The success of establishing a lawn is dependent on many factors. These include the size of the lawn, the timing of irrigation, seed type, weed competition and location. It can be difficult to establish a lawn on steep slopes or hillsides. You may have to deal with soil erosion or washout in these locations. In these cases, hydroseeding is a great alternative to sod.
What is hydroseeding?
This all-in one method sprays seed, mulch, soil amendements, straw and other stabilizers onto the soil at once, using a pump that is connected to a container containing the mixture.
It is done by a landscaper with special equipment.
What is Hydroseeding?
The straw and other additives, such as polymers, help to keep the seed and fertiliser in place, and the soil moist. You can use only seed and fertilizer. If you want to spread it, lightly rake, roll, and sprinkle straw. But it will not stick as well to the soil like the hydroseeding mixture.
Hydroseeding makes mulch heavier because it has been saturated with water. The operator can aim the machine like a garden water hose, but with a greater distance. This is because the hose has incredibly high pressure.
The hydroseeding liquid forms a dense blanket-like mat that holds the seeds in place. The mat helps to retain soil moisture, which speeds up seed germination. It also sticks to the soil like glue and is not washed off by rain or wind.
What are the ingredients of a hydroseeding mixture?
Hydroseeding mixes often contain other ingredients besides seed, mulch and fertilizer.
A tackifier can be added to help hold the other ingredients and make the slurry adhere to the soil. The tackifier is made of granular or powdered glue.
Fertilizer
It is best to use a slow release fertilizer in the hydroseeding mixture for sites with limited access. This will prevent the need to fertilize after the grass seed germinates.
Mulch
Hydroseeding uses a variety of mulches, from wood chips to paper or cardboard, and even sludge or sludge from paper mills. Mulches vary in both price and performance.
The longer the fibers of the mulch, the more effective it is at preventing erosion. Mulch that retains the most water is more conducive to seed germinating. The site conditions will determine the best mulch for you, just as they do with soil amendments and fertilizer.
Hydroseeding Benefits
Hydroseeding is faster than conventional lawn seeding because it can be done all at once. The mulch is already included in hydroseeding, which promotes grass seed germination. This results in a uniformed lawn.
Mulching and fertilizing are also necessary after laying sod. The mulch used in hydroseeding holds moisture, so the grass will need to be watered more frequently, but not as much as with sod. This also reduces the loss of grass seeds due to washing out.
The hydroseeding slurry is a mixture of fertilizer, soil amendments and other ingredients. This means that there is no need to prepare the soil prior to seeding or fertilize the turf after it has begun growing. Hydroseeding is less work than traditional seeding and results are faster.
Hydroseeding is a great alternative to sod because it can be used in areas that are hard to reach and mow. It could also work out to be cheaper than sod.
