Homegrown solution

For the last two years, Dave Hanson, owner of Sage Garden Greenhouses, has been using Typha for mulching plants and improving soil quality. A sustainable product made from harvested cattail stalks, Typha holds significant potential for gardeners, says Hanson.

“The story behind Typha is incredible in so many ways,” says Hanson. “It is a Manitoba-made solution with ecosystem benefits to our lakes, but it’s not limited in its scope. As more gardeners discover Typha’s benefits as a mulch and soil amendment, it has the potential to impact the horticulture industry across Canada.”

Typha is an aquatic plant that functions as a bio accumulator. Typha plants naturally filter nutrient runoff before it makes its way downstream to freshwater lakes. Harvesting Typha plants at a critical time of its life stage has proven very effective at removing phosphorus, which is the key culprit behind excessive algae blooms in Lake Winnipeg.

Alec Massé, CEO and co-founder of Typha Co., is keen to spread the word about the many ways that Typha simplifies gardening.

“The idea behind the creation of Typha Co. was to help support the reduction of fertilizer runoff going into Lake Winnipeg,” he says. “Now we have a greater understanding of the value that Typha can also provide to gardeners by reducing the use of synthetic fertilizers, reducing the need for peat moss, suppressing weeds, improving soil quality, and saving water.”

Let’s take a closer look at how Typha works in the garden.

“One of the big issues for gardeners in southern Manitoba is heavy clay soil that is slow to drain and prone to compaction,” says Hanson. “There has been so much positive feedback from people who have used Typha as a soil amendment. The soil feels lighter and has less compaction. The feedback we are getting is that plants look better and grow stronger.”

If you want to use Typha to amend your soil, the best way, says Hanson, is to simply apply it directly to the surface.

“There is no need to work it in — let the earthworms and all the beneficial microorganisms work their magic by breaking down the organic matter. This starts the process of improving the structure, texture and quality of your soil and delivers nutrients to the root systems of your plants.”

Typha can also be used as a mulch if you are planting garlic or flower bulbs. Aim for a depth of roughly 2.5 centimetres, says Hanson.

“That will create a good barrier between the soil and the elements above. In the summer months, Typha can be used as a mulch to effectively suppress weeds and retain moisture in the soil. That was certainly our experience this past summer in the outdoor garden beds at Sage Garden.”

Gardeners unfamiliar with Typha usually have a few questions, says Hanson. Customers ask, will cattails pop up all over their garden?

“It’s the fibrous stems that are harvested — not the fluffy tops. The material is dried so it’s weed-free and seed-free and there is no contamination from pathogens. When it comes to Typha’s use as a mulch, the appearance of the product is quite fine, so some people ask if it could all blow away in the first strong wind. It definitely stays in place.”

Does Typha have any appeal to critters?

“We use Typha as a mulch in the in-ground gardens around Sage Garden as well as a mulch in our raised beds which are planted with garlic and flower bulbs, perennials and annuals,” says Hanson. “We haven’t noticed any issues with squirrels or rabbits being attracted to Typha.”

What about the nutrient composition of Typha?

“What we have found is that by amending your soil in the fall with Typha, soil is lighter and easier to work with in the spring. Typha has a lot of calcium and magnesium which we think is one of the key reasons that gardeners are seeing less root rot when they use it,” says Massé. “We have also seen instances where Typha slightly raises the soil pH to more of a neutral pH. It can be helpful, for example, in improving the soil structure, aeration and drainage in soil beneath pine trees or where there is a depletion of organic matter in soil.”

Massé uses the example of wood chips which many gardeners use as mulch.

“Wood chips are a carbon-rich material with a high carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. Typha has a lower carbon-to-nitrogen ratio so it breaks down more quickly in the soil and then needs less nitrogen to break down. This can mean less reliance on synthetic fertilizers, which is better for the environment.”

But there is another significant use for Typha as a sustainable alternative to peat moss.

For the last few years, Sage Garden has been using 15 per cent Typha incorporated into the potting soil in all its hanging baskets and herb and veggie pots. This has reduced its use of peat moss while at the same time delivering nutrients effectively and improving water holding capacity in its soil mix.

“The thing about peat moss is that it’s convenient and lightweight but it really doesn’t hold moisture well at all,” says Hanson. “By adding Typha to our soil mixture, we really appreciated how well our plants held up through the hot summer months. I know that coming down the pipeline in the future, there will be potting mixes developed that incorporate a significantly larger amount of Typha than 15 or 20 per cent. It would be fantastic to have an effective nutrient-rich alternative to peat moss that is produced locally.”

Typha can also be used as a topdressing for indoor plants. Only a thin layer is needed.

“It looks attractive and adds a finished quality to the soil in a container,” says Hanson. “It also promotes moisture retention and adds nutrients. It is really exciting to me that a local Manitoba business has come up with an innovative solution for the whole gardening industry,” says Hanson. “I see a lot of promise for that in the future.”

Typha comes in a nine-kilogram bag and retails for about $63. It is sold at many garden centres. Since only a small amount is needed, it goes a long way, says Hanson.

“If you have some left over at the end of the season, you can store it in your garage or shed, and it won’t be affected by freezing. It’s a very comfortable time of year right now to be outside in the garden planting flower bulbs, preparing the garden for winter and building healthy soil for the next growing season.”

Alec Massé, at 28, has more in store for his young company.

“We are talking to some of the bigger peat companies in Canada about a ready-to-use product. If we can meet half the volume of peat that is exported to the U.S. from Manitoba, we can achieve the nutrient reduction targets to improve the water quality of Lake Winnipeg that the province announced last year.

“Using Typha in your garden is a climate-positive action,” says Massé.

colleenizacharias@gmail.com