wsommariva
Senior Member
Posts: 182
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:13 pm
Location: Northern New Jersey

What's your formula for a good loam?

Hi everyone.

I've got great compost made from kitchen scraps, some grass and oak leaves. I want to use much of it to topdress my lawn that sits on really bad soil. I will use bagged top soil, peat moss and compost. Thinking about a 40% top soil, 40% compost and 20% peat moss formula. Any thoughts?

Thanks

toxcrusadr
Greener Thumb
Posts: 970
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:50 pm
Location: MO

Compost is great for lawns so you are doing a good thing. A couple of thoughts:

Personally I would skip the peat moss, it has no nutritional value and may or may not be sustainably harvested. Just use more compost!

As for adding topsoil, it's fine if you are wanting to build up the elevation permanently. As long as you know it will not decompose and go into the soil like compost will, but will be a more permanent addition. If you go ahead with that make sure you don't add too much, it can be heavy and smother the grass. Maybe 1/2" or 1" max?

Also if you're using bagged compost products, some of them have high levels of mineral matter (I.e. soil). Usually the cheaper ones have more non-organic stuff in them.

wsommariva
Senior Member
Posts: 182
Joined: Tue Jan 25, 2011 3:13 pm
Location: Northern New Jersey

Good to know that the compost will get under the grass and enliven the existing "dead" soil. I use the 40 lb bags of top soil from Lowes/Home Depot.

I'll decrease the amount of peat moss to 10%. I like a little so the soil will retain water. I need to build up my lawn. Currently the roots go down maybe three inches only. Below that is clay and rocks.

I'll be careful and put down 1/2 inch at a time.

Thanks for the input.



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