Hydroseeding in Troy, NY

Hydroseeding in Troy is often a slope job. The western edge of the city is flat along the Hudson River, and then the land climbs steeply to higher ground in the east. The average elevation is about 50 feet, but the highest parts of the eastern city reach about 500 feet. Plenty of Troy yards pitch hard toward the street or the house below.

Why slopes fail

Seed on a steep yard washes downhill with the first hard rain unless something holds it in place. Hydroseeding helps because the mulch fiber and tackifier glue seed to the soil. Past a certain pitch, we add erosion control blankets or use a bonded fiber matrix, which forms a continuous mat over the soil surface. For very steep banks we may suggest terracing or a retaining wall in addition to grass.

Creeks and waterfalls

Several kills pass through Troy on their way to the Hudson. The Poesten Kill and Wynants Kill are the two largest, with small lakes and waterfalls along their routes inside the city. Yards above those valleys see concentrated runoff, and the ground near the edge can slump. Grass alone is not enough there; we look at where the water is coming from first.

City lots and vacant land

Troy had 24,325 housing units in 2020, about 13.5 percent of them vacant. Downtown blocks razed for urban renewal in the 1970s left vacant areas near Federal Street. Vacant lots, demolition sites and side yards are easy to green up with a hydroseed mix once they are cleared and graded, and the hose can reach places a machine can't.

Hot summers

Troy holds the state's highest recorded temperature, 108 degrees on July 22, 1926. The city gets about 42 inches of precipitation a year, but summer dry spells still stress new grass. Seeding in late summer, rather than June, gives new lawns the best start.

Have a slope that keeps washing out? Get a free estimate or call (518) 690-6268.