Hydroseeding Redmond | Country Green Turf Farms (2024)

FAQs

What are the negatives of hydroseeding? ›

Hydroseeding requires maintenance.

While sod requires a lot of watering, hydroseeding needs even more maintenance. Not only do you need to stay off the lawn until the grass becomes strong, but you also need to regularly water and add additional fertilizer.

Cost to Seed an Acre of Grass

In 2021, the average cost of hydroseeding was $3,500 per acre, but it can range between $3,000 to $5,000 depending of the variety of seed mix you choose, as well as any site-related factors that impact the installation process.

Hydroseeding is an investment, but it produces great returns. Having evenly growing grass with greater disease resistance and moisture retention is highly rewarding. And if you have a large area to cover, it can be more convenient and cost-effective than other methods in the long run.

Fall can be one of the very best times of year to hydroseed, because grass seeds generally like lots of water and mild temperatures to germinate and establish well — something fall in many climates typically has in spades. However, there are a few important things to watch for when planning on hydroseeding in the fall.

Depending on the climate, watering, and seed mixture, hydroseed lawns typically begin to sprout within 5-7 days. If you continue with proper maintenance (starter fertilizer applied 3 times every 3-4 weeks) and don't experience any extreme weather conditions, your lawn will reach 3 inches long within a month.

Hydroseeding over an existing grass can harm the established grass, leading to browning or death. The process requires expertise, as doing it incorrectly can result in disappointing outcomes. The existing grass might absorb the nutrients meant for the new seeds, hindering their germination.

Which has better cost? Hydroseeding is much less expensive than installing sod. According to HomeAdvisor: “Hydroseeding costs an average of $1,000 for a 5,000-10,000 square foot lawn, though homeowners could pay anywhere from $500 to $4,000 depending on the size of their yard and quality of the mix.

Hydroseeding, while a little more costly, can provide more consistent, reliable results than conventional hand seeding. Because seeds are pre-mixed with mulch, fertilizers, and tackifiers, seed can be quickly applied to an area with even coverage.

You can hydroseed an entire lawn yourself with the right equipment, or you can spot-fix an area with a DIY hydroseeding kit. Sure, you can get solid results on your own, but a local lawn seeding service can ensure the lushest, fullest coverage.

Can I walk on the hydroseed once it is applied? Only as much as is absolutely necessary. Heavy traffic on a newly seeded lawn can permanently damage the new grass. Walking on a freshly hydroseeded lawn can leave depressions in the lawn and in some cases cause bare spots to form.

Will heavy rain ruin my hydroseed? ›

So if we get a torrential rain before it has a chance to germinate it will most likely pile up and look all rippled. We do not encourage adding more seed until all the seed has germinated. Too much seed can cause more problems.

In addition to these elements, your hydroseeding slurry will have at least some level of a gluey tack with which to hold the mix in place throughout the germination and growing process. These and other factors typically lead to a 90% to 95% germination rate. Economically Hydroseeding versus Seed & Straw is no contest.

Disadvantages of Hydroseeding

Overall, hydroseeding is a very cost-effective option, considering the higher germination rate than conventional seeding methods. However, like traditional seeding, the time of year hydroseed can be installed is limited, and it also has moderate to high water needs.

How late in the year can you hydroseed? Around mid October, but it is suggested not to procrastinate.

Plan to water new hydroseed about 2-3 times a day for roughly 10-20 minutes. While this schedule again depends on the weather, you want to make sure the new seeds are consistently moist. If the weather is hotter and dryer, you may need to water up to four or five times per day, and less if the weather is milder.

Planting Hydroseed

There is a high rate of failure associated with hydroseeding due to inadequate preparation and the soil environment. It is possible for the earth to get severely compacted on building sites. When this takes place, it becomes more challenging for water, air, and roots to penetrate the soil.

Walking on newly hydroseeded areas can disrupt the seed-to-soil contact and compact the soil, which may hinder the growth of the young grass seedlings.

In general, if the soil has been properly prepared and is not compact, hydroseed will not wash away after application. If, on the other hand, soil has not been de-compacted or prepared, there is a potential for heavy rains to partially wash away seeds if the rain occurs directly after hydroseeding has been completed.

In most cases after a heavy rain it will look like the green mulch has washed away but usually it is just the green dye that has washed out. There are usually a lot of seeds under the dirt you can't see and over time these areas will fill in. Not diverting downspouts will certainly wash hydroseed away.