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Best type of mulch to use for seeding a new lawn

18 years ago

Yard Doctor,

What is the best type of mulch to use when planting a new lawn? I've tried straw but it can be annoying and bunches up due to the wind. Is peat moss or some type of compost a good alternative? It seem like it would take a lot of work to spread this evenly. I know some people prefer not to use anything. I guess the time of year and amount of rain may be factors in what to use.

Thanks for taking our questions!

Eddie

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Comments (3)

yarddoctor
18 years ago
Dear Eddie,

Thank you very much for your inquiry. Mulching helps if you do not have readily available irrigation, sloped ground, or germination conditions that are suboptimal.

Appropriate mulches are straw and paper mulches. Avoid peat and composts with lots of peat as they will hold too much moisture.

Straw is as effective as any, but any windy conditions are challenging if the straw is not wet. String spaced 4-6 feet apart and criss-crossed will hold down the mulch.

A good paper mulch to use is called PennMulch (there are others that are good as well). Do not spread it on too heavily. It can put down dry, and then it will expand during watering.

Again, thanks for the question and let me know if you have more.

Respectfully

Trey Rogers, The Briggs & Stratton Yard Doctor, YardDoctor.com
eddie_il
Original Author
18 years ago
Trey,

Would mushroom compost be an effective mulch? It doesn't seem to be too dense so air and water should travel easily through it and I would think the grass would be able to easily grow through it. I'm not sure how effective it would be at holding moisture. My interest in mushroom compost is that if can act as mulch and also provide organic material to the lawn then I can kill two birds with one stone.

Thanks for the advice on the straw and PennMulch.

Eddie
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yarddoctor
18 years ago
Dear Eddie,

Thank you very much for your inquiry. Compost can be a nice addition to a lawn. For my money and time, I would get the grass germinated and then add the compost after 30-60 days. If it is a new lawn and it can be thoroughly mixed with topsoil, that is a different story.
Again, thanks for the question and let me know if you have more.

Respectfully

Trey Rogers, The Briggs & Stratton Yard Doctor, YardDoctor.com

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