What is HydroSeeding?
What is HydroSeeding?
HydroSeeding is the hydraulic application of a tailored mixture of seed, water, fertiliser, and tracking dye, sprayed onto a substrate’s topsoil.
Designed to provide fast, economical and efficient revegetation, HydroSeeding is performed via a customised HydroRig. Our HydroRigs, specially modified to suit safety requirements on any site, spray the HydroSeeding mixture onto the land via cannons mounted on the top of the rig. The HydroRig mechanisms keep the tailored mixture agitated during the application process, ensuring even and consistent coverage.
The project’s site and requirements will determine which of our HydroRigs we deploy – our fleet of HydroRigs vary in capacity and reach (up to 100m spray distance), our advanced spraying procedure can allow for coverage in the most difficult areas.
If you’re wondering how hydromulching and HydroSeeding differ, the key difference is that HydroSeeding does not use a cellulosic fibre mulch in its tailored mixture. While the two terms are often used interchangeably, HydroSeeding mixtures will often contain crop seeds of a single origin and a fertiliser mix. All HydroSeeding mixtures are specifically tailored from the initial soil test on the site, as well as any site requirements or restrictions.
The benefits of HydroSeeding
When you think of the benefits of HydroSeeding, you probably think of the big three: prevent erosion, eliminate dust pollution, and block the growth of weeds. But there are many more benefits to be considered for HydroSeeding, as you’ll see below.
Water Repellent
Essentially, the binder component of the HydroSeeding mixture acts as a “glue”, holding the seeds into the soil, which allows them to stay in place long enough to germinate without being washed away by any rainfall.
Wind Resistant
HydroSeeding solutions are typically utilised where mulch isn’t necessary. If the soil is healthy and the irrigation for the area is adequate, HydroSeeding will only add binders and tackifiers into the mixture. These substances assist in reducing the erosive forces of wind and rain on the seeds.
Cover Large Areas
HydroSeeding is an effective and strategic option for vegetating vast expanses of land quickly and easily. This can include land areas that are flat, hard to access, or significantly sloped.
Faster Revegetation
HydroSeeding can revegetate an area much quicker than direct seeding methods like broadcast or drill seeding, adhering to any project timeline.
Cost-Effective
HydroSeeding is a far less expensive way to revegetate an area than traditional rolled turf.
Accessibility
HydroSeeding can easily be used to revegetate areas that are difficult or dangerous to access. Effective on flat areas, batters and even slopes, HydroSeeding makes the task of providing erosion control for verges and soil stockpiles that much easier!
Native Vegetation
With the ability to cater for sites that require native vegetation, we can source and provide custom seed/fertiliser blends to produce as little impact on the environment as possible.
Appearance
The tracking dye that we add to the HydroSeeding mix ensures that you achieve full revegetation coverage and give the land a more attractive appearance in the short-term. The resulting application with the tracking dye will look more aesthetic than if the area was covered with straw or sod alone.
Labor Cost Reduction
Other revegetation methods are generally much more expensive due to the additional labour resources required to seed or turf a substantial area.
HydroSeeding vs. Dry Seeding
Dry seeding, or traditional hand seeding, involves a multi-step process, where the seed, mulch and fertiliser are applied one solution at a time, going over the land numerous times to achieve the desired result.
By comparison, with HydroSeeding, all the components are combined into the one mixture and consistently agitated during the application process, allowing it to be applied all at the same time. HydroSeeding is significantly more cost-effective, faster, and more efficient than installing sod.
Soil Analysis for HydroSeeding
Soil analysis is the first step to any successful soil management and HydroSeeding project. Giving critical information about the biochemical composition and physical properties of the land, proper soil testing and analysis can determine the ideal mix of seeds and fertiliser for a particular site and soil. This analysis provides an index of nutrient availability, evaluating the fertility status of the land.
With the results from a detailed soil analysis, a specific HydroSeeding strategy can be outlined, tailored for the soil and its revegetation, as well as the desired goals of the site or client.
Who invented HydroSeeding?
Maurice Mandell discovered HydroSeeding while he was working as a Connecticut highway worker on the steep embankments of the expressway in the 1950s.
By mixing the seed and keeping it suspended in water, it was able to be sprayed directly onto the ground surface from tanks. Charles Finn, having previously designed the first straw mulch blower, took this idea and developed it into what is now known as a ‘Hydroseeder’.
Since the technique of HydroSeeding was first discovered in the 1950s, it has been referred to by many names, including hydroseed, hydroseeding, spray grass, and hydraulic seeding.