Understand Hydro-Seeding: 2 FAQs
Posted on: 14 June 2016
There's a lot of effort that goes into growing a natural turf from scratch. In a large number of cases, homeowners choose to opt for hand-seeding due to the initial cost involved with this activity.
Hydro-seeding is an alternative way to grow a natural turf from scratch. A large number of homeowners brush off this option because it involves paying for the services of a seeding contractor. Some homeowners brush off hydro-seeding because they lack a sufficient understanding of what it entails. Here are answers to three questions that the modern homeowner may have with respect to hydro-seeding.
How Is Hydro-Seeding Different From Hand-Seeding?
The main difference between hydro-seeding and traditional hand-seeding is the fact that the hydro-seeding process introduces grass seeds, mulch and fertilizer into the soil simultaneously at the beginning of the seeding exercise. In contrast, hand-seeding introduces the mentioned elements separately and at different stages of the seeding process.
When hydro-seeding is chosen as the preferred seeding methods, the grass seeds, fertilizer, binding compounds and the mulch (usually made of wood fibre) are mixed with water so as to form a slurry mixture that is sprayed onto the soil in a residential lawn (for example). Because hydro-seeding involves the use of relatively complex equipment (e.g. hydraulic sprayers and truck-mounted gallon tanks), it is often a more expensive way to establish a natural turf as compared to hand-seeding.
What Are The Benefits Associated With Hydro-Seeding?
Hydro-seeding is advantageous over hand-seeding in a number of ways. For example, hydro-seeding often results in the faster germination of grass seeds. This stems from the fact that the seeds in a hydro-seed mixture are constantly exposed to moisture from the wood fibre mulch contained in the mixture. The constant supply of sufficient moisture to the grass seeds accelerates their rate of germination.
Therefore, paying for the extra cost of hydro-seeding is likely to give you a beautiful natural turf sooner than you can expect with hand-seeding.
Another reason why hydro-seeding may not be as expensive as you think is that it actively prevents the erosion of grass seeds from the soil. Once the slurry hydro-seed mixture has been sprayed onto the soil, it forms a mat-like solid on the surface of the soil as it continues to dry. This makes it difficult for grass seeds to be washed from the surface of the soil or to be blown away under the influence of strong winds. Germination guaranteed!
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