Westmere to Altamont

Hydroseeding in Guilderland, NY

Pine Bush sand in the east, Helderberg views to the west, a drinking water reservoir in the middle.

No-charge yard walk-through, then an estimate in writing
Seed mixes picked for sand, silt or clay soil
Watering plan handed over with every new lawn

Lawns Upstream of a Water Supply

Hydroseeding in Guilderland comes with a responsibility most towns don't have in the same way. The Normans Kill is dammed in Guilderland to form the Watervliet Reservoir, which supplies drinking water to the city of Watervliet and to the town itself. Soil that washes off a bare building lot ends up in streams that feed that water supply, so getting ground covered fast matters here.

Cover bare soil quickly

The simplest sediment control is grass. A hydroseed slurry puts seed, mulch and tackifier on bare ground in one pass, and the mulch layer starts protecting the soil the day it goes down. On larger lots we pair it with silt fence along the downhill edge until the grass is established.

Sand on the east side

The Albany Pine Bush extends into Guilderland, and the town's history includes glassworks that relied on its fine sand. In Westmere and McKownville that means fast-draining soil that dries quickly. Seed on sand needs a thicker mulch layer and steady watering, and it often benefits from compost worked into the top few inches.

Toward the escarpment

The western part of town rises toward the Helderberg Escarpment, a name that Rhine Valley emigrants passing through in 1712 recorded as Hellebergh. Around Altamont, yards are steeper and soils change. Banks along driveways and new house pads can wash in a single summer storm, so on slopes too steep for plain hydromulch we move up to a stapled blanket or a bonded fiber matrix.

Fast growth after 1950

Guilderland went from 7,284 people in 1950 to 16,710 in 1960, and has kept growing since. Many of those first subdivisions now have lawns that are worn, compacted or shaded out, and overseeding with a hydroseed mix is a quicker fix than tearing everything out.

What Guilderland jobs usually involve

New lawns on infill house lots
Slope seeding near Altamont
Silt fence for small builders
Overseeding older yards in Westmere

Get a free estimate or call (518) 690-6268.

Guilderland Land and Water

Watervliet Reservoir. The Normans Kill is dammed in Guilderland to form the Watervliet Reservoir, which supplies Watervliet and the town.
Pine Bush. The Albany Pine Bush pine barrens extend into the town of Guilderland.
Glassmaking sand. Guilderland's fine sand supported glassworks, including a glass factory founded in 1795 in what is now the Guilderland hamlet.
Postwar boom. The town's population grew from 7,284 in 1950 to 16,710 in 1960, a 129.4% jump.

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Guilderland Questions

Why does the town care so much about sediment from my lot?

Streams in Guilderland feed the Watervliet Reservoir, a drinking water source. Bare soil washing off a lot adds sediment to that system.

Is silt fence needed for a single house lot?

It depends on the slope and what is downhill. On a lot that drains toward a stream or street, it is cheap insurance until grass is up.

My Westmere yard is basically sand. Will grass hold?

It can, with some organic matter added, a heavier mulch and regular watering in the first month.

Can steep banks near Altamont be hydroseeded?

Yes. Steeper ones get a bonded fiber matrix or a blanket so the seed stays put through heavy rain.

Free Estimates in Guilderland, NY

Free estimates from Westmere to Altamont.

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