There are two well known options for homeowners to grow a lawn, Sod and growing from the grass seed itself. While sod is expensive, it requires less care, and you don’t have to wait as long starting from seed on bare soil. With seed, you’ll need to prepare the soil, broadcast or drill seed and then cover with some hay to keep it protected from water evaporation and wildlife. Starting from seed is much, much cheaper than sod and it tends to grow up healthier and is less disease prone due to it never having to be transplanted.
But there is another option that many aren’t aware of outside of the professional and civil engineering circles. That other option is hydromulching and it may be just what you need. It grows faster than traditional seeding and is cheaper and healthier than sod. But, we’ll get to that after we talk about the more traditional methods.
What is Sod?
Of all lawn grass growing techniques, it is the fastest. It’s also the only way you can get a lawn comprised of St. Augustine. It involves laying sections of pre-grown grass on your bare lawn. Remove any growth on the ground, the same for seeding, before you begin. Though it is an instant lawn, you cannot step on it for about ten to fourteen days.
Other than the fact you can only get St. Augustin in its sod form, there are few options for grass varieties. This is mostly because sod providers only grow a few varieties. If you are looking for something custom or unique, you may be out of luck finding it in sod form.
Sod is quite pricey too, so you will pay for the quicker gratification. A lot more. Sod can cost two to three times what a high quality hydromulch will cost all other things being equal.
What About Traditional Seeding?
OK, so maybe Sod is too expensive, and you are the patient type. Get your Scott’s brand seeder out and order a dozen or so bales of hay. Do some research and figure out what type of grass you want that grows well in you environment. Now, let’s clean up your future lawn area and get rid of all the weeds. You might want to rent a tiller and get your soil tested. Pick up your fertilizer (don’t burn up your soil.) The point being this can be complicated and a lot of work but it’s cheaper than sod.
So, it’s cheaper… How long is it going to take? Grass seeds germinate at varying rates depending on many factors such as the species, time of year, weather, and soil moisture. The standard germination period is between five to 15 days and, once germinated, grow at the rate of approximately ¾ in. per week.
Now over the course of the next few weeks, keep everything watered and look for patches that aren’t coming in and correct those as you go. There’s a lot that goes into that, but you will be pretty proud of what you were able to as long as everything went right. You’ve probably saved a bit of money in the process but there was also a lot of sweat equity spent!
There are some things you can do to save some time when doing traditional seeding. So, let’s talk a little about seed types. Grass seeds come either hulled or un-hulled. Let’s look at the difference!
What Is the Difference Between Un-hulled and Hulled Grass Seeds?
Hulled grass seeds are processed, and the outer seed coat is peeled off by mechanical means. The procedure is essential for the seed to germinate faster because water can quickly enter the seed, resulting in a faster establishment. Therefore, most gardeners looking for a seed that can grow fast would go for hulled seeds. But there is a catch.
Un-hulled seeds still have their outer coats, which is essential in germination in unprotected environments. The seed coat acts as protection against harsh conditions during germination. Most seeds take a long time to germinate as a survival tactic and nature’s way to improve the growth of the seeds by keeping it protected until conditions are just right.
Hulled grass seed will grow effectively on soils controlled and suitable for fast germination. It must be nothing less than perfect with the correct moisture levels and soil pH level. Un-hulled seeds gradually germinate as nature intended and can grow in more harsh conditions.
Hydromulch as an Alternative
Have you ever found it so hard to get your lawn to grow despite conducting different land preparation techniques? Maybe you have some steep slopes to contend with? Hydromulching involves the hydraulic application of water, seed, fiber mulch, fertilizers, tackifiers, and tracking dye onto depleted soil.
Unlike traditional turf building solutions, hydro-mulching offers soil stabilization, erosion control, and seed protection, preventing loss due to rain or wind. In addition, this type of process comprises interlocking organic fiber, ensuring maximum infiltration of air and water.
“That sounds expensive” you might have said. We’ll, it’s not. It’s usually half the cost of sod. It’s probably the same or better price as seeding unless you already had all the equipment mentioned above when we were talking about seeding and got your soil chemistry down pat.
Unknown to most people, you can achieve a lawn superfast and very cost-effectively using this method. It involves pressure spraying a mixture known as slurry onto the bare ground with a hose. The slurry contains a combination of seeds, mulch, fertilizer, tackifier and water. The seeds take one to three weeks before they fully germinate, faster than traditional seed planting but not as fast as sod.
Hydromulch vs. Sod
Hydromulching and sodding are technologies employed to help you achieve a thick and beautiful lawn quickly. If you cannot decide which is best for your property, like most people, we are here to help you understand the difference. Below are some of the reasons why hydromulching is better than sod for your property.
Cost
Hydromulching is at least two times cheaper compared to sod. But even so, traditional seed planting is more affordable. Also, sod is more labor-intensive than hydromulching.
Quality of completed lawn
Hydromulching results in healthier, greener, and long-lasting lawns. The main reason is that the root system developed under hydromulching is deeper. It also avoids the shock of transplanting.
Hydromulching vs. Seeding
If you leave your lawn or compound bare and unattended, you risk environmental damage that results from elements like wind and rain. Prolonged effects usually result in erosion which increases the damage, making soil unable to support vegetation growth. For these reasons, it is very important to pay very close attention to a lawn that was just seeded. Correcting issues is generally a matter of weeks and can lead to worsening of a problem to the point it gets out of control before you can recognize it, much less resolve it.
Cost
If you are seeding and get lucky, you may come out cheaper this way. But if you run in to bad outcomes caused by erosion, drought or wildlife feasting on your seed, then its going to be much more costly and you’re going to have a bad time.
Hydro-mulching is the first and most effective step to mitigating this problem since it provides needed protection for the lawn to grow. Hydromulch provides long-lasting results.
Time
Traditional seeding solutions slow germination and growth due to low water retention and prevalence of unhulled seeds. Our technique has enhanced hygroscopic properties, which boosts growth and germination.
Soil Erosion Control
When the slurry binds with the surface soil, it provides an adequate cover preventing soil erosion and moisture loss. The resultant grass evenly covers the ground, further protecting the seed. Due to such reasons, hydromulching is effective with un-hulled seeds due to the protective coating that keeps the seed safe throughout the germination period. It also enables the nutrients and water from the hydromulch to be used effectively and grow the grass quickly.
Environmental Protection
Our expert team uses the appropriate technology that guarantees excellent results by eradicating weeds and pathogens that usually deteriorate the stature of your lawn. In addition, since the organic mulch fiber is non-toxic, it degrades over time, nourishing the soil and paving the way for vegetation growth.
Which one of these is right for you?
We can’t answer that, we just hope to have given you enough information to help you along the path of making that decision. We’ve got experience with all three of these techniques and many more not discussed here. After all, we were responsible for making over 10 million square feet of Texas ground green last year. If you want to reach out to us, we’d like to make your little stretch of the planet green too!