Frequently Asked Questions

It is a way of planting grass by spraying a slurry of seed, fiber mulch, fertilizer, tackifier and water over prepared soil. While the seed germinates, the fiber mulch holds it in position and stops it drying out. In good conditions, the first green shows in about a week.

Hydroseeding is cheaper. HomeGuide prices it at about $0.12 to $0.35 per square foot of lawn, against $1 to $4 per square foot for installed sod. Sod looks finished on day one; hydroseed takes about 4 to 6 weeks to reach its first mowing.

Keep watering, but start shifting to longer, less frequent waterings so roots grow deeper. Stay off the lawn as much as you can and do not mow yet. Bare or thin spots that show by then can be touched up before the season ends.

Late summer into early fall gives cool-season grass the most reliable start here. Spring works after the soil warms, but young grass then has to face summer heat. Construction sites are seeded as soon as final grading is done.

Rake out matted grass and debris once the ground firms up, look for bare spots and areas that stayed wet over the winter, and fix low spots before seeding. Spring is a fine time to overseed thin areas, as long as you can keep them watered into summer.

Hold off on foot traffic until the lawn has been mowed once or twice, usually 4 to 6 weeks or more after seeding. Seedlings that look established still have shallow roots that kids and dogs can tear up.

Often, yes. Many Hartford-area lots are sandy outwash or stripped builder grade with little organic soil left. We check depth on the site visit and add topsoil where the root zone is too thin.

Yes, with the right mulch. Moderate slopes take a heavier fiber mulch with tackifier, steeper slopes get bonded fiber matrix, and the steepest faces get a stapled erosion control blanket laid on top of the seeded soil.

National guides disagree a bit: the low end is about $0.07 per square foot and the high end about $0.35, and HomeGuide prices a 5,000-square-foot lawn at roughly $1,000 to $1,750. Grading and topsoil often swing the total more than the seed does. We set your price once we have walked and measured the yard.

Once established, a well-prepared hydroseed lawn can be just as thick, and it roots in place from the start. Sod wins on speed. Hydroseed wins on cost and on slopes and awkward shapes.

For the first few weeks, give the seedbed short, light waterings two to three times daily when it is warm, just enough to keep the surface damp. Once the grass is up and growing, switch to deeper waterings spaced further apart.

Usually after about 4 to 6 weeks, when the grass is around 3 to 4 inches tall. Use a sharp blade and take off no more than a third of the height.

Some weed seed is always in the soil and will sprout alongside the grass. A thick, well-watered lawn crowds most of them out, and fall seeding faces less weed pressure than spring.

Access for the truck, a water source or permission to bring our own, finished grade with topsoil in place, and the seed specification. A site plan with areas marked speeds up pricing.

Seed sown late may not germinate before winter, but hydromulch still protects the surface. Many projects use a temporary cover in late fall and permanent seeding the next growing season.

Our focus is hydroseeding. On large flat fields, we can talk through whether hydroseeding is the right fit or whether another method would serve you better.

It depends on the season and our schedule. Call as soon as you know when grade will be ready, and we will hold a date.

Hydromulch is sprayed fiber that covers the soil and holds moisture; it works on gentler ground. A blanket is a rolled mat pinned to the slope, which holds up better on steep banks and in channels.

No. Straw blankets break down as the grass grows through them. Some use plastic netting that lasts longer, so near wildlife areas we can use blankets with natural fiber netting.

With bonded fiber matrix or blankets we can seed most residential banks. Very steep faces may need terracing, retaining walls or plantings instead, and if yours is one of them, you will hear that from us before anything is quoted.

We regrade it to a stable shape, seed it and line it with a blanket rated for the flow. If water is entering faster than the swale can handle, we look at the source too.

If you are disturbing soil on a slope, near a wetland or brook, or near a storm drain, silt fence is a good idea even when nobody requires it. Your town may require it as a condition of a permit; check your approval or ask us to look at it.

Until the disturbed ground is stabilized, which usually means grass is established. Taking it down too early lets the first big rain wash soil off the site.

A filter or barrier placed at or in a storm drain to catch sediment before it enters the pipe. It has to be cleaned and checked after storms to keep working.

It should not. Silt fence is built for slow, spread-out flow. Channels need check dams or other measures designed for concentrated water.

Several inches of good loam gives roots room to grow. We check what is already there and order only what is needed to reach that depth.

Usually. We regrade so soil falls away from the house and, if needed, trench a drain line or extend downspouts. First we trace the water back to its source.

Fill dirt is subsoil used to build up grade; it has little organic matter. Topsoil is the dark, organic layer that grass grows in, and it goes on top.

We do light excavation and leveling for small projects like patio bases and shed pads. Large foundation digs are a job for an excavation contractor.

When healthy grass still covers half the lawn or more, overseeding usually does the job. When weeds or bare soil make up most of it, a full renovation is the better use of the money.

Late summer to early fall is the most reliable time. Spring overseeding works if you can keep the new grass watered into summer.

Yes. We settle and grade the trench line, add topsoil, and seed with a blend close to your existing lawn.

On compacted lawns, yes. Aeration gives seed better soil contact and helps water reach the roots.