If it were mine...I wouldn't compost it, just use it right in the soil or beds, if I was gonna do anything. I have about a half a bag, I haven't used in over 6yrs.

Peat is acidic & has no nutrient value at all.

My suggestion - Do some reading up before you decide what to do.

HTH,
Gumby_CT

Peat moss has no nutritive value and requires a lot of Nitrogen and moisture for the bacteria to be able to digest it and then if there is anything else for them to work on they will leaves the peat moss alone. If I had some peat moss I would probably compost it before putting it in my soil.

adding "no nutrients" to your compost does what?

I've tried to do some research on Peat Moss but, other than finding out what it is and where it comes from, I wasn't able to learn a whole lot, hence my post here. There isn't all that much out there on telling me what to DO with it. It was suggested somewhere to use it as a mulch (I have a lot of the same questions about mulch, actually, but I don't have a few hundred pounds of mulch sitting on my yard and haven't researched that yet). It was also suggested to till the stuff into the dirt to increase moisture retention, but I have a bunch of questions about tilling, too.

I have too many questions, so I'm spacing them out and addressing them one by one. :-)

So, so far what I'm understanding is:

1) Peat Moss doesn't add nutrients
2) It can make my soil a little more acidic
3) It's probably a brown, since someone mentioned that the bacteria would need nitrogen to decompose it
4) The bacteria prefer pretty much everything else to Peat Moss
5) When left in it's compressed bag in my yard it's really really heavy

Overall, I'm not too impressed yet. I'm going to get a soil test for my yard in a few weeks, but I need to get the materials (i.e. sample boxes) from my extension to do that. Maybe then I'll learn if my soil could use a good tilling with some peat moss.

I'm having construction done on the house soon, so I'm reluctant to really start any major projects in the yard until the heavy machinery goes away. I'm considering asking them to level out the yard while they are here, though. Seems to be something that wouldn't ever get done otherwise.

Jeremie.

Peat moss can be an excellent soil conditioner but is typically added in too small a quantity to make a big difference. Its primary value is its percentage of organic matter, its porosity and its ability to absorb and retain moisture and nutrients. It is also weed and pathogen free, which is why it is often used as a potting or propagation medium (lightweight, also). The other factor is its low pH, which can be helpful in creating a growing environment for acid loving plants. However, it takes a great deal of peat to significantly change overall soil pH and that effect is not permanent.

IMO, peat is best used as a soil amendment to lighten, aerate and increase porosity in heavy soils or to add OM to soils deficient in this area and to increase moisture retention in fast draining or sandy soils. Its value as an addition to a compost pile is minimal although it does reduce the volatility of nitrogen because of its adsorption ability. I'd avoid using it as a mulch as once it is allowed to dry out, it becomes hydrophobic and repels water.

Here is a link that might be useful: using peat moss

Thanks! That actually helped a lot.

I think I might put some in the bottom of my compost bin to absorb nutrient runnoff and leaching. I'll use the rest in between layers in my future lasagna gardens. This should help to offset the fast-drying problem of raised beds that someone in another forum pointed out.

Thanks, everyone!

Depending on where you are if deciduous tree leaves are readily available they are a much better soil amendment than peat moss ever will be. Lots, many more than I will ever be able to use, are available, free, every fall and the only thing I need to is haul them home.

deciduous tree leaves are readily available they are a much better soil amendment than peat moss ever will be.

BINGO
Leaves are also better in the compost than peat will ever be. Leaves will also help at the bottom of the compost pile.
Which is exactly why my bag of peat sits unused after all these years. And likely why the bag was left behind.

I think Gardengal said it best.

If you feel compelled to use this peat, use it to make your own potting soil, seed start mix, or in the soil (beds) NOT in compost where it only offers to make the pile tooo wet.

If the peat is already on hand and you are creating new planting beds, go ahead and use it to improve the soil condition of the new planting areas. Personally, I'd use it in any areas you are contemplating planting any acid loving plants - things like rhododendrons, kalmias, azaleas, hydrangeas, camellias, blueberries or most other broadleaved evergreen shrubs. They'll appreciate its addition more than many other plants.

Supposedly adding peat moss to soil will lower that soils pH. 3 years ago I put 3.8 cubic feet of peat moss into a 16 square foot planting bed, added 10 pounds of dehydrated cattle manure to help the soil bacteria in digesting that peat moss and this spring had the soil tested. The soil pH of that garden bed 3 years ago was 5.7, the only additions were the peat moss and manure and this spring that soil tested at a pH of 7.2.
What I have found best for Rhododendrons and Azaleas, Kalmis, Hydrangeas, and Blueberries is lots of organic matter and for me that is most easily wood chips and shredded leaves.

The effect of peat on soil pH is never permanent. Nothing is. It will depend heavily on the natural pH of the existing soil and its buffering capacity. Obviously a soil that is acidic to begin with is going to retain greater acidic properties longer with the addition of peat than one that is neutral or alkaline but even that will be a temporary adjustment and will need to be repeated.

A soil pH of 5.7 is a fairly acidic soil while a soil pH of 7.2 is just over neutral heading toward an alkaline soil. Since we know today that Oak, Maple, Beech and other tree leaves do not have any significant affect on soil pH I doubt that peat moss would have any more, which I know is contrary to popular opinion. Soil pH is influenced by the number of free Hydrogen ions floating around the soil solution and vegetative material is not going to do much to change that while Calcium and Magnesium will.