Category Archives: Why Choose Rapid Lawn?

Answer: Well, “it depends” on the desired results.

Better quality results require higher mulch application rates with specific types of mulch products. Standard application rate is approx 2000 lbs/ac, but a good hydroseeding contractor will adjust rates to meet the requirement of the job site. Slopes and other factors can require rates as high as 4500lbs/acre. As quality and application rates increase, so does the material and labour costs required to make the application. Also, the type or mulch can greater affect the success (or failure) of the job site. Paper mulches sprayed on by jet-agitation machines are “cheap”, but are highly ineffective during any kind of erosion events such as a heavy rainfall. Wood/Cotton/Straw mulches with tackifier are the best products available and can only be mixed and sprayed by heavy grade, mechanical agitation machines such as Finn.

Another consideration is the cost of seed and other soil amendments. Seed costs can vary greatly depending on factors such as sun vs shade, soil type and texture, varieties of grass seed blends, cultivars of each type of seed etc. We use specialized grass seed blends for each specific job site, depending on the desired outcome and visual appeal desired by our customers.

Home lawn projects with “Perfect Lawn” results may be priced from 15¢ per square foot and up. For commercial job sites where erosion control blankets are being replaced with Flexterra® or other high quality Bonded Fiber Matrix (BFM) products, expect a multi-acre project to be priced at a minimum $5,000 -$7,000 per acre. It is not uncommon to see these jobs priced up to $10,000 per acre. These jobs are highly specialized and require better machinery and more skilled personnel.

As you can see, there are many options and each job is priced based on the budget and desired results. Typically, “you get what you pay for”. Some key questions when getting a quote from a hydroseeding company are as follows:

When choosing which hydroseeding company to go with, be sure to complete extensive due diligence and ask the tough questions. You are investing in the long term value of your home and you owe it to yourself to ensure the job is done correctly with the appropriate products for your specific situation.

Here are some questions to ask any hydroseeding company (including us):

  • What kind of grass seed, fertilizer and mulch products do you use and why?
  • What are your application rates for each of these products (per 1,000 sq ft and per acre)?
  • What is your background and experience?
  • Do you have any jobs that I could take a look at?
  • Do you guarantee you work?
  • What kind of equipment do you use and why?
  • Is the applicator trained and experienced?
  • Why would I hydroseed vs sod or planting grass?
  • Are you fully licensed and insured?
  • How should I prepare the soil?
  • How long will it take for my grass to grow?
  • etc…

At Rapid Lawn Hydroseeding and Erosion Control, we only used the highest quality products to ensure a successful outcome, the first time. Please feel free to contact us today for a FREE consultation and quote on your next project.

Cost Effective

Hydroseeding is definitely the most economical choice for establishing the growing results desired without the expense, time consumption, material costs or installation demands of sodding or traditional hand seeding methods. A great looking lawn can also significantly increase the value of your home.

Hydroseeding typically costs 50-80% less than the price of sod, and coupled with labour charges, the overall expenses associated with sodding can be astronomical. With the savings in material costs and installation expenses, a lawn could be fully established for half the price of sod or less.

Hydroseeding is also the cost effective solution over hand seeding as well. While the average hand-sewn lawn takes about half the day, the same area can be hydroseeded to completion in about an hour to an hour and a half. While maintaining even more beautiful results, a healthier lawn, costs savings and faster germination, hydroseeding is truly the cost effective choice and wave of the future.

Quality

The lawn quality that hydroseeding affords is much healthier, greener and longer lasting than sodding or hand seeding applications. The root establishment is grown deeper into the soil and avoids the shock of being transplanted into foreign soils, which is what occurs with sod methods.

Hydroseeding typically yields superior results the first time it is installed and the seeds are more resistant to external problems because it has been adjusted to its present soil conditions. Hydroseeded soils hold moisture better than sod or hand seeded types, therefore the seeds can germinate quicker.

Additionally, hydroseeding includes fewer weed seeds, no layering of soils, and incorporates a tackifier coagulant that will not experience wash out. Consequently, it is fairly common for a peat moss covered seed to wash out in the event of moderate inclement weather.

With hydroseeding, it is possible to customize the application of different grass seed preferences to meet the quality expectations of the client’s aesthetic appeal, traffic needs and surrounding environments.

Coverage

Hydroseeding provides a thicker, more uniform lawn that essentially consists of a mat of interlocking fibers creating the ideal growing environment that doesn’t have the threat of seams showing as with sod or sparse, patchy areas with hand seeding. Hydroseeding creates an evenly covered area that forms a barrier to keep seed stabilized and retain moisture, fertilizer and other healthy growth-enhancing nutrients, while ultimately resulting in a full, lush lawn.

Other beneficial coverage advantages of hydroseeding are its ability to cover large, difficult and inaccessible areas, such as slopes, that are too steep for sod, hard seeding or mat applications. Coupled with increased plant survival and faster germination, hydroseeding is ideal for covering projects ranging from golf courses to roadside erosion control.

Erosion Control

Erosion control is the most prevalent reason for using hydroseeding in an effort to hold moisture and protect against erosion from wind, rain, sun and pests through the binding of seed, mulch, tackifiers and other soil conditioners that encompass the hydroseeding slurry to bind with the ground surface soil.

Versatility & Use

Hydroseeding has become increasing popular, overshadowing both hand seeding and sod, for a wide array of job sites and applications. Some of these uses include residential lawns, erosion control, hillside stabilization, vegetation restoration, wildfire repair, roadsides, national parks, soil renovation, landfills, city parks, airport dust control, and many other versatile uses.

Hydroseeding is used primarily to establish permanent lawns or landscaping, however it is also known for serving as temporary cover for dirt that will eventually be moved. One of the benefits of hydroseeding is that the seed varieties that are added to hydroseeding slurry mix are as unique and varied as the job sites themselves. It is accommodating to be able to mix and match different seed blends to satisfy the needs of the clients and job. One of the main separations between hydroseeding and other methods of seeding is its ability to economically seed large, hard-to-reach areas where alternative seeding methods may not be easily accomplished.

Health

Hydroseeding creates the ideal microenvironment for germinating seed because the slurry materials enhance the seeds germination process and stimulates the seeds to grow a healthy, deep-rooted system in the ground where moisture is at its greatest.

In comparison to sod, hydroseeding is grown right at ones home, rather than some distant sod farm, so the threat of transplant shock or soil adaptation problems are not an issue. A hydroseeded yard maintains full growth and resists disease and weeds.

Because the hydroseeding slurry is a combination of different elements to help maximize seed growth, each of those individual elements adds various benefits to the hydroseeding process. Mulch fiber helps prevent wind and water erosion, while simultaneously protecting the surface from sun damage and soil temperature fluctuation. Ultimately the mulch fiber decomposes and adds nourishment to the soil to enhance the germination process. Working together with the mulch, fertilizers have high phosphorus content to enhance the root growth and soil amendments improve the pH levels of the soil.

Traditional hand seeding methods will have considerably less grass growth than a hydroseeded yard because hydroseeding provides a moisture retaining mulch that allows the undisturbed seed to germinate and root faster.

Speed

Although hydroseeding doesn’t afford the “instant lawn” gratification, such as sod, the combination of cost, quality, coverage, erosion control and health definitely tip the scales in favour of the plentiful benefits of hydroseeding.

Hydroseeding is faster and easier to install than sod, and this rapid application is managed without the downfall of outstanding labour expenditures. A properly hydroseeded and watered lawn will start to grow in about 7 days, and under normal conditions, will be fully established and ready to mow in 3-4 weeks. In comparison to other methods of seeding, seed applied in a hydroseeding mix will generally show growth and develop turf faster than if it was applied in a broadcast fashion.

Safety

Hydroseeding is a completely safe and non-toxic method of growing grass that is harmless to kids, pets, wildlife and the environment.

Labour

One of the major advantages of hydroseeding hydroseeding is simply manpower. In a typical hydroseeding application, one can fully depend on less than 3 men to accomplish what is would take 6 workers to fulfill given the same amount of work time using erosion blankets or sod. Not only is hydroseeding the ideal seeding application to attain a beautiful lawn at a fraction of the material cost and labour expenses as sod, but ultimately it requires very little intense labour to install.

In addition to sod, hand seeding can be even more labour intensive and physically demanding, and usually results in lumpy, inconsistent results that don’t warrant the challenge of the installation.

Water Retention

With hydroseeding’s ability to retain up to 10 times its weight in water, it’s definitely proved to be the best method for fast, healthy germination, high plant survival and protection of seeds with a moisture sealant. No other method of growing grass, whether sod or hand seeding, has the advantages of hydroseeding when it comes to water retention. In the hydroseeding mix, fiber mulch and tackifiers are used to anchor the mixture to slopes and help seal in moisture. The water is then slowly released, along with nutrients, to the root system to constantly replenish itself until the next rainfall. A hydroseeded ground starts growing grass from the root first, allowing the root system to go deep into the ground where moisture is at its greatest, making a very drought-tolerant lawn. On the contrary, when using sod, the ground has a difficult time establishing a root system making it weak in drought type conditions, and with hand seeding, the watering demands are twice as much as a hydroseeded lawn.

Some soils are prone to erosion because it lacks vegetation to resist rainfall and water runoff. Plants and grass roots hold soil together and contain water, preventing the soil from breaking apart and running off with the stream. Erosion happens when the soil is weak to stand gravity, running water or even strong wind. So it’s obvious that to keep the soil solid and strong, maintaining vegetation is important.

However, it is not as simple and easy as it appears. Some areas cannot obtain vegetation because it contains poor soils that simply cannot support plant growth. Soils that have been dried out of nutrients for industrial use or soils that are naturally not suitable for planting, for example, cannot achieve organic development without human and chemical intervention. Left on their own, it will take hundreds of years for these types to develop topsoil. And, layering them with at least inches-thick of good soil would not be economically viable for landowners.

The most cost-effective solution for extremely difficult soil is Verdyol’s Biotic Earth Black. It is a mulch and growth medium that contains specially processed straw, flexible flax fibers with Canadian Sphagnum peat moss. It features the most effective ingredients for strong soil building, which includes Triacontonal growth stimulant, mycorrhizae, micronutrients and soil conditioners. When applied with Biotic Earth Black, dry and unhealthy soil can absorb water and retain moist better. The product enhances soil structure and promotes plant growth even in the most intricate types of soil.

Biotic Earth Black is most effective in controlling the wearing of soil when it is applied with other erosion control product. In a highly successful vegetation project in Milner Ridge, single and double sided blankets were used to prevent erosion in a slope. The blankets helped held together the soil up to one year for the vegetation to fully mature. The result was absolute success. Over 90% of the large area obtained vegetation with only two instances of minor erosions during the whole project. The company also saved money in terms of cost by utilizing Biotic Earth Black rather than filling the area with topsoil.