Home improvement TV shows typically compress several weeks of labor into a few minutes, allowing viewers a fast-forward glimpse of the transformation from dowdy fixer-upper to finished showplace. Fully grown plants are added to the landscaping, and sod magically appears where barren soil once ruled. The final look is very impressive, but often costly, and most homeowners can get similar results using hydroseeding.
This is not a revolutionary new way of growing grass or other ground-cover, but rather an improvement on tried-and-true, natural planting methods. Using fully established sod to create an instant lawn may be appropriate in some cases, but that cover must first be grown. The cost of keeping it weed and pest-free, cutting it into usable strips, and then transporting and installing it is three to four times higher than seeding.
The construction of the Interstate Highway System sparked improvements in this process. Before that time, freeway embankments made barren by construction were difficult to replant, and often fell victim to serious erosion. This new method of spray-planting was far more efficient, mixing mulch, fertilizer and other additives with water, and then using a high-pressure tanker to spray the mixture where needed.
That combination of seed and nutrients usually sprouted within a few days, and the hillsides stabilized. In many cases, steep angles or other problems make hand-seeding virtually impossible, creating uneven results. A liquid mulch mixture replaced the traditional layer of straw designed to retain moisture, and has the built-in advantage of containing no weed seeds to crowd more desirable shoots.
The liquid mixture is easily tailored to local conditions, including the micro-climate and predominant soil. Due to natural variations in topography and native vegetation, a single variety of grass seed may not thrive over an entire patch of lawn. Hydromulching can combine or even switch the varieties of grass being planted, eliminating annoying barren patches in areas of high sun or shade.
New shoots appears quickly. While seeding cannot provide immediate gratification like sod can, it has the advantage of already containing all elements necessary for optimal growth. These extras must be purchased and applied separately to hand-seeded areas, and in the end costs are similar. Coverage is often superior, and the spray contains a natural dye that prevents missed spots.
Mulch slurry may also contain special additives designed to help newly-sown seeds cling to hillsides more effectively by preventing excess evaporation. Other additives may include additional moisture-retaining chemicals, or specially formulated stimulants to encourage rapid growth. Most also mix in more traditional fertilizers such as phosphorus to encourage rapid development of root networks.
The result can be a beautiful, healthy-looking lawn. Even though this method is slower than rolling out sod, the plants are usually healthier, and do not have to re-grow roots than may have been cut during installation. The new grass will need daily watering for around two weeks, and normal lawn maintenance afterward. For most homeowners, the results and savings are worth waiting for.
This is not a revolutionary new way of growing grass or other ground-cover, but rather an improvement on tried-and-true, natural planting methods. Using fully established sod to create an instant lawn may be appropriate in some cases, but that cover must first be grown. The cost of keeping it weed and pest-free, cutting it into usable strips, and then transporting and installing it is three to four times higher than seeding.
The construction of the Interstate Highway System sparked improvements in this process. Before that time, freeway embankments made barren by construction were difficult to replant, and often fell victim to serious erosion. This new method of spray-planting was far more efficient, mixing mulch, fertilizer and other additives with water, and then using a high-pressure tanker to spray the mixture where needed.
That combination of seed and nutrients usually sprouted within a few days, and the hillsides stabilized. In many cases, steep angles or other problems make hand-seeding virtually impossible, creating uneven results. A liquid mulch mixture replaced the traditional layer of straw designed to retain moisture, and has the built-in advantage of containing no weed seeds to crowd more desirable shoots.
The liquid mixture is easily tailored to local conditions, including the micro-climate and predominant soil. Due to natural variations in topography and native vegetation, a single variety of grass seed may not thrive over an entire patch of lawn. Hydromulching can combine or even switch the varieties of grass being planted, eliminating annoying barren patches in areas of high sun or shade.
New shoots appears quickly. While seeding cannot provide immediate gratification like sod can, it has the advantage of already containing all elements necessary for optimal growth. These extras must be purchased and applied separately to hand-seeded areas, and in the end costs are similar. Coverage is often superior, and the spray contains a natural dye that prevents missed spots.
Mulch slurry may also contain special additives designed to help newly-sown seeds cling to hillsides more effectively by preventing excess evaporation. Other additives may include additional moisture-retaining chemicals, or specially formulated stimulants to encourage rapid growth. Most also mix in more traditional fertilizers such as phosphorus to encourage rapid development of root networks.
The result can be a beautiful, healthy-looking lawn. Even though this method is slower than rolling out sod, the plants are usually healthier, and do not have to re-grow roots than may have been cut during installation. The new grass will need daily watering for around two weeks, and normal lawn maintenance afterward. For most homeowners, the results and savings are worth waiting for.
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