What is HydroSeeding?
HydroSeeding is a process where seed and any combination of fertilizer, lime, biostimulants, moisture retention polymers, tackifiers, and other additives are combined with water and a hydroseeding mulch to form a slurry that is sprayed onto the ground to establish vegetation and control erosion. These ingredients are mixed in a truck or trailer mounted tank which creates a homogenous slurry that is then transported to the job site and sprayed over prepared ground in a uniform layer.
What are the benefits of HydroSeeding?
HydroSeeding offers many advantages over conventional seeding processes such as:
- Quicker, more uniform germination
- Reduced labor costs
- Superior erosion control
Virtually any grass or ground cover that can be planted by seed can be HydroSeeded. This includes any sun or shade lawn seed, athletic field mixes, pasture mixes, native grasses, wildflowers, roadside mixes and erosion control mixes.
How HydroSeeding Works
The key to the effectiveness of HydroSeeding is the mulch that acts as the growth medium for the seed. When the right mulch is applied at appropriate rates, the mulch provides moisture retention for faster germination, insulation from temperature extremes to prevent seed dormancy, and protection from erosion. Unlike hay or straw that is frequently specified on seeding jobs, HydroSeeding mulch contains no weed seed.
The HydroSeeding slurry can be adjusted with various additives to create the ideal growth environment for the seed. The other big advantage versus conventional seeding methods is the labor savings. This is because all of the ingredients that you want to apply to the seed bed are combined into the slurry and applied at the same time.
Conventional seeding methods typically require each ingredient to be applied one at a time. The HydroSeeding mulch breaks down and becomes part of the soil. Straw or hay is usually applied over conventional seeding applications and will need to be collected and removed once the lawn is established.
Erosion Control Blankets
Erosion Control Blankets are another technique to deal with erosion issues. Erosion Control Blankets are well-suited to the relatively short-term challenges of establishing vegetation in low to moderate erosion applications. Erosion Control Blankets are dimensionally stable reinforce rolled products made from a variety of organic and synthetic materials, including straw, coconut and polypropylene nettings. This is another option besides HydroSeed.