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Sphagnum moss, a dominant peat‐forming species in northern peatlands, relies on capillary rise to sustain metabolic activities. However, in restored peatlands, a capillary barrier resulting from distinctly different pore‐size distributions in the degraded remnant cutover peat and regenerated Sphagnum moss limits capillary rise. Space‐for‐time analogues suggest it could take >40 years for decomposition and degradation of the moss profile to overcome this capillary barrier effect. This paper explores the feasibility of mechanical compression to ameliorate the capillary barrier effect and accelerate the return of ecohydrological function in restored Sphagnum moss. Seven reference cores (10 × 20 cm) and 29 samples (10 × 5 cm) representing various depths from surface (0–5 cm, n = 9; 5–10 cm, n = 9; 10–15 cm, n = 7; 15–20 cm, n = 4) were tested in a laboratory setting to analyse pre‐compression and post …