Soil Stabilization - The Rising Popularity of Hydromulch Seeding

By Max Baxter

If you have a garden in your property, and are passionate about maintaining it properly, you must have heard of hydromulch seeding. When it comes to growing grass in an effective and timely manner, there aren't a lot of methods which are effective as hydromulching. It is not a complicated process and involves spraying a combination tackifiers and organic matter onto an area to facilitate re-vegetation.

Unlike traditional methods such as sowing seeds and planting sods, hydromulch seeding is not too labor intensive and you will be able to cover a large area in a lower amount of time. Moreover, it suppresses dust in the area and reduces the negative effects of strong winds. Due to its numerous benefits, it is no surprise that hydromulching has become so popular.

Hydromulch seeding helps in soil stabilization. If the soil is too acidic or too basic, plants growing on it could be negatively affected. By introducing inorganic and organic components, it helps considerably improve the fertility of the soil, while maintaining its pH balance. Organic components usually involve shredded plant parts such as leaves. These organic constituents are converted into compost by bacteria present in the soil, and are absorbed by plants. Inorganic additives such as magnesium, calcium, potassium and zinc also help in making the soil more stable and productive.

The mixture used for hydromulching contains fibrous materials which help bind soil particles together, making it more stable. Not only do these fibrous materials make it easier to plant seeds, they also serve as a net and helps fight soil erosion. By preserving the moisture content of the soil and adding nutrients, the health of the topsoil is maintained. This helps prevent soil collapse and allows you to grow vegetation on sloping or uneven surfaces. As plants grow, and the roots begin to burrow deep underground, the soil will become even more stabilized.

A great benefit of hydromulch seeding is the ease with which it can be applied. It is an effective way of planting lawn or turf grass, and you need not have high levels of skill to do it. It is done using an adjustable nozzle and a powerful pump, and the process is almost as easy as watering plants. The major difference is that slurry of mulch and seed is sprayed, instead of water. The sprayer makes it easy to cover a large area, while making sure that all nooks and crannies are reached. It also makes it easy to patch any damaged areas.

Because the size of the spraying nozzle can be adjusted, you will be able to easily make sure that seed density is maintained in an area. The slurry can be made homogenous by making sure that the amount of fertilizer, seeds, mulch and water are perfectly maintained.

As you can see, hydromulch seeding is an effective way of improving soil stability and re-vegetating damaged areas. Even in its current form, the process has proven to be extremely effective, and is set to improve as more research is done into it.