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How to Prep for Hydroseeding: 6 Step Guide to Help You

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Hydroseeding is a planting technique that includes seeds and mulch formed into a slurry. Hydroseeding is an alternative to the conventional dry sowing and seeding process. Hydroseeding is certainly an efficient way to go, and we are here to teach you everything on how to prep for hydroseeding.

The process of hydroseeding has become quite popular among gardeners and landscapers owing to its numerous benefits.

Hydroseeding is a fast, efficient, and effective process to obtain a lush green lawn. Hydroseeding offers easier application, lower cost, saves time, and a healthy ground covers rich in nutrients.

The contact with water activates the germination of seeds, and the mulch helps provide a cover that retains moisture. In this article, we cover all the basics of prep for hydroseeding and the follow-up care tips to have a lush garden.

How to Prep for Hydroseeding
Hydroseeding – via Flickr

What is Hydroseeding?

Hydroseeding is when the seeds are suspended in a mixture of nutrients rich, water and mulch, forming a slurry. The contact between water and the seeds in the slurry tank instigates the process of germination.

The added mulch in the slurry mixture helps retain the moisture and keeps the soil intact and in place. This slurry is sprayed directly onto the soil after preparing it. It initiates the germination process and increases the rate of growth, resulting in faster and healthier growth.

Benefits of Hydroseeding

 Hydroseeding has gained popularity due to several benefits that outweigh the conventional dry seeding method. Following are some benefits of hydroseeding:

  • The application of hydroseeding is very simple and consists of only one step. It is much faster and easier to do and can be done by a single person with minimum effort and time.
  • Sowing seeds manually in irregular areas can be tough. With the help of hydroseeding, you can cover each nook and cranny and any irregular or sloppy areas with great ease. Hillsides and large landscaping projects become very easy with the help of hydroseeding.
  • Hydroseeding is a very cost-effective method. Hydroseeding costs about 60-80% less than the cost of sod.
  • It is also very time efficient. It takes 1/3rd of the total time it takes to sow seeds. It reduces the cost of labor and extra hours to do all the hard work.
  • With the process of hydroseeding, you can apply fertilizer, seeds, water, and mulch all together at the same time.
  • Hydroseeding eliminates the need to use a straw, and it is much easier to transport and store than a straw.
  • Hydroseeding does not blow off any dust and does not require to be removed afterward. It also does not contain any weed seeds.
  • Hydroseeding does not cause any loss of nitrogen from the soil as straw does after decomposition.
  • Unlike straw, which gives a very unruly and shabby look to your garden, hydroseeding has a fresh green appearance that looks much more attractive.
  • Hydroseeding ensures an even disbursement of seeds and facilitates uniform germination.
Hydroseeding a River Park neighborhood levee section
Hydroseeding a River Park neighborhood levee section – via Flickr

How to prep for hydroseeding?

Before you begin the process of hydroseeding, the question arises: how to prep for hydroseed? Keep following our guide to learn everything you need to know on how to prep for hydroseeding. For further assistance, we have linked a video tutorial.

1. Get Rid of Any Debris

Before you start the hydroseeding process, the first thing you need to do is prepare the soil and the site for hydroseeding. Clean off the whole area where you intend to spray the seeds. Remove all the solid waste, stones, sticks, and rocks from the land’s surface.

Remove all the weeds growing on your land. Get rid of any existing plantation or grass and make the whole land completely clear.

2. Irrigate the Land Properly

It is crucial to irrigate the land properly to ensure the success of hydroseeding. It is advised to install your irrigation system, such as water sprinklers, and test them before hydroseeding.

3. Till the Top Soil

It is best to till the soil before hydroseeding, especially if the soil is compact; till the garden’s soil to a depth of about 5 inches. If the quality of your soil is good enough, then you do not require any amendments. If you need to amend the soil, then a 50/50 blend mix is recommended. If you bring rototill or topsoil, it is suggested to grade the area afterward.

4. Abatement of Weed and Grass

To fully get rid of the dormant weed hiding in your soil, you need to bring it out fully. For this purpose, apply some granular fertilizer of type 16-6-8 to your land and then water it generously. Keep watering regularly for ten days to provoke and germinate the dormant weed seeds.

After that, apply a grass and weed killer to remove any remaining weed. Avoid watering the area for 24 hours after applying weed and grass killer. This step is essential as it will help minimize excessive weed growth. After reducing weed and grass, wait for approximately 1-5 days to start hydroseeding. Check the packaging label of your weed killer to have the right idea.

Scotts Green Max Lawn Food, Lawn Fertilizer Plus Iron Supplement for Greener Grass, 10,000 sq. ft., 33.33 lbs.
  • Scotts Green Max Lawn Food is a dual-action fertilizer and iron formula that feeds your lawn and provides deep greening in just 3 days
  • This lawn care product contains 5% iron, a micronutrient that enhances the greening process for fast results
  • Apply this fertilizer plus iron supplement to any grass type in the spring, summer, or fall
  • Guaranteed not to stain concrete, driveways, or other surfaces surrounding your lawn (when used as directed)
  • One 33.33 lb. bag of Scotts Green Max Lawn Food covers 10,000 sq. ft.

5. Re-Grading the Land

After doing all of the steps mentioned above, it is time to regrade your land before hydroseeding. Grading is important to make the surface of your soil smooth and level it. Ensure the soil on the whole area is loose rather than compact.

6. Spray Away!

With these simple steps, now you are ready to spray your designated area. Allow easy access to the sprayer and tank so it can move freely and work the whole land more easily and effectively. Remove any hurdles or obstacles to ensure the sprayer can reach all parts evenly.

Now just evenly spray the whole land leaving no spaces, and you will be good to go. Your grass will start growing somewhere between 3 to 7 days, and you will soon have a lush green lawn.

What is the Best Time for Hydroseeding?

The best time for hydroseeding is during early spring or fall. These seasons provide the right environmental conditions for the seeds to grow happy and healthy. Spring and fall provide the right amount of cool weather and are wet enough to sustain healthy seed growth.

It is best to start early in the spring or fall to allow your seeds enough time to grow and establish before the harsh seasons. It will give your seeds a chance to thrive and sustain even during the summer and winter seasons’ extreme hot and cold temperatures, respectively.


Conclusion

Having a lush green lawn is every gardener’s dream, but all the manual labor it takes can be strenuous. With hydroseeding, the whole process of planting a garden has become so breezy. We have taught you all the basics on how to prep for hydroseeding so you can get the most out of it.

Hydroseeding makes the process very efficient and significantly reduces the cost and time compared to the conventional dry sowing of seeds. Follow our helpful tips to achieve a healthy and luscious garden. Share your kind feedback with us in the comments below!

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