Hydro-Seeding Self Scoring Guide

ESTABLISHING YOUR LAWN?

HYDRO-SEEDING VERSUS NURSERY SOD

Musquodoboit Valley Quality Sod (MVQS) offers the consumer three options to establish a lawn:

Quality Nursery Sod – why are most lawns sodded?
Hydro-seeding – your alternative to sod. (available at MVQS – min. 4,500 sq ft area required)
Seeding (Seed variety available at MVQS)

Properly established and maintained lawns are a life-time investment -adding to the value of the property, as well as providing safe, clean and enjoyable use as well as benefiting the environment as the tightly inter-woven plants of a mature lawn clean the air by releasing oxygen as it uses carbon dioxide, traps particulate pollution and cleanses runoff water that helps restore our groundwater supplies.

It is important to note that quality nursery sod immediately offers complements to your property, your lifestyle and the environment. Hydro-seeding requires any where between 6 months to one year to establish a usable lawn, and more maintenance. Success ratios of establishing a lawn with natural seeding are often less than hydro-seeding,

Making the wrong decision when your lawn is established will cost you time, energy, money and natural resources.

Making the right decisions when your lawn is established will give you a beautiful, usable and enjoyable investment.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER

Self-Scoring Guide

Listed below are a number of important elements to consider in establishing a lawn, for home, commercial or recreational use. Following each element is a description or particular characteristic for seeded, hydroseeded or sodded lawn establishment. Differences between seeded and hydroseeded areas are noted where appropriate.

To complete the process below, review each element and the descriptions which follow for seed, hydroseed and sod. Based upon the importance you give each element, mark a single box score for one method of lawn establishment.

Total all scores after you have reviewed and marked each question. The highest point total will help indicate the lawn establishment method that may best suit your overall needs.

FACTORS TO CONSIDER	SEED	HYDROSEED	TURFGRASS SOD
Time of year to install	Not recommended for Winter or Summer, possible in Spring, best in early Fall for most areas. 1 / 2 / 3	Not recommended for Winter or Summer, possible in Spring, best in early Fall for most areas. 1 / 2 / 3	Time of year to install sod? From early spring to late fall. Even on frozen ground if sod is available. 1 / 2 / 3
Soil Preperation	Recommend 6 to 8 inches depth Same for all types of lawn installation: Deeply till soil, add necessary amendments and fertilizers, grade and level for smooth surface, remove all debris, lightly pack and moisten. 1 / 2 / 3	Recommend 6 to 8 inches depth Same for all types of lawn installation: Deeply till soil, add necessary amendments and fertilizers, grade and level for smooth surface, remove all debris, lightly pack and moisten. 1 / 2 / 3	Recommend 4 to 6 inches depth Same for all types of lawn installation: Deeply till soil, add necessary amendments and fertilizers, grade and level for smooth surface, remove all debris, lightly pack and moisten. 1 / 2 / 3
Water Requirements	Highest water needs- Bare soil will dry quickly. Water lightly for 3-4 weeks, keeping surface moist, begin to apply 1-inch of water per week after mowing. 1 / 2 / 3	Moderate to high water needs. Mulch will preserve some moisture. 1 / 2 / 3	Lowest water needs- Water at installation to a depth of 6-inches, then light waterings for next 2-3 weeks. Grass will shade soil and prevent drying. 1 / 2 / 3
Seed Quality	Extremely variable because of germination rates, weed and foreign matter content; unknown or unspecified varieties. Generally lower quality seed than used in cultivated sod production. 1 / 2 / 3	Extremely variable because of germination rates, weed and foreign matter content; unknown or unspecified varieties. Generally lower quality seed than used in cultivated sod production. 1 / 2 / 3	Typically highest available sod quality, elite seed is available from local sod producers. Generally, quality mixtures and blends of turf type used to suit area needs. 1 / 2 / 3
Weed Control	Multiple applications of chemicals usually required to combat competitive weed invasions until turf is well established. Mulch layer may reduce some problems. 1 / 2 / 3	Multiple applications of chemicals usually required to combat competitive weed invasions until turf is well established. Mulch layer may reduce some problems. 1 / 2 / 3	Minimal, if any chemical control needed. 1 / 2 / 3
Uniformity of Coverage	Seeding varieties, rates, germination times, wash-outs (erosion), traffic, feeding birds and rodents can create spottiness. Mulch layer may reduce some problems. 1 / 2 / 3	Seeding varieties, rates, germination times, wash-outs (erosion), traffic, feeding birds and rodents can create spottiness. Mulch layer may reduce some problems. 1 / 2 / 3	99 to 100% uniformity with use of mature turfgrass sod. 1 / 2 / 3
Runoff / Erosion	Heavy rains or sloping areas will cause seed, chemicals and silt to wash onto sidewalks and into sewer systems. Little if any protection. Mulch should reduce erosion/runoff for several months. 1 / 2 / 3	Heavy rains or sloping areas will cause seed, chemicals and silt to wash onto sidewalks and into sewer systems. Little if any protection. Mulch should reduce erosion/runoff for several months. 1 / 2 / 3	Capable of handling heavy rains without erosion or damage. 1 / 2 / 3
Visual Impact	Rough texture and open soil. 1 / 2 / 3	Colored mulches act to camouflage soil appearance. 1 / 2 / 3	Immediate beauty of a ‘complete’ and mature landscape. 1 / 2 / 3
Useability	Low traffic use 2 to 4 months after seeding with faster germinating seed. Normal to high use only after first year. 1 / 2 / 3	Low traffic use 2 to 4 months after seeding with faster germinating seed. Normal to high use only after first year. 1 / 2 / 3	Low traffic immediately. Normal, high traffic levels within 2 to 3 weeks. 1 / 2 / 3
Installation	Lowest initial cost.	Low to Mid-level cost.	Highest initial expense.
Costs	Cost will depend on how many seed applications needed to get the lawn established. This process can be more expensive in the long run due to Labour cost and extended watering requirements 1 / 2 / 3	Low to Mid-level cost. Quality Hydomulching with sod quality results will usually be about 50-60% the cost of sod. Cheaper Hydromulching will usually result in less than sod quality results and require more initial care & watering requirements than sod install 1 / 2 / 3	Highest initial expense. You may be paying for a professional to grow, harvest, palletize, transport, deliver and possibly install sod, but sod is a major investment with a much greater success ratio. 1 / 2 / 3
Cost vs. Value	Higher management and maintenance costs, compounded by increased water and chemical applications, as well as delay of use, poor uniformity and visually unappealing are trade-offs for lower installation cost. 1 / 2 / 3	Higher management and maintenance costs, compounded by increased water and chemical applications, as well as delay of use, poor uniformity and visually unappealing are trade-offs for lower installation cost. 1 / 2 / 3	Installation costs offset by added values of timing, use-ability, uniformity and visual appeal. Reduced maintenance, chemical and water costs. 1 / 2 / 3
SCORE TOTALS	Seeding =	Hydroseeding =	Sodding =