Hydroseeding in Schenectady, NY

Hydroseeding in Schenectady often means seeding ground with a long history. The city sits on the south side of the Mohawk River, on what early settlers called a flat, fertile river valley. The Mohawk people had farmed that bottomland for maize for centuries before the Dutch divided it in 1661 into 50-acre strips with their narrow ends facing the river.

Good soil, if it's still there

Original bottomland soil in the Mohawk valley can grow excellent grass. The problem in a city that has been built and rebuilt for more than 350 years is that the yard you have may sit on fill, cinders or construction debris instead. Before we hydroseed a city lot, we dig a few test spots. If what comes up is not soil, we bring in topsoil first.

Redeveloped industrial ground

Early industry left many sites in Schenectady contaminated, and those brownfields need careful handling to redevelop. The former ALCO plant along the waterfront became a 60-acre project with housing, a marina, hotels and the Rivers Casino. On redevelopment sites like that, grass is often the final cap over clean fill, and hydroseeding is a fast way to stabilize large graded areas and slopes before they erode.

Planned neighborhoods and historic districts

The Stockade became New York's first historic district in 1965, and the General Electric Realty Plot next to Union College was one of the first planned residential neighborhoods in the country. Older yards in neighborhoods like these tend to have mature trees and heavy shade, so overseeding with shade-tolerant fescues is common work.

High ground and river ice

Central Park holds the highest point in the city. Low ground near the river is a different story; ice damage to a river bridge in 1928 shows how rough the Mohawk can get in late winter. Riverside lawns and banks need deep-rooted grass and, on steeper faces, erosion control blankets.

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