Benefits of Hydroseed
Hydroseed provides an ideal environment to facilitate germination of seeds and nutrient availability for seedlings when trying to establish turf, erosion control or ground cover. Hydroseed is the hydraulic application of a slurry of:
- Seed chosen specifically for your project goals, ranging from turf grass varieties to native forest mixes
- High phosphorus and high nitrogen starter fertilizer to promote root growth upon early establishment
- 100% Virgin Wood Fiber mulch with organic guar gum tackifier providing moisture retention for germination and holding power, ensuring your seed stays where you want until established
One of the primary reasons a seeded lawn does not establish well is lack of moisture around the seeds and tender seedlings. The hydroseeding mulch creates an environment to retain moisture around seeds until the seeds have germinated. This mulch layer eventually decomposes after the plants have been established.
Proper sod establishment requires contact between the sod and the soil, requiring relatively smooth surface preparation. Hydroseed slurry can be applied to any texture of surface, including rough exposed areas from construction. Hydroseed also allows for greater choice of seed varieties than sod, though the typical lawn is seeded with varieties that match the popular sod species we install. We are able to match the grass varieties of the sod on jobs where a combination of hydroseed and sod are used.
Hydroseed requires significantly less labor than growing, cutting, transporting, and installing sod. This allows hydroseed to come in at a fraction of the cost of sod.
What to Expect
For most jobs the hydroseed can be installed in a single day and you will be given care guidelines upon install. You can expect to spend more time caring for your hydroseed than you would for sod, with the most critical element being watering. An underground sprinkler system or many hoses on automatic timers can help with this. Depending on the seed species installed on your site, you can expect results similar to the pictures below. If you want to find out more about hydroseed, please give us a call or ask for a free estimate!
Popular Seed Varieties
KENTUCKY BLUEGRASS BLEND
The chief cool-season turfgrass in northern latitudes, including Montana, is Kentucky bluegrass. Its vast rhizome network makes it an ideal sod species, anchoring the turf together as it is cut, rolled, and handled. With a high tolerance to cold, traffic, drought, and heat, Kentucky bluegrass is the grass of choice for open, sunny areas with well-drained soils. Not only will it bounce back from a long Montana winter, it will also handle the abuse of your neighborhood football, baseball, and soccer games! Kentucky bluegrass spreads by sending out rhizomes repairing areas of the yard that get damaged. Kentucky bluegrass does not do well in high shade areas.
As microclimate and shade conditions vary from property to property, the Kentucky bluegrass we install is seeded in a blend with other certified bluegrass varieties, as is recommended by Montana State University’s Extension Horticulture Specialist Cheryl Moore-Gough. Kentucky bluegrass does take longer than other species to germinate from seed so other varieties of grass such as fescue and perennial rye are often incorporated into the seed mixture when hydroseeding. These provide an initial stand of grass to help reduce weed growth while the Kentucky bluegrass germinates.
(Reference: Dr. Peter Landschoot, Professor of Turfgrass Science at Penn State University)
FINE FESCUE BLEND
Just as the name implies, this blend of grass has finer blades than Kentucky bluegrass giving a very uniform appearance across the lawn. Fescue is also a cool-season turf grass adapted to northern latitudes, including Montana. Fine fescue has good tolerance to a wide range of temperatures– midsummer heat and winter hardiness. It tolerates shade better than other turf blends and requires the less nutrients per year than Kentucky bluegrass. It has fair resistance to wear and is drought resistant. Fine fescue will not self-repair like Kentucky bluegrass and would need overseeding to fill in areas that are bare from overuse.
TALL FESCUE BLEND
Also a cool-season turf grass, tall fescue boasts one of the most extensive root systems making it more drought tolerant and an excellent choice for erosion control. Tall fescue is more shade tolerant than Kentucky bluegrass but less shade tolerant than fine fescue. It is a bunch grass and will spread by over ground tillers making it easier to keep out of neighboring landscaping. Tall fescue will not self-repair like Kentucky bluegrass and would need overseeding to fill in areas that are bare from overuse or damage.
PERENNIAL RYE GRASS VARIETIES
Perennial rye grass is a cool-season turf grass boasting one of the fastest germination times allowing it to establish very quickly. One distinct advantages to quick germination and establishment is to prevent weeds from overtaking your new seeded area. Perennial rye grass can mixed in with slow germinating seeds such as Kentucky bluegrass to help establish a stand of grass more quickly. It will tolerate cold and heat but not as well as the other blends mentioned above.
ADDITIONAL SEED BLENDS
We can install any seed blend you need for your specific project, from turf grasses and erosion control to flower seeds. We also have blends specifically designed for forest undergrowth or low maintenance/low water areas where you plan to never mow. You decide and we can help you get those plants established quickly. If you would like to explore other seed blends, please feel free to contact us and we can help determine the best approach for the needs of your project.
