Hydroseeding

Dakotah Services

It's all about

Quality

Hydroseeding Guidelines:

10 to 14 days - Germination takes place, water 2 to 3 times a day for about 30 days

Golden rule - ground wet all day (with out standing water for more than 1 hour)

9 am, 1 pm and possibly 3 pm are the most common times, though every lawn and every irrigation system is unique. When in doubt apply golden rule.

14 to 45 days

(optional)

- Fertilize lightly with low nitrogen fertilizer (half of recommended amount)

Scotts starter fertilizer is O.K.

30 to 60 days

- First mowing takes place when 50% of lawn is 2" or higher

mower must be sharp and clean of debris. Mower height set at 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches

Fertilizer again with half recommended amount of low nitrogen fertilizer.

Mow weekly from now on (this is critical! It will force grass plants to spread out and fill in)

Water only once a day (early morning preferred) from now on

90 to 120 days

- Apply a good quality weed and feed! (Scotts or Best)

Follow directions on bag exactly as stated

Depending on your environment, this step may need to repeated.

Key Notes:

- The first 14 days of watering is critical to proper germination.

Review watering times daily to insure complete coverage of areas

Adjust sprinklers or water times as needed. Do not "over water" or water at night!

- Depending on your environment and (or) seed bed preparation. Weeds may or may not grow with the new grass. They may be killed at a later time with normal applications of weed and feed

- After grass is established mowing height should be at least 3" but not more than 5".

3 1/2" or 4 1/2" is recommended (dwarf varieties may be lower)

- Fertilize 3 to 4 times a year with good quality fertilizer.

- Due to differences in soil condition and Ph balances, it is not uncommon to have small patches that do not germinate. Many of these areas will fill in when you begin mowing on a weekly basis.

You must ensure that slow germinating areas are not caused by lack of water!

To Hydroseed or sod is the question?

If you have a little money and a little time, hydroseeding (hydro-seeding) is a great way to get your beautiful lawn. If you have a LOT of money and NO time, then sod may be a better option.

In fact, at 50% of the cost of sod, you may save enough money by hydroseeding to landscape your lawn!

Hydro-seeding (hydroseeding) is a fast, cost-efficient grass planting process that can offer better results than conventional seeding at a lower cost than sodding. This technique provides fine, high quality turf perfectly suited to new luxury home construction, golf courses, and several other applications where high-quality results are required. Best of all, Hydro-seeding (hydroseeding) can provide these results at half to one third of the price of sodding.

During the Hydro-seeding (hydroseeding) process, mulch, seed, water and fertilizer are combined together in a Hydro-seeding (hydroseeding) machine, resulting in a material which is commonly referred to as slurry. The slurry is applied to the ground, providing a beneficial environment for seed germination and growth. When applied to a smooth surface, the result is an equally smooth, green, manicured lawn, much like those found on golf courses.

The importance of mulch

The mulch material used in Hydro-seeding (hydroseeding) is usually made of wood or recycled paper. Specific fiber texture is important for maximum protection from erosion and in ensuring that the mulch can be pumped through a Hydro-seeding (hydroseeding) machine. The mulch is dyed green both for aesthetic purposes and in order to monitor application thickness.

Soil moisture is an extremely important factor in grass planting because grass seeds need moisture to germinate and grow. Once initial irrigation is supplied through watering, mulch helps the grass seed to obtain the most beneficial effects of that moisture. The most common reason for poor seed growth is a lack of moisture during critical growth cycles.

Mulch also plays a critical role in prevention of soil erosion. Flowing water can wash away seeds and create breaks in grass coverage. Mulch helps to bind seed and soil together, helping to maintain smooth, even turf. A tackifier can be used to provide additional protection from erosion by essentially gluing the seed and soil together.

Hydroseeding is versatile enough to perform erosion control, wild flower seeding and manicured lawn establishment. Do you want a high quality lawn, without all the work and cost of laying sod? Hydroseeding is the answer. We eliminate the back breaking job of installing sod by hydroseeding your lawn at a fraction of the cost. By having your lawn hydroseeded, you can save 50 to 60% of the cost of sod.

Your lawn looks fantastic - FAST

Special blend of premium seeds are applied with additives that promote rapid germination, and deep roots. It is typical to see growth 7 to 10 days after we hydroseed. In 3 to 4 weeks, your lawn will be healthy growing lawn. Our special mix produces grass with a fine blade and deep roots.

Better than just "seeding"

By having your lawn hydroseeded, you are insuring nearly 100% seed growth. Each seed is suspended and protected in a mulch mat. You will minimize if not eliminate that age old problem of watching your seeds wash away in streams. Seeds are held securely in place by the mulch, which creates a mini-greenhouse effect, retaining water, and promoting germination. It produces a high quality lawn without a high price tag.

ADVANTAGES OF HYDROSEEDING OVER DRY SEEDING

Hydroseeded lawns come up faster. The contact of the seed with water will trigger the germination cycle. We often hear of grass up in 3 to 5 days.

Hydro seeding has an attractive green appearance that looks far better than lawns dry seeded and covered with straw mulch.

Unlike straw that is often used as a protective cover for a newly seeded area, hydroseeding mulch has NO weed seed. Straw is loaded with weed seed.

Hydroseeding allows the custom tayloring of the proper seed for your job. It is not uncommon to use two or even three seeds custom spraying the right seed for different areas on the lawn or job. Many custom hydroseeding contractors will use one seed for shady areas, one for high traffic areas, one to make the front lawn a showpiece.

Hydro Seeding mulch adds to the humus content of a lawn as it decomposes. The bacterial action of straw will leach nitrogen from the soil as it decomposes.

Sod is a good solution to the need for a new lawn. It is expensive. Sod generally costs 3 to 5 times more than hydroseeding. Hydroseeding will often produce turf as nice looking as sod within a very short time at a significant cost savings.

With hydroseeding the new seedlings are grown on your soil. Sod can have a problem with the type of soil it was grown on, not having sufficient compatibility with the soil it is planted on. This is called "not taking". If you have ever seen sod that looks like it could be rolled right back up even years after it was planted. That is sod that did not take.

Sod requires a lot of care. It can produce a beautiful lawn. Should you decide to use sod, or as some people do, decide to sod the front lawn, and hydroseed the back lawn. We hope that you will ask the trained professional who installs your sod about the watering and fertilizing steps you need to follow to insure that you have a successful and beautiful new lawn.

What is Hydroseeding?

Hydroseeding is quickly becoming the chosen method to establish a lush green lawn. Here's how it works. Grass seed, fertilizer, hydro-mulch and a special bonding agent are mixed into a thick slurry which is evenly sprayed onto your prepared soil.

Once your lawn has been hydroseeded, the grass seed and fertilizer are protected by an attractive, green layer of hydro mulch. The mulch seals in moisture and helps prevent rain from eroding the soil and washing away the seeds, even on steep banks. Because the seed was soaked with water in the mix, much faster germination will occur.

Hydroseeding allows you to have a lush emerald green lawn fast, grown in place to your soil conditions. There is never a problem with it not "taking" or "shrinking" which can be a problem with sod.

Key Benefits:

· Better germination rate

· Bonding agent to bind soil and seed

· Cost less than sod

· Superb quality lawn

· Save time and money

· Certified seed mix

· Saves on water and your pocket book