You absolutely DO NOT need peat moss. Just use what you have. the old grass & leaves will be fine because they've already started to rot & will be full of those compost-making bugs & worms.

bmerryman, how long have the herbicide-treated grass clippings been composting in your compost pile, or composting in the lasagna bed? The consensus of the Cooperative Extension folks I found on google (see quotes below) seems to be that the chemicals can take at little as 30 days, or as long as 3-4 years, and that such grass clippings should not be used around vegetables in particular. "Grass clippings - A 2-inch layer of grass clippings provides good weed control. Build up the layer gradually, using dry grass. A thick layer of green grass will give off excessive heat and foul odors rather than decompose as other organic material. However, in limited quantity, clippings will decompose rapidly and provide an extra dose of nitrogen to growing plants, as well as making fine humus. Avoid crabgrass and grass full of seed heads. Also, do not use clippings from lawns which have been treated that season with herbicide or a fertilizer/herbicide combination. Grass clippings may be used directly as mulch around vegetables or fruit plants, or they may be composted. They are an excellent source of nitrogen to heat up a compost pile, especially for those gardeners without access to manures." http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/426/426-326/426-326.html "The chemicals of greatest concern are picloram, clopyralid, and aminopyralid because they can remain active in hay, grass clippings, piles of manure, and compost for an unusually long time. These herbicides eventually break down through exposure to sunlight, soil microbes, heat, and moisture. Depending on the situation, the herbicides can be deactivated in as few as 30 days, but some field reports indicate that breakdown can take as long as three to four years. Degradation is particularly slow in piles of manure and compost. When mulches, manures, or composts with herbicide activity are applied to fields or gardens to raise certain vegetables, flowers, or other broadleaf crops, potentially devastating damage can occur." http://www.bae.ncsu.edu/topic/vermicomposting/vermiculture/Herbicide_carryover.pdf

Thanks for the responses... This isn't a vegetable plot. It is an ornamental garden. The plants are well-established for the most part. Although (my personal opinion) the plants are being moved around a bit too often for this dry hot weather. I could make an onsite compost pile (or 20)nobody would try and stop me but I was looking for a quick fix. LOL People around here seem more interested in plants than soil. I like dirt so am sticking to that part of the process. I guess I have silty sand because this stuff is HARD. It is almost as hard as clay but when you do get the clods to bust they break up into fine pieces instead of chunks like clay does. The fine bits just reform into a hard layer once it is watered and left to dry. The area is mulched but the water just goes through the mulch and runs off the beds and into the paths. We do water but I do not think it is a very effective system. I've been digging holes and trying to break up the top soil and watering into the holes instead of watering the top of the mulch or soil. I guess I'll just make some "community garden" compost and keep picking out what I can from around the dump area to use to amend the soil. I can "liberate" the grass clippings and hide them until fall and start a regular compost pile and maybe some leaf mold. I can find a place that is a little out of sight near the garden and get some wire fence from the junk yard and see what happens. Thanks again.

This is actually the only time of year I ever even consider putting grass clippings around plants. Usually, they are just left on the lawn, which is an excellent use for them. The leaves are beginning to fall, though, so it's almost time to put the bagger on the tractor. It's real use is to pick up the leaves, but the grass goes along for the ride.