find that rude? Even more bizarre is evidently agreeing with someone who you flippantly accuse of being rude and insulting.

Sorry, but there's a lot of this going around, where people dredge up archaic threads and pretend that it's an active conversation.

Actually much of the data I quoted was from a 2008 article in a horticulture industry publication so the concept of sustainability was present even before this thread. And the RHS concerns focus on European peat harvesting, which has been going on for hundreds (maybe thousands) of years on a much larger scale with a much smaller volume. And with no attempt at farming or reseeding or sustainability. Ecological concerns are very real there.

Good point about RHS concerns. Canada is different, and most of our peat moss comes from there. In fact, the amount of peat moss actually removed for gardening in Canada is VASTLY less than the deposits there, so even without being sustainable, the net environmental impact of its removal was very small.

Yeah, as I noted, only about .02% of total Canadian peat reserves is under production. A negligible amount.

It is really a very fascinating industry if one bothers to do the research and doesn't rely on just inaccurate, word of mouth opinions :-)

It's an old thread but to get back to the subject.

I have grown corn in unamended, clay which I didn't till in any manner I mowed the rough grass and poked holes in the clay and dropped a kernel down the hole. No weeding, no watering; in PA.

The corn grew, it wasn't very health looking. It produced corn cobs, some stunted a little, some stunted a lot. But it grew edible corn. The variety was Country Gentleman. I saved seed and grew another crop the following year.

I'm certain it would have been a better crop of corn if there was a little organic material to soften that raw clay, to retain a little more soil moisture.

Well, the original subject was of interest to folks a decade ago. I think they're fossilized by now. For goodness sake, if you want to loosen up clay soil, use compost.

There are millions of Americans who are gardening, especially in these times. Some of you need to loosen up with the same old lines. I went from an 11x14 foot garden to a 34x64 foot garden. Where do I come up with all that organic matter out of a pallet based compost pile, or a $100 crank based plastic toy.

John, your comments don't seem to have any relationship to the subject at hand, which was reusing peat moss in a vegetable garden and subsequent discussion of its sustainability and environmental impact. What exactly have you added to that discussion??....which btw is now 11 years old!

Where do you come up with all that organic matter? Same place as you'd get the peat moss that was being considered by the OP.

The "subject" was can you grow corn in soil and peat moss!

I pointed out that I've grown corn in unamended, untilled clay, so the corn will grow in soil with peat. But then I was told:

" For goodness sake, if you want to loosen up clay soil, use compost." I wasn't trying to loosen my clay. I poked a hole in my clay and dropped a seed corn down the hole!

I am the OP. 11 years ago I was 100% container gardening only and I simply wanted to know if I could mix peat moss I had used for hilling potatoes (in containers), into new POTTING SOIL for the purpose of then growing corn in containers.

Now I can't remember if I ended up doing that, but I do remember that I grew corn successfully in containers for several years while I lived in my condo.

I'm kind of getting tired of the email alerts about this resurrected thread. The question is no longer relevant. I no longer use peat moss for anything anyway.

People love to resurrect ancient threads for some reason. Perhaps because they are shy about starting their own. Good questions are still good, but if they are that good, they deserve a fresh thread and, if appropriate, could include a link to an old thread. A thread is a "conversation". I don't "converse" with someone ten years ago.