Ah yes! It seems, fellow people of Stouffville, that we are once again in the midst of a beautiful spring. And beautiful it has been indeed – we have been blessed with many, many sunny days, followed by some very cool nights. All one needs to do is look and they will see life everywhere, in the trees, in the grass, in the gardens and especially within their fellow denizens of the great city they call Stouffville.
And why shouldn’t there be life all around? Spring is the time when life is brought back to the ones who managed to get through the winter, so that we can all find enjoyment in the sunshine and the green again. The greens, the colours, all of it can be enjoyed by everyone all around.
Yet, with spring comes a lot of stuff to do. Spring cleanup is something we’ve all experience, wether it be getting rid of all the dust which was accrued throughout the winter in the home, or wether it be picking up all the sticks, leaves, and grime that has accrued over the winter outside, we’ve all had to deal with that chore.
And yes, we all enjoy the green. We love it so much. But we also have to realize that this green has to come from somewhere. Someone’s hard work had to go into making all that life for us to enjoy, and that someone is going to be the average homeowner, gardener or landscaper in the community. In fact, the readers of this article could be the very landscapers, homeowners or gardeners that were previously mentioned.
So, how does one get this green going? Nature does a lot of work, but for the green below our collective feet, it may take some work. Yes, the grass. Many people spend the opening months of spring putting together their lawns, with various means. Some use seed spreaders. Some toss the seeds on the ground willy nilly. Others may use a technique known as “hydroseeding”.
What is this hydroseeding? Well, that’s what we’re going to discuss in this article today – what is hydroseeding, what are it’s benefits, and how can it be implemented into the lawn of the average homeowner, gardener or landscaper.
What is hydroseeding?
It seems like a fairly scientific term, we know. Perhaps it’s something that the average person cannot implement. Perhaps, based on the name, it’s something that cannot be easily slotted into the routine of the average homeowner, gardener or landscaper.
Nothing could be further from the truth. As a matter of fact, hydroseeding is a fairly easy process, and it mostly just involves making a slurry with the grass seeds one already uses to grow their lawn. A slurry that is made out of grass seeds, mulch, water, fertilizer and biostimulants. In fact, the hardest part of this process is finding all the stuff that needs to go into the aforementioned slurry.
What are the benefits of hydroseeding?
There are many benefits of hydroseeding over regular seeding. For starters, if one chooses to use hydroseeding on their lawn they’ll find that they have a better choice of seeding blend, making it so the lawn that they choose will be their own. Gone are the days where someone would have too throw random grass seeds onto their lawn, now they can use hydroseeding and get a much more personal blend.
Secondly, hydroseeding is a lot more effective than traditional seeding. Because of the slurry and because of the way it’s distributed, the grass will grow a lot better when it actually hits the ground. As opposed to traditional seeding, which is seemingly random.
Finally, hydroseeding is going to have a much better look at the end than traditional seeding or even sodding. In fact, many have said that after using hydroseeding, their lawn looks a lot more uniform.
How can hydroseeding be implemented into the lawn of the average homeowner, gardener or landscaper?
The process of hydroseeding can actually be rather simple. All that one needs to do is…
NOTE: Before getting into hydroseeding, one is going to need to buy a hydroseeder. Those can be mostly picked up at hardware stores or online. Or, a landscaping company can be hired and they may have their own hydroseeder.
Step One: Select The Seeds.
As previously stated, one can get pretty creative with the types of seeds they want to choose with the process of hydroseeding. However, before choosing, homeowners, gardeners and landscapers should try to keep in mind where they live, that is to say in which climate do they reside. What kind of grass is going to thrive in the place in which it is being planted?
Step Two: The Soil Test
After the choosing of the seeds comes the soil test. It is important to make sure the ground is not too acidic, or else grass cannot thrive there. The best pH for soil is between 6.5 and 7, that is if one wants their grass to grow in that soil. Most tests can be done at home, but need to be analyzed elsewhere. Keep in mind that a lot of commercial landscaping companies will be happy to do a ground test.
Step Three: Clear The Ground
One needs to hydroseed on bare soil – which means the ground has to be totally bare before the process can begin. Weeds, sticks, even other grass needs to be gone before one can being hydroseeding.
Step Four: Make Sure The Soil Is Graded
This one is simple and is integral to the process of hydroseeding. Just make sure the grade in the backyard is not one that goes towards the home, or else the hydroseeding slurry may slide back towards the home. This may create some water damage, something no homeowner, landscaper or gardener wants.
Step Five: Topsoil and Compost
Next step is to apply topsoil and compost to their lawn.
Step Six: Re-Grade The Soil
Another grade needs to be done once the topsoil and compost are applied, just to make sure that once again the hydroseeding liquid isn’t pouring back into the house.
Step Seven: Prep The Hydroseeder
Add the special slurry to the hydroseeder.
Step Eight: Spray.
This is the part most people who do hydroseeding can all agree is the best part. All that is involved in this portion of the process is spraying the lawn with the hydroseeding blend.
And that is the whole process of hydroseeding. All that is needed now is to make sure that the lawn is moist – keep it fairly wet so that the hydroseeding can take effect. How much watering should be done? Most hydroseeding experts agree that two to three times a day during the first couple of months is the best way to do things.
And so, this article about hydroseeding has come to an end. Today we discussed a lot about the practice, like what it was, what were its benefits and how it can be implemented into the average homeowner, gardener or landcaper’s lawn. All that needs to be done at this point is to use the tips we have taught today in order to use hydroseeding.
