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If you’re planning to make a green, grassy lawn, you know just how hard it is to deal with growing grass. They require a lot of time and care. Otherwise, we might end up with patchy, incomplete grass fields here and there that are susceptible to diseases and shorter life spans.
Also, seeding, growing, and taking care of grass requires a lot of water which eventually makes the entire things expensive and somewhat wasteful.
Thus, many of us look for a sustainable, cost-effective alternative that won’t require all of our energy either. And that’s where hydroseeding comes in.
It’s a process of applying seeds into the soil using high-powered hose pipes and mulches. In a world where we’re looking for fast-paced and sustainable solutions, hydroseeding is the future.
In this article, we’ve discussed everything you need to know about hydroseeding to give an idea about it. Let’s begin!
What is Hydroseeding?
Hydroseeding is a process where seeds are sown using a high-powered hose. In this process, a mixture is made with the seeds, organic fertilizer, mulch and some supplements and is sprayed directly sprayed into the ground.
The different supplements help the substance stay in the ground and stick to the soil instead of being washed away by rain or air.
Sometimes, a natural colouring is added to the slurry of seeds and supplements to give the area a distinct look as the seeds grow. This can be dangerous for the local waters and marine life, but this definitely simplifies the seeding process.
Benefits of Hydroseeding
As we’ve said before, hydroseeding is the future of sowing and seeding grass and other foliage across large areas. However, modern tools allow us to hydroseed smaller areas and region without any hassle.
If you’re wondering why hydroseeding is better than other conventional methods, here are some of the benefits of hydroseeding:
Ease of Use
One of the main advantages of hydroseeding is that it’s super convenient and easy to deal with. You don’t have to physically walk end to end on your field sowing grass seeds and then add water and fertilizer individually.
Instead, everything is loaded inside a machine and then automatically sow with a powerful hose pipe. Thus, saving you from a great deal of time and effort.
Preservation of Natural Varieties
When we plan on sowing grass, we often go for varieties that grow quickly because growing grass is already time and labour intensive.
As a result, we pass out on the opportunity os using types of grasses that are otherwise good quality. In a hydroseeding system, the effort is replaced by technology so that you won’t require much effort. Thus, you can choose the specific category of grass that you need.
This also frees you from the pain of making changes to your lawn as well. If you have a place that is surrounded by tall trees and you’re not willing to get rid of the trees, you can use a variety of grass that grows well in the shade. Thus, saving you more a lot of wasted time and money.
Easy to Provide Nutrients
In hydroseeding, the mulch plays a vital role. The mulch is made of fertilizer, supplements, straws, lime, etc. This makes the entire soil very easy to sow and germinate.
Furthermore, since the seeds are sown with all the necessary nutrients, the chances of them dying out for lack of nutrition is very slim.
Even Distribution
The slurry, as well as the mulch, have binding agents in them. As a result, the seeds stick to the soil very well and doesn’t get washed away. It keeps the seeds on the ground and prevents air and water from washing it out.
Furthermore, the interlocking fibres in the seed help to create more uniform green everywhere instead of patches of different sizes here and there.
So, you get a beautiful green, a carpet-esque spread which would require a lot of replanting and trimming in other methods.
Another benefit of hydroseeding is that it reaches the trickier places in the field easily.
Slopes, the small patch of land between two trees, the sharp corner that was otherwise hard to reach, all of these are easy to access in this system as all you have to do is point your hose in that direction. Just point the hose, and you’re good to go.
Erosion Control
The main reason behind soil erosion is when soil lacks the necessary nutrients, and as the scorching heat of the sun hits or the turbulent waters keeps striking the land, the soil disintegrates, and soil erosion takes place.
With hydroseeding, the mix contains sufficient nutrients with the option to add more to the soil. This drastically helps the soil grow back nutrients and prevent erosion.
Cost-effective
Hydroseeding indeed comes with a bit of initial investment. However, the cost is very quickly covered with the other investments. The human resources cost is significantly cheaper as hydroseeding takes considerably less time than sodding.
Furthermore, additional costs such as after sodding care, irrigation etc. is also a lot less, making the entire investment significantly cheaper than other competitors.
Precautions
While hydroseeding has a lot of benefits, here are a few things you need to keep in mind as well:
Use of Colourants
In order to make things easier, some hydroseeding companies use natural colourants to mark the places they’ve worked in.
However, many states have banned the use of these colourants, considering them as a threat to the environment and marine life. Therefore, we discourage the use of colours, as well.
Conclusion
With global warming causing havoc across the world, we have to look for sustainable alternatives in everything. Hydroseeding is the future when it comes planting grass. Since it’s a relatively new concept, people often struggle with making their decision.
For this reason, we’ve discussed some of the technicalities of the hydroseeding system to help you understand. So, what are you waiting for? Contact your hydroseeding contractors and get to work!
