What seed should I get?
Seed selection depends on a number of factors. For residential customers the decision often is associated with the lawn that is in your (or your neighbors) yard. The two most common grasses in Eastern North Carolina are Centipede and Common Bermuda. If you have large dogs in your yard, another turf to consider is Bahia. Bahia is an inexpensive and hardy turf that re-seeds frequently and sends runners. Mowers BEWARE, Bahia can frequently be seen on road sides (it's the grass that has stalks that are about 12" tall with a V on top). While almost impossible to kill, it requires frequent mowing and eats up mower blades, but does great in a hostile environment (i.e. Dog's) due to it's self seeding capabilities and runners  More
What is a nurse crop?
A nurse crop is a seed, or mix, that is used to get a root system, and potentially shade, established to anchor soil and enable the target grass to get established. Most Eastern NC grasses will require 20-40 days to germinate, and much longer to get established (up to over 1 season). A nurse crop enables your target grass to get established, while holding the soil and seedlings in place.
When should I cut my new lawn?
Mowing can begin once the new lawn is 3" tall in most areas (for centipede, you can begin at 1.5 inches). Mowing stimulates growth and increases thickness. Set the mower high at first, then gradually lower. Try to cut no more than 1/3 of the grass at a time. It's important to remove grass clippings from newly hydroseeded lawns, bagging is the preferred means. Grass clippings have the potential of smothering young seedlings. A general rule for mowing is that the shorter you want to mow the more often you need to mow to maintain healthy grass.
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How often should I water?
Newly hydroseeded lawns need plenty of water and must remain moist.

Successful seed germination depends on a few days of special care. To assure proper germination water regularly. We suggest 2-3 times a day in warm weather. Keeping the yard moist will maximize seed germination. IF YOUR SEEDLINGS DRY, THEY WILL PROBABLY DIE!

There are additives that we can add during installation to increase water retention beyond the hydroseeded mulch. If you desire this, please highlight it when requesting an estimate. By watering regularly and keeping your new seedlings from drying out you insure the beginnings of a lawn that will make your neighbors green with envy.

Keeping the mulch moist ensures that your seedlings also remain moist. You want to keep the ground 1-2 inches below the soil moist, but not water logged. The largest reason for any grass seed failure is normally associated with inadequate watering.
I've got weeds in my new lawn!
Weeds are the bane of all home owners. If you (or we) have tilled the soil at all, what occurs is that seeds that are dormant below the soil suddenly become active. Even treating your yard with Round Up prior to hydroseeding won't solve this. While we aren't Sod installers or suppliers, sod has a definite advantage in this regard (sod keeps the weed seed below the sod at bay [dormant]).

We do not recommended that you attempt to kill these weeds with chemicals during the initial seeding season. New seedlings (especially Centipede) are very susceptible to chemicals. The product you used to kill your new patch of dandelions may very well kill your grass too.

A good technique to deal with weeds in your 1st season (and beyond actually) is manually pulling weeds. I like to use the "Garden Weasel" that can be purchased online or at Lowes or Home Depot.
UNDER NO circumstances should you use a "pre-emergent" weed killer during the 1st season, or prior to hydroseeding. Many "Weed &Feed"fertilizers contain a pre and post emergent herbicide. If you have recently used this, review the data on the product to determine when to plant. Call us after the date identified; it would be a bad day if we came in and prepared and seeded an area that you put a product down that kept your new lawn from germinating!
What is better, Sod or Hydroseed?
There may be some room for debate, but you won't get it from me. Sod is the Cadillac Solution. If you have it in your budget, it's the best option for residential solution. However, hydroseeding is normally approximately 30-50% of the cost of Sod materials, not including Sod installation AND includes soil amendments to get you ground ready for seeds (not normally associated with Sod).
Hydroseeding can also be installed on terrain that a sod installer cringes at... for commercial and erosion control solutions you'll see hydroseeding on terrain impossible to accomplish with Sod.
Why should I hydroseed?
To get a lawn established faster than with mechanical installation and straw mulch that adds additives to the soil that assists in getting your lawn established.
I see straw all over, what's the difference with hydroseeding?
Straw mulch is commonly specified for NC DoT and USACE contracts for jobs that have a slope that is less than 1:2. These areas (1:2 or less) are typically specified to have straw mulch applied at 1 ton (or so) per acre.
Isn't it ironic that hydroseeding is authorized for steep areas (unarguable the more difficult area to seed) , but restricted from mild slopes?
Straw and hydroseed both minimize erosion from rain fall; however, only hydroseeding improves germination by establishing a nutrient rich environment for seeds. Added to this, the soil amendments and tacktifier (+) no weeds added by the straw make hydroseeding stand out as the better choice.
How fast will I get my dream lawn?
Great question, challenging answer. If you are in Western NC you should have your "Dream" lawn in 60-90 days. However for those of you in Eastern NC the answer is a bit different. Warm season grasses need a frost cycle to truly take off (Bahia may be the exception). Year 1 will leave you with a nice nurse crop and the beginnings of your turf. Year 2 will have you new lawn sending out runners and getting established/thickening to your dream lawn. Bermuda will establish faster than Centipede; Bahia will beat both.
Is there a sprinkler option other than an in ground system?
Absolutely; and for those of you without an in ground system I recommend looking at the Orbit 58872N Complete Yard Watering Kit available online or at Lowes or Home Depot. This provides a sure means to water you new lawn while minimizing cost and home-owner inconvenience.
Can I walk on my new hydroseeded ground?
You may walk on the hydro seeded surface when watering. Try to walk only on areas that are dry, and try to not disturb the mulch mat.
Why are there so many things in my estimate beyond grass seed?
We try to itemize your estimates and invoice and include Seed, Mulch, Tack (glue), lime, and any other soil amendments.
Do you offer a guarantee?
We do not offer a grass growth guarantee on residential or commercial contracts. We can offer an erosion guarantee on commercial contracts, when requested. This guarantee will highlight that we will be responsible for re-hydroroseeding areas that erode. When we offer erosion guarantees, we will use products designed for your job site, and cost will normally be a higher rate than jobs without an erosion guarantee.
What is soil preparation?
Soil preparation is the seed bed preparation. What it involves (when we do it) is bringing in specialty equipment to till the soil flat and get your bed ready for seeds. This is a task that can be accomplished by home-owners using a roto-tiller and rake. The benefit you get with us doing your prep is 1st off... you don't sweat, we do. Secondly, we bring in tillers designed for turf tilling with widths of 3 feet to 6 feet, ensuring a flat surface that will be less prone to lawn-mower "shaving/scalping".
Do you offer straw mulch?
We do offer a hydromulch consisting of straw and cotton remnants. Because of the methods used to create this mixture we can spray this at slopes from flat to a 1:1 slope. A large advantage with hydromulch straw vs blown straw for consumers and workers is safety. Because the straw is suspended in water there is no dust in its application.  More
Can you seed slopes greater than 1:1?
Yes, while a challenge we can use Bonded Fiber Matrix (BFM) or Flexible Growth Medium (FGM) to hydromulch extreme slopes. Hydroseeding was originally designed for areas that couldn't be seeded with conventional straw or blanket seeding installations.
Do you accept NET 15, 30, 60?
Yes, however we must agree to terms and you must be the prime contractor, or a bonded sub-contractor. NET 15, 30, 60 will have higher prices than jobs that are paid on completion.
Why to aerate?
Aeration allows nutrients to get to the root zone rapidly, and also gives roots space to expand. Here in Eastern NC, a common challenge is clay. While you can prepare soil (tilling the soil and clay) to seed, as time goes on the clay will "set" to a concrete hard surface. This hard packed clay, makes it difficult for roots to expand/get established. As lawns mature, another challenge is thatch. Aeration isn't de-thatching but offers another option to allow you grass roots to thrive. If you combine this with de-thatching you'll add a great advantage to your lawns that involves no chemicals!
When to Fertilize?
About one to two months after seeding, fertilize your new lawn using a high nitrogen (the first of the 3 numbers on the bag) fertilizer. We used a high phosphorus or "starter fertilizer" when hydroseeding your lawn, preferring a water soluble fertilizer. The good news is that this is great for new seedlings; however, it isn't as long term as granular fertilizer. The phosphorus will stimulate root growth, and in the early stages it is important to get good root growth before you stimulate a vigorous top growth with nitrogen. Common fertilizers for warm season grasses are 10-10-10 and 10-20-20. For new lawns, the time to begin will probably be when the grass begins to yellow, or turn light green. A target rate will be approximately 200lbs per acre for your first summer season. In the fall, you may want to do another application. For established yards, you may want to have your yard aerated prior to fertilizing to enhance water infiltration and fertilizer access to roots.