How Much Peat Moss Do I Need- Are You Calculating Right?

Peat moss improves pH balancing, nutrients of the soil, and proper drainage. But how much peat moss do I need to use in my garden to get all those benefits?

A simple calculation can help you get the appropriate amount of peat moss. A bale of 1, 2.2, and 3.8 cubic foot of peat moss can be enough for 24, 50, and 90 square feet area, respectively. Now, all you have to do is to measure the square footage of your garden.

To get to know more about accurate calculations, please keep reading.

Note: To get the actual idea, use our peat moss calculator.

How Much Peat Moss Do I Need

Since the mid-1900s, peat moss has revolutionized gardening. But to prevent waste and find the appropriate amounts, a simple mathematical calculation can help us.

Peat moss is available in bales (1, 2.2, and 3.8-cubic foot) and in bags (3-cubic foot). And both units will give you an inch of depth over top soil. The foundation of the calculation is how much land surface these different sized bales and bags of peat moss can cover.

So, when we know how much land we need to have layered by peat moss, we just have to divide that number by the land area each unit can cover.

As we have mentioned, a 1, 2.2, or 3.8 cubic foot peat moss bale can cover 24, 50, or 90 square feet of your garden respectively.

For simplicity’s sake, let’s say, your garden is 60 feet long and 40 feet wide. So, your garden has a 2400 square feet area to cover. You can get to the squared measurement of any surface simply by multiplying the length and the width.

❖ Let’s start the calculation by using a one cubic foot bale of peat moss. We need to divide the total footage of the garden by 24. We are using 24 since a 1-cubic foot bale of peat moss can cover 24 square feet of the land surface. So you are going to need 100 bales of 1-cubic foot peat moss. And that will give a one-inch depth to the land covered by peat moss.

Let’s see the calculation in numbers:

• Length of the garden X Width of the garden: 60 X 40 = 2400 square foot
• A one-cubic foot compressed bale of peat moss covers 24 square feet.
• So, the required number of bales would be 2400/24 = 100.
• If you want to double the depth to 2 inches, you are going to need 200 bales of 1 cubic foot peat moss.

❖ If you want to use 2.2 cubic foot bales for your garden, you need 48 bales of peat moss. The garden is 2400 square feet and one with 2.2-cubic foot peat moss you can use on 50 square feet area.

So, the calculation goes like this: 2400/50 which equals 48. The depth of the peat moss will be one inch. So, to get a 2-inch depth, you will need 96 2.2-inch cubic foot bales of peat moss.

❖ Using the same formula, the number of 3.8 cubic foot bales of peat moss will be 27 (2400/90=26.66, let’s round the fraction just to be on the safe side). And if you want to get the depth to 2 inches, double the number of the bales.

That’s the arithmetic for pretty much every space – like I can use the same formula to find how much peat moss do I need for my lawn.

Let’s talk about the right amount of peat moss soil mix we are going to need for different kinds of uses.

How Much Peat Moss Do I Need For Overseeding

Before calculating, we should be careful about some characteristics of peat moss. Peat moss starts expanding when you take them out from the bag or lay it flat from the bale.

A skinny layer can swell up in weight and size – after absorbing water. That’s why a mere 1/8th inch of thin peat moss layer is enough for overseeing the lawn.

But it is better to aim at a depth of one-fourth of an inch. So, let’s say when the lawn is 300 square feet, we will need either 13, 6, or 4 bales of peat moss. The calculation goes as follows:

• For 1-cubic foot bale: 300/24 = 12.5
• For 2.2-cubic foot bale: 300/50 = 6
• For 3.8-cubic foot bale: 300/90 =3.33
• Since the best spread of peat moss for overseeding should be from ¼ to ⅛th of an inch, you will only need either 3, 2, or 1 bale of 1, 2.2, or 3.8-cubic foot bale, respectively.
• When you top-dress your garden and the lawn at the same time, just add the requisite number of bales with the number that you need for the garden.

But if you do peat moss lawn afterward, it is easier to buy peat moss bags. A single 3-cubic foot bag should be enough to have a depth from ¼ to 1/8th of an inch spreading over a 300-square feet lawn. Now measure your lawn and do the calculations using the formula.

That’s the way to calculate how much peat moss I need to cover grass seed.

How Much Peat Moss Do I Need For Blueberries

Using peat moss for blueberries is usually dependent on organic beings as well as the pH of the soil. For blueberries, the best ratio would be to use a single 3.8-cubic foot bale for every 10 bushes. So, if you want to use 1 or 2.2-cubic foot bales, you need 4 or 2 bales respectively.

Just to be on safe side, we round the fractions to the next full digit.

How Much Peat Moss Do I Need For Vegetable garden

Peat moss is great for vegetables which benefit from acidic soil. So, if you are wondering if is peat moss good for tomatoes – now you know the answer.

The best depth of peat moss in a vegetable garden should be a 2-3 inch spread incorporated over a 12-inch depth of soil. Using the same 2400 square feet space as an example, we can say that a little more than 2000 cubic feet of soil is necessary for your vegetable garden.

• To have a 2-3 inch spread over that, using the same formula, we can say that we will need 200, 96, and 54 bales of 1, 2.2, and 3.8-cubic foot bales of peat moss.
• And to find out how much peat moss do I need for my raised garden bed, you should remember that a spread between ⅓ and ⅔ is the best. A standard 4X8 raised garden bed needs 21.44 cubic feet of soil. So, if you have five 4X8 raised garden beds, one bag of the 3-cubic feet of peat moss will be enough to cover them all.

Pros Of Peat Moss

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Final Words

It is easy to figure out how much peat moss I need for various uses with a few simple calculations.

Peat moss enhances the quality of soil by resisting compaction and providing aeration. They can also hold moisture and improve drainage. But they are also expensive, and overuse of releases methane and carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

So, it’s necessary that you do accurate calculations before using and avoid overuse whenever possible.

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Jack Grover

Enamored with the world of golf Jack pursued a degree in Golf Course Management at THE Ohio State University. This career path allowed him to work on some of the highest profile golf courses in the country!  Due to the pandemic, Jack began Inside The Yard as a side hustle that quickly became his main hustle. Since starting the company, Jack has relocated to a homestead in Central Arkansas where he and his wife raise cattle and two little girls.