# peat moss or compost for topdressing this fall



## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

hey guys i ill be overseeding this fall again. only this time i would like to topdress and i am not sure which route to go. peatmoss or compost. I live in Danbury ct and the only nurseries i can find have leaf based compost. is that good compost for overseeding? or should i just get a bunch of homedepot peat moss bags? 8,000sq coverage needed @1/2 inch top dress is what i was thinking .....thanks guys

1-mow(low)
2-dethatch 
3-aerate
4-seed 
5-fert
6-top dress 
7-water water water


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## tgreen (Oct 20, 2018)

This is a great question and am interested to hear other responses. I top dress with compost and use peat moss to cover new seed. Setting aside the environmental concerns with peat moss, I don't think it has any nutrients. It's not bad for the soil and presumably adds some water retention properties but it's also really expensive if you're doing more than a couple K sqf.

On the topic of leaf compost, I've done a bunch of searches on this and can't find anything conclusive on whether it's better than "normal" compost. I use leaf compost around trees and "normal" stuff as the lawn topdress. Not saying it's right but just what I do.


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

indeed i would like to avoid spending so much in peatmoss for this project but i just cant seem to find other types of compost in my area like soil3 or similar product.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Peat Moss is higher in OM by weight than Compost and the OM is later stage. Compost adds nutrients and doesn't repel water when dry but can bring in weed seeds. I have used both for seeding and it is a toss-up which is better. Your best source for compost will be bulk suppliers rather than in small bags. With bagged compost there might not be any cost savings over Peat Moss.


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

bernstem said:


> Peat Moss is higher in OM by weight than Compost and the OM is later stage. Compost adds nutrients and doesn't repel water when dry but can bring in weed seeds. I have used both for seeding and it is a toss-up which is better. Your best source for compost will be bulk suppliers rather than in small bags. With bagged compost there might not be any cost savings over Peat Moss.


thanks .will continue looking around to see where i might be able to buy quality compost buy the huge sling bag around my are


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## NELawn (May 7, 2019)

Cost wise compost will always be cheaper, but if you're doing all that work, and doing all that watering.....

Its crazy to take a chance bringing in poa-a or triv into a new renovation. Tenacity and pre-m is not 100% effective, a ton of weed seeds get through. There is NO way to selectively kill triv; and while your seed may also contain triv seeds, the thought of random compost from who knows where seems like a very unnecessary risk.

Peat Moss is getting harder and harder to get, but it does provide a safety factor and keeps the seeds moist if you're not able to water as much as you should.

In theory you don't need compost, peat moss, or even straw. They are all just improve seed germination by small amounts. But to be honest I would be hard pressed not to lay down peat moss if I'm going to spend money on grass seed and water.


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## NELawn (May 7, 2019)

Also on peat moss coverage.....

1/2" thick is probably too much.

Put down a thin 1/8" layer with the understanding some will wear out and have to be reapplied.

Once the thin 1/8" layer is down, water it once very gently to just get it wet and stick together.

Then give it a good soaking, some parts will wash away, thats why you bought extra, reapply.

As the watering germination process goes on, every few days reapply to the spots that washed away. Its annoying, but at some point the peat moss just locks in and you won't be reapplying anymore.

As the grass comes up it will help hold the peat moss in place.

The key is spreading it thinly and evenly, and having good supply of extra to reapply in the event of wash outs and spots where the peat moss wears off. You should keep extra seed for that reason also.

Your better off buying more than you think you need. I always buy 1.5 times the seed and the peat moss. You never know when a wash out will leave you scrambling to do it all over again.


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## tgreen (Oct 20, 2018)

NELawn said:


> Its crazy to take a chance bringing in poa-a or triv into a new renovation.


This is a good point and always in the back of my mind. If the material has been properly composted the heat should kill any weed seed. How do you know? You don't.

I have a great soil profile that I could not have established economically with peat moss. I don't know for sure that the compost doesn't contain poa but if it did I should see even distribution of it and I don't.

That's just my experience with compost and yours may vary.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

Iwantgreen said:


> bernstem said:
> 
> 
> > Peat Moss is higher in OM by weight than Compost and the OM is later stage. Compost adds nutrients and doesn't repel water when dry but can bring in weed seeds. I have used both for seeding and it is a toss-up which is better. Your best source for compost will be bulk suppliers rather than in small bags. With bagged compost there might not be any cost savings over Peat Moss.
> ...


You could try: https://ferrismulchproducts.com/topsoil-and-compost


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## wingless (Jan 28, 2019)

It was impossible for my in-ground irrigation system to put down enough water on my New England home on the areas w/ 100% sun coverage. My lawn would always burn in the summer.

My solution that worked terrific was to apply a top dressing of peat moss (big 3 cubic foot bags from Lowes) using a peat roller. I found that breaking up the compressed bags using square bins was the best way for it to get into the drum interior.

Once I discovered how well this worked I started doing this twice a year. That lawn was large, so it consumed 60 bags at each application.


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## Scagfreedom48z+ (Oct 6, 2018)

wingless said:


> It was impossible for my in-ground irrigation system to put down enough water on my New England home on the areas w/ 100% sun coverage. My lawn would always burn in the summer.
> 
> My solution that worked terrific was to apply a top dressing of peat moss (big 3 cubic foot bags from Lowes) using a peat roller. I found that breaking up the compressed bags using square bins was the best way for it to get into the drum interior.
> 
> Once I discovered how well this worked I started doing this twice a year. That lawn was large, so it consumed 60 bags at each application.


This is interesting. Being a New Englander myself, how did your soil PH fair when applying peat 2x's year? 
Peat tends to repel water, did you run into any of that during your Overseed and or yearly apps?


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## wingless (Jan 28, 2019)

Scagfreedom48z+ said:


> This is interesting. Being a New Englander myself, how did your soil PH fair when applying peat 2x's year?
> Peat tends to repel water, did you run into any of that during your Overseed and or yearly apps?


Never checked the soil pH, so it was fine...

After a while I would need to randomly dig holes, such as to randomly repair/replace some of my 110 sprinkler heads, a cross section plug of Earth would be removed, showing the top ~1/2"+ to be the richest / blackest dirt you'd ever see.

The peat moss was EXCELLENT when over seeding, It helped to ensure the seed didn't dry out prior to proper germination.

As a note, I only used Scotts Starter Fertilizer and used hand extraction for weeds. This change permitted over seeding at any time and permitted instant elimination of any problems that popped up. (Also helps w/ waistline control.) I REALLY liked / needed to be able to seed at ANY time!

The peat moss, the starter fertilizer and the hand extraction permitted me to finally attain the $1M lawn.


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## Scagfreedom48z+ (Oct 6, 2018)

wingless said:


> Scagfreedom48z+ said:
> 
> 
> > This is interesting. Being a New Englander myself, how did your soil PH fair when applying peat 2x's year?
> ...


This is great stuff! How long did it take for you to spread 60 bags? What's the sq footage?


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## wingless (Jan 28, 2019)

Scagfreedom48z+ said:


> [This is great stuff! How long did it take for you to spread 60 bags? What's the sq footage?


 Thanks,

Recollection from over a decade ago, it was a weekend project. The yards total was about 30,000 ft². More recent, my current bare dirt front lawn is 2,000 ft² and it takes two 3 cubic foot bags.

Unanswered question from before, the peat roller applies a thin layer, that absorbs / retains water. If any clumps occur, such as from handling, those would be manually broken apart, either by hand or with a broom.


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## bernstem (Jan 16, 2018)

If it is in the budget a peat roller like pictured above leaves a nearly perfect depth for seeding. Uniformity is great and it is much easier than spreading by hand and raking.


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## nikmasteed (Apr 30, 2020)

Another vote for peat moss, that's what I prefer. I like the purity and moisture retention it offers. It has been harder to get this year.


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## MacLawn (Oct 26, 2021)

Im surprised you cant find compost.
Finding good compost is the hard part.
My last batch of compost was not composted correctly as I have so many different weeds in the are it was spread. Pre Emerg, manual removal and weed killer has helped.
My "dirt" is so bad in a large area I have to add something here and there. 
Along with mulch mowing. 
So I have to live with what I find


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

Thanks so much everyone for the help .. I'll be top dressing about 10k sq ft. The roller looks like a must have for this project ..peat moss seems to be the way.. next stop deciding on some good blue tag seed. Not sure gci coolblue has done that great the last 2 years in my lawn ..  (Leading towards triple threat plus for seeds)


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## Jeff_MI84 (Sep 28, 2020)

I'm shocked about people having difficulty finding peat moss. My local Home Depot has not ran low.


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

Jeff_MI84 said:


> I'm shocked about people having difficulty finding peat moss. My local Home Depot has not ran low.


The issue isn't availability. It is more as to what will benefit the soil/ overseeding project best.


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## Jeff_MI84 (Sep 28, 2020)

@Iwantgreen I know, just making mention of what others have said about lack of availability.


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## Scagfreedom48z+ (Oct 6, 2018)

I just purchased 30 bags from Home Depot for my overseed, being delivered this Saturday. $4 more than last year, no surprise there

I'm going to mix it with weed free compost (Black Earth Compost) from Gloucester. One of the only composts I could find that didn't have manure or grass clipping compost, with possible weed seed.


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## wingless (Jan 28, 2019)

The large 3 cubic foot bags of peat moss at Lowes was unavailable for 6 weeks, finally restored to normal inventory availability about 2 weeks ago.

The large 3.8 cubic foot bag of peat moss from Walmart home delivery was an okay temporary substitute, at about twice the cost, but now has jumped to over three times the cost.


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## confused_boner (Apr 5, 2021)

wingless said:


> It was impossible for my in-ground irrigation system to put down enough water on my New England home on the areas w/ 100% sun coverage. My lawn would always burn in the summer.
> 
> My solution that worked terrific was to apply a top dressing of peat moss (big 3 cubic foot bags from Lowes) using a peat roller. I found that breaking up the compressed bags using square bins was the best way for it to get into the drum interior.
> 
> Once I discovered how well this worked I started doing this twice a year. That lawn was large, so it consumed 60 bags at each application.


This is....very intriguing. Thank you for sharing, I am going to try this now. Gonna pick up some from lowes and test it out. I have been having issues with dry spots although mine was due in part to sprinkler coverage issues which I was able to resolve but still would like to try this out to see if I can reduce watering frequency.


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

Jeff_MI84 said:


> @Iwantgreen I know, just making mention of what others have said about lack of availability.


Oh ok cool ..


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

Scagfreedom48z+ said:


> I just purchased 30 bags from Home Depot for my overseed, being delivered this Saturday. $4 more than last year, no surprise there
> 
> I'm going to mix it with weed free compost (Black Earth Compost) from Gloucester. One of the only composts I could find that didn't have manure or grass clipping compost, with possible weed seed.


 How much coverage will that give you ?? I'll need 10,000 sq ft .. thanks


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## Scagfreedom48z+ (Oct 6, 2018)

With the compost spreader, a 1 3cu bag should give me 500 sq ft with 1/4 inch coverage


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

Scagfreedom48z+ said:


> With the compost spreader, a 1 3cu bag should give me 500 sq ft with 1/4 inch coverage


 :thumbup:


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## EdenMd (7 mo ago)

I am facing the same question. I have used peat moss for top dressing and was happy with how it spread using a compost/peat spreader. Now for a second year running I have had bad fungal infection that destroyed about 4000 sqft of lawn now in need of serious repair. So like last year its dethatch, rake, core aerate, seed, top dress, fertilizer, water. But after looking at my soil analysis for this yr. I'm questioning Peat Moss because my soil Ph was 6. Peat moss I read can be anywhere from 3.5 to 6. So my question is will a top dressing with peat cause your soil to be come more acidic??? So I was considering Leaf Grow which I read has a Ph of 6.5 to 7. I didn't consider weed seed possibility with Leaf Grow but maybe I should! I plan on adding lime at the rate indicated on the soil test but I understand that takes time to break down. The other option I've toyed with is mixing Peat and Leaf Grow in some ratio.


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## titicaca (5 mo ago)

Peat moss for the win... holds more moisture.


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

EdenMd said:


> I am facing the same question. I have used peat moss for top dressing and was happy with how it spread using a compost/peat spreader. Now for a second year running I have had bad fungal infection that destroyed about 4000 sqft of lawn now in need of serious repair. So like last year its dethatch, rake, core aerate, seed, top dress, fertilizer, water. But after looking at my soil analysis for this yr. I'm questioning Peat Moss because my soil Ph was 6. Peat moss I read can be anywhere from 3.5 to 6. So my question is will a top dressing with peat cause your soil to be come more acidic??? So I was considering Leaf Grow which I read has a Ph of 6.5 to 7. I didn't consider weed seed possibility with Leaf Grow but maybe I should! I plan on adding lime at the rate indicated on the soil test but I understand that takes time to break down. The other option I've toyed with is mixing Peat and Leaf Grow in some ratio.


 🤔 that might work also.


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## 7824 (Oct 23, 2019)

Compost goes A LOT farther in a landzie spreader than peat moss. Peat moss pours out of a landzie spreader like a wide open faucet.


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## Scagfreedom48z+ (Oct 6, 2018)

learningeveryday said:


> Compost goes A LOT farther in a landzie spreader than peat moss. Peat moss pours out of a landzie spreader like a wide open faucet.


Not speaking from experience but from what I've seen via videos, I agree. I'm going to mix compost with peat to slow the process and stretch out the peat.


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## wingless (Jan 28, 2019)

learningeveryday said:


> Compost goes A LOT farther in a landzie spreader than peat moss. Peat moss pours out of a landzie spreader like a wide open faucet.


Yes, peat moss exits the expanded metal skin on a peat roller quickly and easily. The big "chunks" that won't fit through the screen are removed by hand and broadcast onto the yard.

My experience after running hundreds of bags through a peat roller is that the discharge rate is perfect for my purpose.

Here is the Emerald Seed 24" wide / 18" diameter Peat Roller. My current peat roller is the Landzie 24" wide / 16" diameter Peat Moss Roller. Both have the same screen dimensions.










IMO, mixing material, like mixing peat moss w/ compost is waaay more extra work than I would ever consider.


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## ceriano (Oct 6, 2021)

NELawn said:


> Also on peat moss coverage.....
> 
> 1/2" thick is probably too much.
> 
> ...


How much peat moss do you put down per 1000 SF? Does it have any negative impact on the ph?


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## EdenMd (7 mo ago)

I noticed an indication in this thread that one 3 cubic ft bag of compost would cover 500 sqft. i would think the same would be true with peat. However when I calculate coverage I get 144 square ft. My math is 36 divided by .25 = 144. Does anyone have any real time understanding of what coverage you will get with either compost or peat per 3 cubic ft bale or bag. I wish I had kept a journal of my experience last year spreading peat with a Landzie spreader. I watched a YouTube video of a guy demoing a Landzie and he spread peat and got covered 840 sqft and indicated it took about 1.7 3 cubic feet bales to cover. So I'm confused, what should you expect???


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## wingless (Jan 28, 2019)

My experience is that the peat roller permits light or heavy application, ranging from about 500ft² to 2,000ft² per 3 cu ft bag.

A good ballpark is 1,000ft² per 3 cu ft bag for what I consider typical coverage.


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## creediddy2021 (Mar 27, 2021)

I have always compost as the texture is dark and rich for any overseeding or lawn repairs. Most compost have nutrients that are beneficial for plant growth.


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## creediddy2021 (Mar 27, 2021)

creediddy2021 said:


> I have always compost as the texture is dark and rich for any overseeding or lawn repairs. Most compost have nutrients that are beneficial for plant growth. You will be shocked that a $2.50 bag of Menards compost has many benefits for overseeding. I elected for Black Cow this year once I aerate and over seed this fall.


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## creediddy2021 (Mar 27, 2021)

I have always spread compost as the texture is dark and rich for any overseeding or lawn repairs. Most compost have nutrients that are beneficial for plant growth. You will be shocked that a $2.50 bag of Menards compost has many benefits for overseeding. I elected for Black Kow this year once I aerate and over seed this fall.


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## TheThirstyTurtle (May 3, 2019)

creediddy2021 said:


> I have always spread compost as the texture is dark and rich for any overseeding or lawn repairs. Most compost have nutrients that are beneficial for plant growth. You will be shocked that a $2.50 bag of Menards compost has many benefits for overseeding. I elected for Black Kow this year once I aerate and over seed this fall.


Any concerns with weed seeds or particles in the compost? From what I've read on these forums, peat moss is supposed to be better as it doesn't contain any weed seeds.

I haven't top dressed with either compost or peat moss before so I don't have any prior personal experience. But I'm doing a reno this fall and am on the fence over which one to choose for covering my grass seeds.


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

I'm leading with peat moss as of now also let's see how this upgrade from the gci cool blue will do next year 🤞🏽


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## Forrester86 (5 mo ago)

Re: peat moss or compost for topdressing this fall
Quote
Post by wingless » Fri Jul 22, 2022 7:16 am

Once I discovered how well this worked I started doing this twice a year. That lawn was large, so it consumed 60 bags at each application.

Wingless, 60 bags twice a year must cost in the neighborhood of $2,500. Do you do this every year, or did you just do it for a year or two?


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## Forrester86 (5 mo ago)

Can peat moss be bought and delivered in bulk? I haven't been able to find anyone in my area that does it (Danbury, CT). My lawn is about 65,000 sf. If my calculations are correct, 1/8" of top dressing with a 25% reserve would require about 32 cubic yards of material. A local dealer could easily deliver this amount of compost. Getting this much peat moss though, would require about 310 3 cu. ft. bags, which would cost a fortune and wipe out the entire supply of my local Home Depot.


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## MacLawn (Oct 26, 2021)

Forrester86 said:


> Can peat moss be bought and delivered in bulk? I haven't been able to find anyone in my area that does it (Danbury, CT). My lawn is about 65,000 sf. If my calculations are correct, 1/8" of top dressing with a 25% reserve would require about 32 cubic yards of material. A local dealer could easily deliver this amount of compost. Getting this much peat moss though, would require about 310 3 cu. ft. bags, which would cost a fortune and wipe out the entire supply of my local Home Depot.


Im still trying to find a source of good bulk compost locally here ( plymouth mass) 18k sqft 1/4-1/2" 30 yards ? I think.


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## Forrester86 (5 mo ago)

I don't know the Plymouth area, but I ran across a site called Bridgewaterfarm.com when I was searching for bulk peat moss. Their prices look really good and delivery to Plymouth is $80 for every 8 yards of material.


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## Iwantgreen (Mar 14, 2020)

Forrester86 said:


> Can peat moss be bought and delivered in bulk? I haven't been able to find anyone in my area that does it (Danbury, CT). My lawn is about 65,000 sf. If my calculations are correct, 1/8" of top dressing with a 25% reserve would require about 32 cubic yards of material. A local dealer could easily deliver this amount of compost. Getting this much peat moss though, would require about 310 3 cu. ft. bags, which would cost a fortune and wipe out the entire supply of my local Home Depot.


 We are neighbors my friend can't find it either I live pretty close to HALAS market ..


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## wingless (Jan 28, 2019)

Forrester86 said:


> Re: peat moss or compost for topdressing this fall
> Quote
> Post by wingless » Fri Jul 22, 2022 7:16 am
> 
> ...


My recollection was the 60 bag application cost (at that time, about 15-20 years ago) was around $600, which was fine, especially considering the results.

This spanned many years, most years were two applications. Sometimes I was too busy and only did one application.

That property had 110 sprinkler heads, so there was always random attention required to the irrigation system. My observation was that the soil cross section exposed from shovel removal was great, but the top 1/2" was black and rich colored, that I attribute to my peat moss application.


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