[Unclerucus24]

Hello,
I have a bunch of peat moss laying around my house and I was just wondering if I could use it as a substrate. There will be leaf litter over it but I just want to make sure that the plants will grow fine in it and that it will work. Thanx

 

[MeiKVR6]

Using straight peat will break down very rapidly, and is not an ideal substrate. There's a bunch of good info in this thread:

http://www.dendroboard.com/forum/parts-construction/70538-genuine-abg-vs-abg-equivalent.html

Basically you want a well-draining, long lasting substrate that promotes plant growth, beneficial bacteria, and microfauna growth. It's easier said than done. We've got our own proven substrate mix, and a few other forum sponsors have substrate mixes of their own (or ABG mix), as well. That above thread should help give you a pretty good idea of what's involved in making your own mix. It's often less expensive buying it premade, unless you have local sources for the ingredients.