jmoore
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Posts: 235
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:57 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Peat moss as mulch?

I have about 1/2 my garden in the ground and growing. The soil around the plants gets very dried out very quickly so I need something to use as mulch with until I can get some decent grass clippings from my yard. I'm going to have to buy something.

I saw some peat moss at Home Depot and was wondering if that would work. My garden is not too big, so it would only take maybe one or two bales.

If that won't work, is there something else I could use? Or maybe get some compost and mix it with the peat moss? I'm just thinking out loud here, so any help is appreciated.

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rainbowgardener
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Joined: Sun Feb 15, 2009 6:04 pm
Location: TN/GA 7b

I haven't tried it, but not sure it would work. Peat moss when dry is very hard to wet again. It's like putting water on a totally dried out sponge; the water just rolls off. It could even wick water away from your soil. Putting it on top as a mulch is different than mixing it into your soil.

Compost might help it. But if you have access to shredded office paper or cardboard, you could just lay that down until the grass clippings appear (at which point you would just put the grass down on top of the paper/cardboard). Or wood chips, hay or straw....

malkore
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Joined: Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:03 am
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska

I'd go for a bale of straw. I see it everywhere right now, $4-5 a bale.

jmoore
Senior Member
Posts: 235
Joined: Thu Jul 09, 2009 8:57 pm
Location: Dallas, TX

Interesting. I didn't think about it drying out.

This is the second mention of straw. I think I need to round up a bale somewhere. I'm sure I could check with facilities at work. They might have a giant bag full of shredded paper I could have. I'd have to check on the laser printer ink on there though.

Once I knock all the weeds down and the grass comes in, I'll be golden. That shouldn't be too far off now. The St Augustine is starting to green up the last week or so.
rainbowgardener wrote:I haven't tried it, but not sure it would work. Peat moss when dry is very hard to wet again. It's like putting water on a totally dried out sponge; the water just rolls off. It could even wick water away from your soil. Putting it on top as a mulch is different than mixing it into your soil.

Compost might help it. But if you have access to shredded office paper or cardboard, you could just lay that down until the grass clippings appear (at which point you would just put the grass down on top of the paper/cardboard). Or wood chips, hay or straw....



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