How Much Peat Moss For Overseeding

When overseeding, peat moss is a beneficial organic material because it shields the grass seed from scavengers and the weather.

Peat moss holds more water than other soil types, keeping grass seeds damp, promoting their germination, and holding water around the root system. But, while you can skip adding more water all the time, Peat Moss has some faults.

One thing to be wary of when overseeding with peat moss is it is acidic and increases the acidity of your soil. In the long run, this will be harmful to your grass growth. Because of this and a few other things, you need to know how much peat moss for overseeding lawn is ideal.

In our guide, you can learn more about how to cover grass seed with peat moss. By the end, you’ll know enough about using peat moss on grass seed to get the best lawn possible. (Read Scotts Green Max Vs Turf Builder)

Should I Be Covering Grass Seed With peat Moss?

Using peat moss is debatable. It has disadvantages despite benefiting young grass seed by keeping it moist while using less water and safe from birds.

Adding too much peat moss makes soil chemistry change; also, you’ll find that harvesting peat moss threatens the environment.

Benefits of spreading peat moss on grass seeds:

• Like a sponge, adding peat moss over grass soaks up water (20 times its dry weight) and holds onto moisture for a long time.
• This has a significant advantage when overseeding your grass because grass seeds require continual moisture to germinate.
• The yield from your sowing efforts will be significantly lower if grass seeds dry out while germinating. A layer of peat moss will keep seeds moist and improve returns.
• Spread peat moss as a top dressing decomposes into organic material in a couple of weeks. Here, the organic matter provides a small number of nutrients to the soil.
• Peat moss protects seeds from being carried away by strong winds or washed away by heavy rains and stops grass seeds from being eaten by birds.

Downsides of Using Peat Moss for Overseeding

• Using peat moss as a top dressing when overseeding can make your soil less hospitable to grass growth over time since it releases acids into the ground and has a mildly acidic pH.
• Peat moss also lacks the soil bacteria that compost does, which helps feed your lawn.
• Adding peat moss to your soil might increase its acidity, which can eventually result in poor grass growth.
• Peat moss decomposes, creating a fertilizer that contains very few nutrients. Therefore, a variety of organic fertilizers might be required to give your grass seeds a stronger boost.
• Peat moss contains no beneficial soil microorganisms.
• Harvesting peat moss poses an unsustainable hazard to the ecosystem.

How Many Square Feet Does Peat Moss Cover?

Peat moss comes in 3-cubic-foot bags and will cover 300 square feet of lawn. One hundred square feet of top dressing will require 1 cubic foot of peat moss. Most lawn care professionals overseed with 3–4 bags of peat moss per 1,000 square feet.

Three hundred square feet of grass can be top-dressed with just one bag containing 3 cubic feet of peat moss. For every 1,000 square feet of planted lawn, use 3–4 bags of peat moss.

Remember that peat moss expands once you take it out of the bag. Peat moss helps absorb water and swell, adding weight and size. Usually, a layer of peat moss that appears to be very thin is sufficient.

Remember, you can cover the seeds, then water immediately to dampen your layer of dry peat moss to keep the seeds moist and hold water, so the root zone in the ground is damp. (Read Will Baking Soda Neutralize Dog Urine On Grass)

Key Types Of Grasses Which Grow In Sandy Soil

• Bermuda Grass: It grows well in the sun and drier locations and is a traditional warm-season grass. Its robust root structure enables your new grass to thrive in various soil conditions, even sandier ones.
• Zoysia Grass: Zoysia Grass is another warm-season grass; this species benefits from the organic matter at the topsoil level and is a great lawn alternative for sandy soils because of its shallow roots and solid establishment.
• Tall Fescue: Because of its effective root system and long-term storage of chlorophyll, which gives it an incredibly dark green hue, this type of grass, a cool-season species, adapts well to sandy soils.
• Centipede Grass: Because of its high drought tolerance, slow growth rate, and low fertilization requirements, this low-maintenance warm-season grass species does well in sandy soil as well.

Choosing Grass Seeds

Your lawn’s appearance will be significantly influenced by the grass seed you use, so pick one that thrives in your environment.

For instance, certain regions need warm-season grasses like St. Augustine grass, USDA zones 8 through 10, while others need cool-season grasses like perennial ryegrass, USDA zones 3 through 6.

Planting cool-season grasses in late summer and early fall produces the best results for warm-season grasses.

Preparing Your Lawn

The seeds must first germinate before peat moss can be used to cover grass seedlings. Get rid of weeds, rocks, and other trash to prepare the soil.

If you use chemical weed killer to eliminate the weeds, wait two to three weeks before sowing grass seed. Consider hiring a soil tiller to turn over the top 6 inches of soil if you start with a new lawn from scratch.

Planting Grass Seed

Typically, grass seed is sown by scattering it over the desired soil. Either gloved hands or a seed spreader can be used for this. It is advisable to scatter the seeds with your gloved head on a plot no larger than 150 square feet. Use a seed spreader if the area is greater.

Once the seeds have been evenly distributed throughout the soil, you should apply a starter fertilizer to aid germination and softly sprinkle the seeded area with water with a water sprayer.

You may avoid accidentally washing the seeds away by using the mist setting on the water sprayer.

Adding Your Peat Moss

After the seeds have been planted or after they have popped up, peat moss can be added. Sprinkle a quarter-inch of peat moss over the area, regardless of the stage at which the grass seeds are. Then, use a water sprayer set to mist mode to moisten the peat moss immediately and lightly.

Once the seedlings are about 1/2 inch tall, keep watering the peat moss twice daily. After that, cut down on watering as often as necessary—every few days. Peat moss can be spread over grass seeds straightforwardly. High-quality peat moss from a respected garden center or plant nursery is the first item you need.

Dead, decomposed sphagnum moss is peat moss; although a covering of peat moss over grass offers protection, peat moss breaks down into a poor organic matter with very few soil microbes.

Correctly covering new grass seeds will prevent them from being carried away by high winds and ensure seeds germinate into ideal turfgrass. (Learn How To Keep Cars From Parking On My Lawn)

Once you’re done overseeding, you’ll need a hose with a fine-nozzle spray to wet the medium before upping your watering frequency with germination.

Step-By-Step On How To Apply Peat Moss For Overseeding.

1. Before sowing new grass seeds, mow your lawn to a height of two inches. Then, cover the entire surface of your grass to achieve an even blade surface.
2. You can aerate your grass to make the soil less compact and more straightforward for nutrients and oxygen to reach the seed and roots, but doing so is optional.
3. Spreading seeds using a broadcast spreader is best for optimal results and evenly covers the entire area.
4. Cover the planted lawn sections with peat moss about 1/4 inch deep. Use a hose with the fine mist setting to water after your fresh grass seeds have been planted and covered with peat moss.
5. When wet, peat moss has a tendency to expand, absorbing water and growing heavier and bigger.
6. Although the 1/4 inch may seem too thin, it usually works for a better boost for your grass seedlings. The goal is to provide the seeds with enough moisture to promote germination so that the final lawn will be thicker.

Peat Moss Alternatives for Overseeding?

When overseeding, use compost as opposed to peat moss. Sustainable fertilizer sources, such as leaves and grass clippings are used to make compost. Without harming the environment, it can be produced naturally.

Even better, it conserves moisture to promote the sprouting of grass seeds, shield seeds from birds and enriches the soil with beneficial microorganisms and fertilizer. When overseeding, compost works best as a substitute rather than spread peat moss.

Compost, as opposed to a peat moss spread, is a sustainable resource. Compared to peat moss, compost has higher fertilizer qualities and won’t make the soil more acidic.

Compost is typically more affordable than peat moss. Lay down the grass seed on your lawn, cover it with 1/8 to 1/4 inch (3-6 mm) of compost, and then rake it to cover the bulk of the seeds.

It’s just as easy to do this without peat moss; it is more environmentally friendly, and, get this; compost is less expensive than peat moss.