Hydroseed

What is Hydroseeding?

Hydroseeding is a simple process. Water, seed, starter fertilizer, and a protective mulch are mixed in a tank and sprayed onto your soil surface. When properly cared for, Hydroseeding provides great results. It is not uncommon to have a thick beautiful lawn in 8-12 weeks. The secret is proper follow up maintenance (water & fertilizer).

Hydroseeding is a great way to grow grass. The seed, fertilizer, hydromulch, tackifier and water are all applied in one fast easy step. Clean up is quick and easy. Problems with difficult to seed areas such as hillsides and narrow areas between the sidewalk and curb are a breeze. With Hydroseeding, labor costs are reduced. Hydroseeding will handle a wide variety of seeding materials and can be used to plant all types of turf grass, wildflowers, erosion plants, and other ground covers. We can even apply products that make a virtual spray-on erosion control blanket to help solve the toughest erosion control problems.
The advantage of this method is that the slurry material absorbs water and allows this storage of water to be available to the seed which is necessary to start the germination process. Landscape contractors agree that the seeds germinate better with this method than with those using the more conventional “hand seeding” methods. Germination time will depend on the weather, the time of year, the amount of water, the area you live in, and other factors. Usually grass will be visible in 7-9 days, a few days slower in colder weather or the hottest part of the summer.

What’s In The Mix?

WATER

Water in the mix acts as a carrier, and the contact of the seed and the water will jump start the growth process. When extra fast germination is desired, it is also possible to pre-germinate the seed for even faster growth.

SEED

Nearly any seed can be used and at the same application rate as other seeding methods. These can include grass or lawn seeds, wildflowers, pasture seed, seed for athletic fields and seeds for erosion control.

FERTILIZER

Fertilizer is usually used in the mix. A fertilizer that will stimulate root growth is the most commonly used.

MULCH

Hydroseeding mulch has an attractive green appearance and helps protect the seed and seal in moisture. It may be made from paper or wood products or a combination of both. If it accidentally gets on your walkways, driveway, or house, it will not stain and can be washed off.

OTHER ADDITIVES

Other products may be added to a hydroseeding mix such as BFM’s that help hold the materials on a hillside in rainy conditions. They also help seal moisture into the soil and lubricate the machine. Other products such as co-polymers that hold 400 times their weight in water and slowly release it as the moisture is needed or growth & soil stimulants can also be added to the mix.

What Are The Advantages?

• Hydroseeding is a fast, cost effective way to plant a new lawn.

• Hydroseeding costs only a little more than old fashioned methods using dry seeding techniques combined with a compost, such as hand seeding.

• Hydroseeding mulch adds to the humus content of a lawn as it decomposes. (The bacterial action of compost or peat moss used in hand seeding can encourage slime mold development and will leach nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes.)

• Your lawn will be hydroseeded with a high quality, tested, certified seed mix.

• Hydroseeding allows the “custom tailoring” of the proper seed for your job. A special blend of seeds will be used that will be chosen for the specific conditions and requirements you have. The factors that go into the choice may be the amount of sun, shade, the terrain, the type of soil and if you have children or pets.

• Hydroseeding will often produce turf as nice or better looking than sod in a very timely manner and at a significant cost savings.

• With hydroseeding the new seedlings are grown in your soil. Sod can have soil interface problems when the soil it was originally grown in, has to interface with the new site-soil it will be planted on. This is called “not taking”. Have you have ever seen sod that looks like it could be rolled back up months after it was installed? This is what is meant by “not taking”. Conversely, Hydroseeding has no interface problems because it develops in your native soil and typically creates a deeper, more fibrous root structure.