Hydroseeding is a fast, affordable, and effective way to plant a new lawn at your home or business. While a professional hydroseeding service can set your property up for success, there are a few steps you’ll need to take to ensure your new grass grows strong and healthy.
How to Care for Hydroseeding: Preparation
The best time to hydroseed a lawn is during a period of moderate weather. We recommend late spring or early fall to avoid too much water or heat.
Before hydroseeding your lawn, it’s a good idea to spray for weeds at least a few weeks before the slurry is applied. You may also grade and rake the soil to improve drainage and eliminate rough patches. However, a good hydroseeding service will take care of these steps for you.
If the land isn’t hospitable for new grass, you could till the soil or have new topsoil installed. At Superior Groundcover, we perform free soil examinations to see if the topsoil of your lawn meets the right conditions for hydroseeding to take hold. If the soil conditions aren’t quite right or the slope of the land is particularly steep, we may recommend Terraseeding® as an alternative. This process mixes grass seed with new topsoil that protects it and facilitates its growth.
Hydroseeding Aftercare
How Often to Water Hydroseed?
The most important part of hydroseeding aftercare is making sure that it gets enough water. We recommend keeping a regular hydroseeding watering schedule for about 4–6 weeks after the initial application. Unless it rains, you’ll want to water the lawn up to three times a day for 5–15 minutes. During particularly hot days, especially during a drought, you may want to water your lawn four to five times a day.
However, be careful not to overwater your lawn. If you see standing water on the lawn, it’s probably too wet. You should also avoid hydroseeding your lawn late in the evening since the grass won’t absorb the water at night. Too much standing water can choke the grass and increase the likelihood of attracting pests and diseases. For the best hydroseeding aftercare, water your hydroseed in the early morning, late morning, and afternoon.
After the 4–6-week period has passed, you can cut back on your hydroseeding watering schedule. But you can still water your lawn regularly to encourage healthy growth.
How Long Can Hydroseed Go Without Water?
A hydroseeded lawn should never go more than a day without watering. If the hydroseeding dries out, it will start to die and need another application. If you plan on being gone for a day or more, you should set up a timed sprinkler system or ask a friend or neighbor to water the lawn for you.
When to Fertilize Hydroseed?
After the initial application of hydroseed, we recommend you apply starter fertilizer about every three weeks for the first two to three months. The type of fertilizer you use should match the type of hydroseeding that has been placed. Talk with your material placement provider for the best recommendation for your lawn.
How Long for Hydroseeding to Grow?
You should see hydroseeding start to grow after 5–7 days after the dye has faded away. However, the exact timeframe for hydroseeding to grow will depend on the climate, seed mixture, and watering schedule.
How Long After Hydroseeding Can You Walk on It?
You shouldn’t walk on your lawn for at least a month after it has been hydroseeded. At that time, if the grass looks strong, thick, and healthy, it is safe to walk on. If it looks like it is still trying to develop in some places, you may want to wait another week or two.
When Can I Mow Hydroseed?
You should be able to mow your grass soon after it is safe to walk on, which is about 4–6 weeks after the application. Your grass should be around two or three inches tall the first time you mow it. You don’t want to let the grass get too tall before mowing, since that can damage it as well.
How to Choose a Hydroseeding Service
If you want a healthy, great-looking lawn, you’ll need to choose a good hydroseeding service. The team at Superior Groundcover has decades of experience applying hydroseed with the latest technology and equipment.
Before applying the hydroseed slurry, we’ll grade the lawn to enable even, full coverage of seed that will penetrate the lawn. We also use a long hose that allows us to apply the hydroseed exactly where it needs to go without driving onto fragile areas of your lawn.
We tailor our seed for each project site, whether it’s an athletic field, roadside right-of-way, or residential lawn. Our team will apply fertilizers and tackifiers to promote healthy growth, and we’ll take care of the cleanup. Once the job is done, we’ll give you our in-depth recommendations for how to care for the hydroseed on your lawn.
Get a Free Quote on Hydroseeding
Interested in getting your property hydroseeded? Reach out to the team at Superior Groundcover for a free quote.
