Hydroseeding offers many advantages, such as reducing soil erosion and helping the soil to retain moisture. This cost-efficient seeding technique involves spraying a mixture of mulch, seeds, fertilizers, and other additives. But before you can enjoy the benefits, you’ll have to do a few essential preparations.
Clear the Site
You want to make sure that grass and plant roots can easily penetrate the soil without encountering an obstruction. Therefore, the first thing to do is to clear the entire area. Typically, stuff that needs clearing includes any building materials, rocks, stones, buried tree stumps, and any other large debris that’s large enough to get in the way (up to three inches or five centimeters).
By doing this, plants will be able to establish deep roots and maximize their water and nutrient uptake. This works in your favor because you’ll need to water the area fewer times. The plants will also be able to out-compete the weeds because of this advantage.
Grade the Entire Area
If you’re spraying hydroseeding slurry in an area next to the building, according to Hydro Grass Tech, it’s important to first grade the soil to ensure it drops by a minimum of two inches every 100 feet. Rough grading of the entire area will help ensure proper drainage. It will also help with clearing any debris that may not have been uncovered in the first step.
Start by working on areas with pronounced slopes and make sure you fill in areas with severe dips. If you’re working on a larger area, using a box-blade mounted on a truck helps to speed up the process.
Till the Area
Before adding topsoil, you’ll need to till the area to reduce compaction of the soil. This is necessary because plants have difficulty digging their roots deep if the soil is compacted. After tilling, you’ll then have to add the topsoil.
Depending on how much topsoil you add, you may need to roll the area while adding water so that the soil settles firmly. But make sure the soil is not too compact and your finger can penetrate its depth up to your second knuckle without too much difficulty. One last thing, check again if there are any noticeable low spots and fill them out.
By following the steps above your site will be ready for hydroseeding. The tradeoff is well worth it because the soil will now be ready to nurture healthy plants. Be sure to follow a maintenance program to ensure long-term results after hydroseeding.