You’ve probably seen those large bricks of sod placed on a yard for the “instant lawn” look, but there is a variety of other options for creating a new lawn. If you’re looking at a bunch of dirt around your house instead of a healthy lawn, here’s what you need to know about traditional seeding, hydroseeding, and regular sod or turf.
What is Hydroseeding?
You’re probably already aware of sod for lawns, and you might be familiar with using a tractor to insert seeds into the ground (with drill seeding), but hydro seeding is a concept that’s only become popular with the mainstream public in the last few decades.
Simply put, hydroseeding is a process that applies all the components of a lawn in one step in a mixture called a slurry. The mixture contains the seeds, mulch, and fertilizer that are all applied to the ground with a hydraulic sprayer. Some mixtures also feature a bonding agent to hold everything together during application.
Is Cost the Only Factor?
You may assume that cost is the most important factor in deciding how to grow a lawn, but it’s important to consider a variety of factors when choosing how to grow a lawn in your front yard or around a commercial building. Although sod seems easy and quick, the higher price of sod doesn’t necessarily mean it’s better because it costs more.
When consulting with the company providing the grass establishment services for your home, it’s helpful to rely on their judgment for advice on whether hydroseeding or sod might be the best option. When you’re looking for a cost-effective option for your commercial property, you might find that drill seeding or hydromulch would offer the same eventual benefit at a much smaller price than sod.
The decision then would be whether hydroseeding or drill seeding might offer the best experience. For a large area, drill seeding is very effective because it allows you to cover a large area with accuracy and an even spread. The seeds are protected by the earth at the time they’re distributed, so they’ll have a strong chance of providing thick and effective groundcover.
Is an Instant Lawn Worth It?
One of the appealing features of sod is the instant lawn that appears in your front yard or around your commercial site. When it’s installed professionally, sod can offer the quickest “instant” lawn, but hydroseeding doesn’t actually take as long as you’d think. In fact, you’ll see growth inside of a week, and you might even need to break out the lawn care tools after a month.
Did You Know? Sod can shrink and cause squares to appear within your lawn.
The bottom line for choosing hydromulch or sod for your property is that all lawns require care to look good. You must pay attention to maintenance and care of your lawn whether you choose an instant lawn with sod or an efficient and cost-effective lawn through a hydromulch service. The same is true for a commercial spread whether you go with a significant amount of sod, or you choose drill seeding for even growth.
On hydroseeding, the experts at “This Old House” share:
“When preparation, cultivation and maintenance are properly performed, you will enjoy a lawn as thick and green as the best farm-grown sod.”
Is Hydroseeding Always the Best Option?
Many grass experts consider hydroseeding to be one of the most effective lawn preparation techniques, but there are reasons why you might want to go with drill seeding. For example, if you’re looking at the need to install erosion control grass along a very large section of land, drill seeding might be the most budget-friendly option.
Alternatively, if you’re concerned about ensuring the area has sufficient water for growth, the hydromulch process might work best because seeds are soaked as they’re applied to the ground. You can also consider temporary irrigation to solve water issues during the initial growing period.