# peat moss



## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

I have 3 bales of peat moss left over from my reno, providing i don't use it for a washout. What good is it for?


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

I would return them if possible. You could use to mix it with soil for the garden, but 3 bales is a lot.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

The other option would be store it if possible. I like having some on hand when I re seed small areas. 3 bales is a lot though.


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## gm560 (Feb 22, 2018)

If you have a lot of flower pots or container gardens, you can make your own potting soil. There are many recipes, but peat is usually a staple. Peat + Perlite, sand, vermiculite, + optional fertilizer. 3 bales is gonna make hullva lot of potting soil, but if you have some big containers, it goes quickly in my experience.

Edit to add a link:
https://extension.psu.edu/homemade-potting-media


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## Budstl (Apr 19, 2017)

How much sqft does 1 bale cover? I have 1,700sqft to cover.


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## STL (Jul 14, 2018)

If you can't return it or use it for something else, you can always top dress your existing lawn with it. It'll add a little bit of organic matter over time as it gets worked in to the soil.


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

Budstl said:


> How much sqft does 1 bale cover? I have 1,700sqft to cover.


I used 17 to cover 11k so about 650sqft each


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

Budstl said:


> How much sqft does 1 bale cover? I have 1,700sqft to cover.


I used 20 bales to cover 12000st. I tried to put it down at .25 of a inch.


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## Budstl (Apr 19, 2017)

Thanks guys. I'll probably just get 2 or 3.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

I used 14 bales on 2k. Needless to say it was too much. I don't know how some of you guys thin it out without dragging seed. Next fall I'm going to try to make just 2 or 3 bales go across another 2k and use the Penn Mulch as well with a tackifier on top of it all.


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> I used 14 bales on 2k. Needless to say it was too much. I don't know how some of you guys thin it out without dragging seed. Next fall I'm going to try to make just 2 or 3 bales go across another 2k and use the Penn Mulch as well with a tackifier on top of it all.


Did you roll in your seed? That should keep the seeds put(I hope so anyway) I spread it with a metal rake. I moved to bigger piles with the rake the right way, then flipped it over and thinned it out It worked pretty good.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

JDgreen18 said:


> pennstater2005 said:
> 
> 
> > I used 14 bales on 2k. Needless to say it was too much. I don't know how some of you guys thin it out without dragging seed. Next fall I'm going to try to make just 2 or 3 bales go across another 2k and use the Penn Mulch as well with a tackifier on top of it all.
> ...


No, I don't have a roller. I did run over it with the tractor a little bit but gave up because it was taking too long. I got great germination though


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## crussell (Mar 12, 2018)

Has anybody used a broadcast spreader for peat? This year I bought the 120# Spyker which is labeled as "Mulch and More" but I haven't had the opportunity to spread anything other than fertilizer yet.


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

crussell: I have heard of a couple people on here that have tried it but they seem to have plugging issues with there spreaders. Some Home Depot stores will have compost spreaders for rent, that will spread peat just fine. I did my peat by hand as my closest compost roller to rent was 40 miles away. Thought about using a rake but didn't want to move the seed around after rolling it in.


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## Cozy (Aug 11, 2018)

crussell said:


> Has anybody used a broadcast spreader for peat? This year I bought the 120# Spyker which is labeled as "Mulch and More" but I haven't had the opportunity to spread anything other than fertilizer yet.


Had this built by a local fab shop to spread peat / compost. Just like the push style you can rent from a big box store. $75 out the door and works like a dream.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Cozy said:


> crussell said:
> 
> 
> > Has anybody used a broadcast spreader for peat? This year I bought the 120# Spyker which is labeled as "Mulch and More" but I haven't had the opportunity to spread anything other than fertilizer yet.
> ...


That's pretty sweet! How far does a bale of peat go in there?


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

Looks like a very solid frame, I'm sure its stronger than anything you could buy. nice!


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## Cozy (Aug 11, 2018)

Honestly i haven't measured anything out as I just got it a couple weeks back. One bale went thru really fast but keep in mind any large particles are left in the drum.

Only tested on my front lawn but im gonna say it did about 500 sq ft.

Gonna measure off some space and test this weekend so I know how much to buy.


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

Most people shoot for about a .25 of a inch, any more than that and the seed will start to smother and effect germination.


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## chriscarigs (Jul 10, 2018)

iowa jim said:


> Budstl said:
> 
> 
> > How much sqft does 1 bale cover? I have 1,700sqft to cover.
> ...


@iowa jim how big were the bales? 3.8 cubic feet? I am looking to do put down about a .25 inch or less on 12.5ksqft and it sounds like I only need about 20 bales assuming you got bales that were 3.8 cubic feet.


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## Mozart (Jul 17, 2018)

Ugh sounds like spreading peat moss will suck. So if we can't get a compost roller the next best thing is a leveling rake?

Going to suck 3x because I also do not have a wheel barrel to hold the peat nor do I have a heavy roller for the seed


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## NikeFace (Feb 14, 2018)

Honestly, spreading it isn't that bad. At least not for my 5,000 sq feet.

For two seasons in a row, I wanted to get a roller but never did. I broke it up in a wheel barrel and used a wide but light snow shovel - "shake of the wrists" kind of method, I guess. I plan to do it again in a week.

It's a dirty process and definitely not as precise of a method but it works well. think I spread about 7 bales each year.


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

Mozart said:


> Ugh sounds like spreading peat moss will suck. So if we can't get a compost roller the next best thing is a leveling rake?
> 
> Going to suck 3x because I also do not have a wheel barrel to hold the peat nor do I have a heavy roller for the seed


I didn't put the peat moss in the wheelbarrow. I just spread them out evenly across the renovation. Then cut them open where they were. And then just raked them each out in all directions. Worked well other than I put it on way too heavy.


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

chriscarigs said:


> iowa jim said:
> 
> 
> > Budstl said:
> ...


Just went to the garage to check what i had and it was 21 bales for 12000sf and the bales where 2.2 cubic feet. hope this helps.


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## KHARPS (Jun 21, 2018)

I just did (20) 3.8 cubic foot bales on 10,000 square ft and felt like I could've used more. It was an exhausting process but it seems to be working well in the areas where it was spread thick enough.


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## Mozart (Jul 17, 2018)

Thanks for the encouragement!

Will it be alright if I simply step on the seeds before spraying tenacity / peat moss? It's not ideal but I probably won't have a tamper/roller.

Also any tips when raking to avoid disturbing the tenacity barrier/seeds? What type of rake do you spread peat moss with?


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## social port (Jun 19, 2017)

For peat, I've used the 'tear open the bag and rake' method. (@mozart, I used the backside of a standard leaf rack, sometimes switching sides). I ended up applying way too much that way. I found the application to be very difficult to control once the peat is on the ground.
I like to put my peat in a wheelbarrow and scoop it with my hands. I make it rain peat. Yes, you get peat all over you. Yes, coverage is not even. But the peat is not overapplied. And you save a few bucks by using less peat and you can get it down more quickly. And you get to look like swampthing afterwards. Bonus if your neighbors see you.

That being said, if I had one of those awesome contraptions like @Cozy posted, I'd be all over that.



Mozart said:


> Will it be alright if I simply step on the seeds before spraying tenacity / peat moss? It's not ideal but I probably won't have a tamper/roller.


The roller helps with seed-to-soil contact. I've lost track of what your strategy will be. If you've used something like a seed slicer to loosen the top layer of soil a little so that you can get seed into the soil, the roller is only added insurance, IMO. The roller might help some, but you can still expect a reasonable amount of success if you've gotten the seed into the soil a little bit.


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## JDgreen18 (Jun 14, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> Mozart said:
> 
> 
> > Ugh sounds like spreading peat moss will suck. So if we can't get a compost roller the next best thing is a leveling rake?
> ...


Yep...lol no wheelbarrow


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

Had help putting out my peat moss, with 6 people. Had two wheelbarrows and somebody bring the peat moss out of the garage with the peat moss on the hood of the lawn mower to the wheelbarrows. Threw it out by hand and was done in 2 hours and that was 12000sf.


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## zeus201 (Aug 30, 2017)

iowa jim said:


> Had help putting out my peat moss, with 6 people. Had two wheelbarrows and somebody bring the peat moss out of the garage with the peat moss on the hood of the lawn mower to the wheelbarrows. Threw it out by hand and was done in 2 hours and that was 12000sf.


I got tired reading that :thumbup:


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## Mozart (Jul 17, 2018)

So 3 cubic feet, if applied at 1/4 inch depth (0.25") will cover 3x12x4 = 144 sqft. At 1/8 inch (0.125") the coverage is 288 sqft.

@iowa jim:
You used 21 bales @ 2.2 cubic ft per bale.

21x2.2 = 46.2 cubic feet which is 46.2x48 = 2217 sqft @ 1/4 inch

Treating 12000 sqft implies a depth of approximately 0.0462 inches

@KHARPS
You used 20 bales @ 2.8 cubic ft, which is 3648 sqft @ 1/4 inch. This implies an average peat moss depth of 0.0912".

So are we really striving for 1/4 inch coverage? The math isn't adding up for me.


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## Suburban Jungle Life (Mar 1, 2018)

Are you comparing it compressed in the package or after you fluff it up?


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## Mozart (Jul 17, 2018)

Suburban Jungle Life said:


> Are you comparing it compressed in the package or after you fluff it up?


I guess a missing piece of the calculation is peat moss density post application. How much does one fluff it up? What is the distribution of air and peat? Do you apply it with 50% air fluffed in? Or more/less?


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## 01redcrew (Jun 16, 2017)

I didn't read the first page but if rams peat around would you be moving the seed around I'd u just broadcasted it on top?


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## iowa jim (Jan 22, 2018)

Some people use a rake and that might make it a little denser, compared to me that did it by hand. One tip is that if you do it by hand is to play the wind and let the peat float down.


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## g-man (Jun 15, 2017)

Another tip, wear a mask. You will be breathing it and it triggers my allergies pretty bad.


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## KHARPS (Jun 21, 2018)

@Mozart

No, I used 3.8 cubic ft bales


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## MichiganGreen (Aug 7, 2018)

I've seen it advised as both laying before seed and after, on top. Is one proven to be better?


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## Mozart (Jul 17, 2018)

KHARPS said:


> @Mozart
> 
> No, I used 3.8 cubic ft bales


Oops.

Applying a conversion factor of 3.8/2.8 yields .1238 inches of peat moss on average. Assuming 1:1 ratio of air to moss that puts you right in the 1/4 inch depth. Good job!


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## pennstater2005 (Jul 17, 2017)

This is getting awfully mathematic :lol:


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## chriscarigs (Jul 10, 2018)

Mozart said:


> KHARPS said:
> 
> 
> > @Mozart
> ...


@Mozart - now you have me thinking - Can you spell that math out a little bit better for someone slow like me? I thought I followed what you were doing but keep coming up with 65 3.8 cubic foot bales. .25 inch depth/12 = .02 foot depth x 12k square feet = 250 cubic feet / 3.8 cubic foot bags = 65 bags.

Where did I go wrong?


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## Mozart (Jul 17, 2018)

chriscarigs said:


> Mozart said:
> 
> 
> > KHARPS said:
> ...


Hi Chris,

Let's first figure out how many cubic feet your lawn needs and then we can calculate # of bales needed.

1 cubic foot is 12x12x12. Imagine putting all of this down in 1 square foot. The height would be 12" which is 48 1/4 inches. Basically 48 times thicker than needed, so 1 cubic foot actually covers 48 square feet at a depth of 1/4 inch ("unfluffed").

Next we need to estimate the impact of fluffing. Based on KHARPS' application I'm assuming fluffed peat moss is half air and half peat. If so that means that 48 square feet of compacted peat would cover 48x2=96 square feet fluffed.

So now we have an estimate: 1 cubic foot of compacted peat moss should cover roughly 96 sqft.

For 12,000 sqft you would then need 12000/96 = 125 cubic feet of compacted peat moss.

To calculate # of bales required we then divide by bale size. For 3.8 cubic feet bales, you need 125/3.8 = 32.895 bales (round up to 33).

To generalize, the formula is:
# of bales required = (lawn size in sqft)/(bale size in cubic feet)*1/48*(%peat moss in fluffed mixture)

Assuming 50/50 split of peat/air (50% peat):
# of bales required = (lawn size in sqft)/(bale size in cubic feet)*1/96

I think your math is good but you did not account for the fluffing effect (so you calculated double what you need)


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## MichiganGreen (Aug 7, 2018)

pennstater2005 said:


> This is getting awfully mathematic :lol:


You should see my conundrum over on the custom mix thread I made. Still couldn't figure out a definitive answer so lm just gonna spread and pray :roll:


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