# peat moss for seeding



## MDJoe (Sep 16, 2019)

Just a musing as it's too late to seed now.

You all seem to love peat moss as a mulch for seed. I have some questions and comments:

1. Are you using dry, compressed bales? How much does one typical (3.8 cu ft?) bale cover? I assume it's just a thin layer.

2. Dry peat moss, in my experience, is hydrophobic as hell, and water just runs right off without absorbing. Is that an issue, or does the thin layer and frequent early watering resolve that almost immediately?


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## cleohioturf (Jul 20, 2020)

thin layer, I was able to use ~ 1.25 bales (3.8 cu ft) per 1,000 sq ft, I believe. I am pretty sure when I covered my 9k I used 12 bales. I am sure you could use more or less but I felt good about the amount I had down in most sections.

its hydrophobic if it takes on a lot of water at once, otherwise it's ability to absorb and hold water is the reason you use it.

I found using a very large lawn rake was an easy way to spread and level. I was pinched on time or I would have gone and rented one of the rollers. Instead just opened and dumped each bale in spots around the yard and would drag the rake, then move on to the new bale.


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## Oneacer (Sep 27, 2020)

I personally only use the compressed bales of chopped fine straw for that purpose, either EZ-Straw or Pennington brand, the ones you get at Lowes, for covering any new seeded area: Works great every time.


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## Lawn Noob (Jul 26, 2020)

I used peat bales. The grass came in faster and thicker where I had good peat coverage. I was able to cover 1000sf with about 2 bales.


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## TheEggMan (Jun 8, 2020)

Oneacer said:


> I personally only use the compressed bales of chopped fine straw for that purpose, either EZ-Straw or Pennington brand, the ones you get at Lowes, for covering any new seeded area: Works great every time.


Ugh ... I hate that stuff. In addition to growing wheat, it brought in all sorts of weed content to my yard. We'll search and pay for 0% weed content seed and then throw that stuff on top. Why bother?

I've used cellulose mulch, unprocessed wheat straw, processed wheat straw (ez-straw), and for the first time I used bales of compressed peat moss. By far the peat moss was the best product. Not even close.

I have a suspicion that the tannic acid content in peat moss helps to induce quick germination. My seed certainly seemed to get out of the ground quicker this year than any other.

I had no issue with the hydrophobic nature of peat moss. You see it a little bit with when you first water it, then you quickly overcome the hydrophobic tendency and it really soaks up the water. Definitely seemed to keep the ground damper. If you're really concerned about that you could load a surfactant into a hose end sprayer and wet it down. Dawn would probably work just fine.

It's also the cheapest product I've found.

Personally I'll never use another product.


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## MDJoe (Sep 16, 2019)

Oneacer said:


> I personally only use the compressed bales of chopped fine straw for that purpose, either EZ-Straw or Pennington brand, the ones you get at Lowes, for covering any new seeded area: Works great every time.


I ALWAYS seem to get wheat seedlings when I use straw, no matter how "weed free" it claims to be.


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## TheEggMan (Jun 8, 2020)

MDJoe said:


> Oneacer said:
> 
> 
> > I personally only use the compressed bales of chopped fine straw for that purpose, either EZ-Straw or Pennington brand, the ones you get at Lowes, for covering any new seeded area: Works great every time.
> ...


I also always grow wheat when I use that. But if I only grew wheat it wouldn't be the end of the world. At least wheat dies if you keep it mowed and get some summer heat.

When I use that stuff it always ends up bringing in all sorts of broadleaf trash which always takes a 2,4-D treatment or two to eradicate. I don't believe they even call that product "weed free". I contacted the company and asked if they guaranteed a certain weed content and they said "no".

Peat moss works so much better. It keeps the seed moister. You get better and more complete germination. And it's cheaper.


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## MDJoe (Sep 16, 2019)

I have a compost sifter. I wonder if I can just place a chunk of the compressed peat on top and walk around shaking it over the area.


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## MDJoe (Sep 16, 2019)

TheEggMan said:


> MDJoe said:
> 
> 
> > Oneacer said:
> ...


 I have enough broadleaf trash in my native soil, I don't need to add more!


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## ScottW (Sep 16, 2019)

I've used tackified straw in the past. Never again. Weeds.
I've used the pelleted cellulose type penn mulch too. No issues with weeds, and it seems to resist washing away on slopes a little better than peat moss, so I still use it just on the sloped area of my back yard.

Everywhere else that's mostly flat/level I use the bales of compressed peat moss. Probably 1-2 bales per 1000 but I'm not applying it scientifically, just sprinkling it around by hand. That is a slow and dusty process, but for once a year I can deal with it. I'd guess I'm applying a 1/8" layer or thereabouts. Enough to visually cover the grass seed but not a great deal thicker than that. It does resist that first watering, but after that it will readily soak up and hold it for a good while. Even if I miss most of a day watering during an overseed, it won't dry out and the seed still germinates well. Gives you a big safety margin to work with, which can be particularly helpful if you're a hose dragger like me.


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## TheEggMan (Jun 8, 2020)

ScottW said:


> I've used tackified straw in the past. Never again. Weeds.
> I've used the pelleted cellulose type penn mulch too. No issues with weeds, and it seems to resist washing away on slopes a little better than peat moss, so I still use it just on the sloped area of my back yard.


I agree that the cellulose pellets do a bit better on slopes. It's hard to find around here that is just the pellets without some "lawn seed mix" included which I don't want.

I did discover that my local Rural King carries the Pennington (without seed) product which I used last year. As you say, no issues with weeds (it's just ground up and compressed newspaper dyed green). It doesn't seem to hold water as long as peat moss, but it probably does stick on a slope a bit better. You really need to find a local source otherwise it's prohibitive to ship. My local Lesco used to carry it but stopped. I couldn't get a local source until our Rural King opened. It is more expensive so using it only on slopes makes sense.


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## Ylli (Sep 24, 2018)

Can you spread Pet Moss (a bag of dry, compressed) with a drop spreader, or will it just clog things up?


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## cleohioturf (Jul 20, 2020)

no, its easier to throw it with a shovel or just dump and spread it. the stuff is so light it blows away in the wind if you dont get it down and damp.


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## Oneacer (Sep 27, 2020)

Guess that's why they sell Fords, Chevys and Chryslers ... keep using whatever works best for you ... 

I never had a weed issue from the compressed straw ...


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## Captquin (Aug 22, 2019)

Love peat moss. I put in a wheel barrow then rake out into piles, then spread thin.

In a similar vein, what about pine straw/needles instead of wheat straw? Shouldn't be any seeds but I know it takes a while to breakdown. It's fall but the leaves are sill on the trees here. I have some shady spots that say soft after the morning dew. Wondering if a little pine straw might help with the mud and allow the seedlings to keep going.


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## TheEggMan (Jun 8, 2020)

Captquin said:


> Love peat moss. I put in a wheel barrow then rake out into piles, then spread thin.
> 
> In a similar vein, what about pine straw/needles instead of wheat straw? Shouldn't be any seeds but I know it takes a while to breakdown. It's fall but the leaves are sill on the trees here. I have some shady spots that say soft after the morning dew. Wondering if a little pine straw might help with the mud and allow the seedlings to keep going.


I had a neighbor that put pine straw over fescue seed. Almost none of it came up.

Which makes sense. If you're trying to keep things from growing in your flower beds, what's one of the things that you use? That's right - pine straw.

I don't know if it's because it acidifies the soil or if there is some other reason, but pine straw seems to do a decent job of keeping things from sprouting.


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## tam (Jun 27, 2020)

Peat moss is my preference. I budget 2 bales per thousand for a full-coverage dusting. You can get away with using less.

We made our own peat moss spreader out of an old laundry basket. Fill it up, then walk around while shaking it. If you have a wheelbarrow (I don't), you could also just dump some out and spread it around with a rake.

It is a little bit hydrophobic at first, but overall that's not a problem.


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## Old Hickory (Aug 19, 2019)

Peat moss is not difficult to use as a seed covering. It works great. I buy the compressed 3.8 cu ft. bags. Open a bag and simply toss it out on the lawn then use the backside of a leaf rake to spread thinly. You don't need much to cover the seed.

If I could get my hands on a compost/peat spreader then I would use that.


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## cleohioturf (Jul 20, 2020)

TheEggMan said:


> Captquin said:
> 
> 
> > Love peat moss. I put in a wheel barrow then rake out into piles, then spread thin.
> ...


pine straw would be terrible for seed cover, it lays down like a blanket without allowing much breathing. the ground stays hot when you want it to cool and vice versa. It is great in beds where you do not want plants to creep.


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## uts (Jul 8, 2019)

I did my last reno and used 1.5 bales on a 4k area. You can use.it very very thin as long as a little seed is rakes into it and stays moist. Most people use 1 bale per 1k especially if you are using a peatmoss/ compost spreader which is a very good way of doing it. Very even coverage, minimal inhaling of it and hands/face/hair mostly stay clean. A $15 rental is a very cheap way of getting it for the day.

You can also use something like Penn mulch seed accelerator or seed aide cover gro which are pellitized product that will flow through a spreader. They are 1.5-3x more expensive overall. A 40lb bag I think covers 1k (18-34 a bag, depending on availability and where you get it from). Penn mulch has a starter fertilizer as well in it. The comfort of it on a large reno is unparalleled of only one product but yes it is expensive


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## jskierko (Sep 5, 2020)

tam said:


> We made our own peat moss spreader out of an old laundry basket. Fill it up, then walk around while shaking it.


I just envisioned myself doing this and laughed out loud. As if my neighbors don't already think I'm crazy enough. In all honesty though, I think this is a great life hack.


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

jskierko said:


> tam said:
> 
> 
> > We made our own peat moss spreader out of an old laundry basket. Fill it up, then walk around while shaking it.
> ...


YOU! LOL, I'm through my first cup o' joe and seeing this suggestion my mind is whizzin' I tell ya! :lol:

That creative thinking with pre-perforated plastic may be pure genius and I am trying to figure out a way to take a step beyond! :thumbup:

OP, I tried the "processed straw" and everything other than peat moss for 5-6 years. Simply not knowing. THIS year? I used a wheel barrow to mix peat and sand (heavy clay soils here) and top dress everywhere I "roughed up" the dirt with a garden weasel and then seeded really unsightly bare areas (literally, hundreds of them) with - most important of all - "0.00 weed or 'other seed' content" TTTF seed (Winning Colors and Lesco Shade Blend)

Kept the peat moist for a week or so and BAM! What a difference!

"_Never say never_" (- my old coach and history teacher, Morgan Wooten, DeMatha High School, circa '74) but, I'll never use anything other than peat moss ever again!

The wife and family are astounded and ecstatic every time they comment on the front yard and she is already like, "_*However much of that peat stuff we need to get next year, GET IT!*_" :lol:


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## 440mag (Jan 29, 2018)

NONE of the rental places in my region - no national chains or even smaller rentals - carry peat or compost rollers and I am thirsting for some DIY plans ...

Funny thing of it is though, rep.s at two of the national chains in our area actually found the items on their national search computers but, "closest one is several states away from here."

I am SO impressed with peat that I think I am going to get in touch with the managers of some of these outfits and campaign to have a roller or two stocked in inventory, by next late summer.

Looking at the prices for them new, I just can't justify buying one outright ...


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