Planting with Sweet Peat

Sweet Peat is the soil amendment that we use and talk about all the time, but what is it?

It’s different than peat moss, this is a much better product than standard peat moss to use especially when you’re seeking grass. We use it pretty much on every tree and shrub that we plant when we’re on a landscaping job as a soil amendment. Like a customer that asked about planting azaleas, we would use about 50% Sweet Peat and about 50% of the old soil, backfill around the plants with it, really gives them a good boost.

It keeps the soil from re-compacting so the roots can push through it, and then we mix a little fertilizer in there as well. It’s getting fed and the roots can grow. The better the roots grow, the better the top is going to grow. It helps improve the overall soil health to kind of help break down clay and that kind of thing, too. It’s really good for moisture and sand so it fixes a lot of the problems that we have with Ohio soil.

It’s actually got some lime mixed in it so that the pH is neutral. This is important because certain plants don’t like an acidic soil, certain ones prefer a sweet soil. This is neutral. You can literally use it on everything you plant.

Use for Grass

I actually did exactly what I told a customer to my own yard that had a few bare spots from the dog over the winter. I took four bags home, and I ripped that old dead grass out of there, got down to bare soil, sprinkled some fresh seed down. Then just took the bags of Sweet Peat, cut them open, and then crumpled it up and powder-coated that area. That will help trap moisture and make it really easy for the grass seed to grow up through it as it breaks down and becomes part of the lawn.

You don’t have that straw blowing around making a mess everywhere. It works really good for that, and really, that’s the best way to bring that grass back around, thicken it up in those areas, and fill in the bare spots.

It’s a really good soil amendment, too, whatever you have left over. You can just work that in the soil. Just blending it into the soil when you’re doing any new planting or working it in the garden soil itself is all great for improving the soil health, which is going to give you better plants.

Use for Potted Plants

Now, how about potted plants? Normally you don’t really have to, because most potting soil is already going to have a lot of good stuff in it. But it doesn’t hurt at all, so you definitely can. You do want to have mostly regular potting soil because it helps with drainage. Sometimes the peat moss may hold too much moisture. So having some of it present is good, but you don’t want it to just be pure peat.

If you’re interested in picking up a couple bags to rejuvenate your yard, stop on in to either of our locations to grab Sweet Peat and our special grass seed mix!

Questions? Email us at [email protected] or call one of our two locations: Portage (330-499-0101) or Everhard (330-492-1243).