Frequently Asked Questions

Hydroseeding is a way of planting grass by spraying a mix of seed, fiber mulch, fertilizer, a tackifier and water onto prepared soil. The mulch holds moisture and keeps the seed from washing or blowing away, so it usually sprouts faster and more evenly than dry seed spread by hand.

Published national guides vary by source, putting residential hydroseeding somewhere between about $0.06 and $0.35 a square foot; HomeGuide's figure for a 5,000 square foot lawn is about $1,000 to $1,750. Most companies also set a minimum job charge. Grading, topsoil, slopes and blankets raise the total, which is why our written estimate comes after we have seen the site.

No. University of Nebraska Extension puts its cost a little above dry seeding and usually below sod. HomeGuide lists installed sod at $1 to $4 a square foot, while its hydroseeding range runs about $0.12 to $0.35 per sq ft. What you give up is time: sod looks done the day it is laid, while a hydroseed lawn needs about four to six weeks before its first mow.

Late August through September is usually the strongest window for cool-season grass here. The soil is still warm, nights are cooler and new grass has time to root before the ground freezes. Spring seeding after the soil warms is the second choice, but the young grass then has to make it through summer heat.

For a home lawn, late October and November usually do not leave enough growing time. For a construction site that must be stabilized before winter, we can apply hydromulch or blankets to hold the soil and seed again in spring or late summer.

Keep the top of the soil damp for the first three weeks. On a warm day that often means two or three short waterings, and less on clay soil that stays wet. Once the grass is up and growing, water less often and more deeply.

Yes, and the mulch layer actually helps on sand because it holds moisture against the seed. On very sandy Pine Bush lots we often suggest some topsoil or compost first and a closer watering schedule for the first few weeks.

Federal stormwater rules call for erosion and sediment controls on projects that disturb an acre or more, and on smaller pieces of a bigger development that together reach that size. Many towns also ask for silt fence on smaller lots near streams or storm drains. Your builder or town building department can tell you what the permit requires, and we install it.

Keep off it except to move hoses until after the first or second mow, usually five to seven weeks. Light use after that is fine; heavy play can wait until the following season.

The mulch has a green dye so we can see coverage while spraying. The color fades as the grass grows through it.

Not always. If the existing soil is loamy and loose, no. If it is pure sand, compacted builder fill or bare clay subsoil, a few inches of topsoil or compost makes a big difference.

National guides land anywhere from about $0.06 to $0.35 per sq ft, and HomeGuide's figure for a 5,000 square foot yard is $1,000 to $1,750. Prep work and slope shift that number, which is why we quote once we have seen the yard.

Hydroseed needs contact with soil. A weedy old lawn is usually killed off, scraped or tilled and graded first. If the lawn is just thin, overseeding may be the better choice.

Under federal rules, permit coverage is needed when construction disturbs an acre or more, or when a smaller site belongs to a bigger planned development. Your engineer or the state permitting agency confirms what applies to your project.

At minimum, federal rules call for immediate stabilization once work stops with no restart planned within 14 days. Your permit may be more specific, so check the stormwater plan.

Usually not for grass that will grow before winter. We can apply hydromulch or blankets to hold the soil and seed later.

Yes. Basin bottoms and side slopes get seed mixes suited to wet and dry conditions, with blankets on the steeper slopes.

It depends on access, water supply and the mulch rate. We give a realistic schedule after the site walk.

Both are sprayed. Hydromulch is lighter and suits gentle slopes. Bonded fiber matrix uses stronger binders and cures into one unbroken layer that holds on steeper banks.

Normally not. Straw and coir blankets are designed to rot away gradually while the grass grows up through them, so we leave them where they are. Before installing, we go over which blanket and netting suit your slope.

It depends on soil and slope length, but once a bank gets steep enough that water starts cutting rills, we add matrix or blankets. We decide that on site.

We can stabilize the upper bank surface. Work at the water's edge may need permits and a different design, so we will tell you if it is beyond seeding and blankets.

It depends on your town and how close you are to a stream, wetland or storm drain. Check your building permit; many towns require it even on small jobs.

Until the disturbed area is stabilized, usually with established grass. Then it should be removed and the trench line seeded.

Usually because it is full of sediment, the stakes were on the wrong side, or it was never trenched in. Regular cleanout prevents most failures.

It is a filter or barrier at a storm drain that catches sediment before muddy water enters the pipe.

Enough for roots to grow into loose soil. On scraped builder lots that is often several inches; on yards with existing loam, less. We measure on site.

Usually. Most often we reshape the grade so it drops away from the foundation, and sometimes we add a buried downspout line or French drain.

Yes. We dig and install French drains, downspout lines and short trenches to daylight, then grade and seed over them.

Often the topsoil was stripped and the lawn is growing in compacted subsoil or fill. Adding topsoil and loosening the surface usually fixes it.

Late August through September is usually best for cool-season grass. Spring works, but new grass then has to get through summer heat.

On compacted or clay soil, yes. Aeration opens the soil so seed reaches it and roots can grow down.

When half or more of the lawn is still healthy, overseeding usually works. When weeds dominate or the soil is badly compacted, renovation often costs less over time.

Yes. We remove the damaged turf, add fresh topsoil, and reseed with a salt-tolerant mix where possible.