Always Green Hydroseeding Blog

Last Call for HydroSeeding

Always Green, Inc. — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:02:23 +0000

We will be closing for the season on Wednesday November 2nd. We still have availability for Monday and Tuesday. Any seeding done from this point forward will most likely be a dormant seeding which means whatever seed does not germinate this year will probably not pop until Spring.

Do I still have time to seed?

Always Green, Inc. — Sun, 09 Oct 2011 20:25:44 +0000

YES, but only for about another week. We will guarantee a uniform stand of turf going into the winter if Hydroseeded by October 15th. We will continue to seed until the end of October with good results but there is no guarantee on a full lawn this year.

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Always Green, Inc. — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 15:20:18 +0000

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Want More Seed?

Always Green, Inc. — Thu, 08 Sep 2011 01:29:14 +0000

I can assure you that when we seed your lawn we use enough seed to give you a thick green carpet. We actually use more than the recommended rate so we are sure you will be satisfied. That’s what sets us apart from other contractors, we do not compromise quality or skimp on materials.

But often we have customers request to buy some grass seed to keep on hand. This is a good idea especially if you want an exact match if you ever have to do any re-seeding. So why might you have to re-seed if we used enough seed when we planted your lawn? Here are a few examples: After a new lawn was hydroseeded a new fence was installed and there were areas along the new fence that needed repairing. During the germination period of a newly planted lawn a downspout was not diverted and there was a washout. A snow plow scalped a section of lawn down to the bare soil. A tree did not let enough light through and the grass thinned out over time….In this case over-seeding is recommended. A small section was salt damaged from the winter.

Always Green is now offering grass seed to our customers at our discounted price. We will sell it upon request by the pound. See the left pane in the pricing section on our website.

Protect your investment.

Always Green, Inc. — Wed, 24 Aug 2011 03:33:07 +0000

As another season comes to an end and a new one soon beginning (fall), I can’t help not to look back on Spring and Summer. Every year I try to educate my customers with as much information as possible so they will get the best results possible during the period of germination. As I have stated in other posts I supply enough information on paper to my customers on how to care for their new lawn for the first 30 days. After that it is important to educate yourself on what your lawn will need for the establishment period and beyond. I would consider our lawns here in the northeast to be fully established within 18 months. This is when the roots and turf will be at full density. A new lawn planted before August 15th is more susceptible to drought stress, diseases and weeds. It is very important for our customers to understand what products their lawn will need and when to apply them. It is also important to recognize any potential problems with the turf and treat it as soon as possible.

So here is my best advise on how to protect your investment and try to have the best lawn possible. If you are not 100% sure you know exactly how to identify and remedy problems with your lawn I advise you to hire a Licensed Lawn Care Company. Even if you hire them for 1 year it will be worth it. They will be responsible to give your lawn the proper care it needs. If you see something that does not look right between their scheduled visits most will come out at no additional charge and diagnose the problem. Most company’s offer over-seeding as well if it is necessary. You will be hiring someone else to take responsibility of the health of your lawn. You will still have the responsibility of watering properly and mowing regularly and following any special instructions your lawn care provider leaves with you. I feel if you are going to invest money into a new lawn it is most important that it gets the proper care during the establishment period.

Perfect Time to Hydroseed

Always Green, Inc. — Sun, 07 Aug 2011 02:09:32 +0000

Don’t miss out on the best time to seed your lawn! August 15th – October 15th in my opinion is the absolute best time to Hydroseed/Seed your lawn in Rhode Island. Less weed competition little to no diseases to worry about. Warm moist soil conditions with the morning dew make it the most favorable time to establish a new lawn. You will see out standing results in just a couple of weeks. Don’t miss out call Always Green today to schedule.

Spring vs Fall Hydro Seeding

Always Green, Inc. — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 03:36:05 +0000

So when is a good time to Hydro Seed? Late Summer and Fall is when we like to Hydro Seed. This is because the soil is very warm for optimal germination. Morning dew helps keep your seed moist. Weed pressure is lower so there will be less weed competition with your new grass. Less chance of a disease due to lower heat and humidity. We usually don’t have to worry about any of our Hydro Seeding jobs between August 15th – October 1st. The lawn will have plenty of time to establish before winter and by Spring it will be ready for regular maintenance.

As for Spring Seeding we are now dealing with a different animal. Seeding too early will make you disappointed. In Early Spring the soil temperature is still in the 30′s and 40′s. Soil temperature needs to be between 55-60 degrees for grass seed to germinate. We do not typically see these temps until late April – early May, so you will need to be patient. Now the next challenge is weeds! Weed seed is not in your seed mix, it is in your soil. There are millions and millions of weed seeds. When you feed and water your lawn the weeds are going to take advantage of this and may take over. We always tell our customers not to roto-till or disturb the soil too much in the Spring. Tilling will bring seed up to the surface and expose it to the warm temperatures and moisture, it’s like opening a can of worms. We use a product in our Hydro Seed mix called Tupersan or Siduron. This is the only herbicide that will prevent crabgrass from germinating without harming the grass seed. A re-application of this product will be necessary every 30 days. Picture above illustrates a missed application of Siduron. Crabgrass will be the biggest threat to your new lawn due to it’s aggressiveness. Broad leaf weeds can be ugly but not as much of a threat as crabgrass. Once the lawn has been mowed 4 times it will then be safe to treat any threatening weeds. Make sure you always read the label to any chemicals you apply to your lawn. Mowing will also stunt the growth of broad leaf weeds. Always mow high and mow at least once a week during the growing season. Another factor to keep in mind with a Spring seeding is the anticipated temperatures. Seeding too late in Spring is a roll of the dice. Within a week the temperatures may be in the 90′s and this will be very stressful for a new lawn. Keeping your new lawn moist in hot and humid temperatures often lead to a disease known as Pythium Blight.

The bottom line is you can seed in the Spring and problems that arise can be treated for an additional cost. We prefer a Fall seeding because there is less stress on the lawn and a greater success rate without spending extra money for weed and disease treatments or possibly having to re-seed areas of your lawn.

New Lawn Stress

Always Green, Inc. — Mon, 21 Jun 2010 03:27:23 +0000

It’s that time of year again, this is the time of year that makes me cringe. I am in the seeding business and as unusual as it sounds I try talking people out of hydroseeding their lawn this time of year. There is a good reason for this, we live in the east coast where we use cool season grasses for our lawns. As you go down South and out West you will find your warm season grasses. Cool season grasses do not like when temperatures go much higher than 70 degrees and especially do not do well in high humidity. Where as warm season grasses would look their best under these conditions. Trying to establish a lawn this time of year in New England can be a challenge. A new lawn is especially susceptible for failure under the stress of summer. Year after year we see newly hydroseeded lawns failing due to a disease called Pythium Blight or Damping off of seed. This occurs when you are trying to keep your newly seeded lawn moist as advised when we have high heat and humidity. It is extremely important not to over water and only water when there is sunlight to dry the grass blades and seedbed. This means light waterings between 8AM and 3PM. Do not let water pool or run. If you have to seed this time of year we strongly advise a special additive to prevent fungus in your hydroseed application. Unfortunately you will need a follow up treatment every 14-21 days as long as the conditions are favorable for disease. This can get costly so that’s why we advise to wait it out if at all possible. Usually the 3rd week in August right through October is the most ideal time to seed. Weeds are slowing down in growth, low humidity, moderate dew on lawns to help keep seed moist and very warm soil temperatures. We understand you may have no choice but to seed now and we will do everything we can to try and make it successful.

Tips on Watering a Hydroseeded Lawn

Always Green, Inc. — Tue, 04 May 2010 00:22:05 +0000

As you may know by now the most important responsibility for our customers is watering their newly hydroseeded lawn. We have a few tips that will speed up germination. When we complete a job we leave our customers with a detailed watering guide. There is no wrong time to water your new seeds until they germinate. In the spring with temps not exceeding 70 degrees we advise to water at least 2 times a day minimum. When the temps are above 70 degrees we advise to water 3 times a day minimum. If you have an irrigation system we advise to set it to as many cycles as possible ( say 4-6 times a day) until germination. Start at 9am for 8 minutes start again at 11am for 8 minutes, again at 1pm, 3pm & 5pm. In this case we have watered 5 times in this day for 8 minutes each time. We assumed 8 minutes was enough time to thoroughly moisten the seed bed. This time may vary based on your water pressure and volume. You do not want puddling and runoff but enough to moisten the seeds. As I stated our guide says 2 or 3 times a day minimum. I can guarantee you the 5 times of watering a day will give you a lawn much quicker than watering 2 or 3 times a day. The key is to keep the seedbed moist. If you only water 2 or 3 times a day you will get a nice full lawn eventually but definitely not as quickly as the person that keeps the hydroseed moist all day.

Here is a TIP. If you only water 2 times a day we would like to see you water at 11am and 3pm. You will have a lawn quicker than the person who waters at 7 am before work and then again at 5pm when they return home from work. The reason for this is if you water at 7 am the seeds will probably be completely dry by 11 am. So this means the seed will not get water again until evening. That is 6 hours in the sun with no water! The weeds will like it but your hydroseed won’t. If some portions of your lawn become fuller than others take a hose and water the thinner areas more often, eventually the whole lawn will become uniform.

Once your seeds germinate then we advise to water for longer periods of time less often. This will train the roots to “chase” water by growing deeper making for a healthier lawn. Lets say you water for 35 minutes once your lawn has germinated. The water should seep down to almost a 1/2 inch. Now you don’t water again untill 2 days later. The next day the roots will be looking for water so they will grow deeper to find it. If you water every day the roots will not have to grow deep to find the water. So this means the roots won’t be trained to survive drought making for a weak lawn.

After your lawn is mature you want to water deeply and infrequently to achieve at least 1″ of water a week. We feel the best time to water is starting at sunrise and be finished by mid to late morning. This is important especially during hot humid weather. Fungus thrives in moist dark environments, if you water late at night your lawn will be wet for a longer period of time. Watering early in the morning will let the water seep into the root zone and the blades of grass will dry quickly in the sunlight. Of course you have no control over the rain so enjoy it while it lasts.

A better understanding of our Guarantee

Always Green, Inc. — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 03:07:01 +0000

In the Hydroseeding business it is almost impossible for any contractor to provide a guarantee. This is because there are so many variables with the outcome of the job. We have drafted a guarantee that we believe is fair for the contractor (Always Green) and the consumer. As stated in our guarantee we use the highest quality materials available and the appropriate amounts. In most cases we exceed the recommended amount of materials so we can be sure you will get 100% germination. Our goal is no call backs! When we complete the job we make sure you have a total understanding of your responsibilities to ensure total success. In most cases you should see a uniform stand of grass within 30 days of the application. Weather can have an effect on this timing, if the soil temperature does not maintain between 55-60 degrees during the germination period this will significantly increase the time of grass development. This is more common in early spring. More importantly if it does not stay moist you will also see a longer germination period and possibly even seed death. Remember we have used the highest quality materials available and applied them uniformly with the best equipment available. After we leave the success of a new lawn is now in your hands. Make sure you read and understand all the directions and watering guides. If there are any questions at all please contact us. We provide a 30 day guarantee from the time of spraying your new lawn. If you see anything that does not look right you need to contact us within the 30 day window. This is crucial so we can advise you to make any corrections or if we need to address any problems. If you call after the 30 day period our guarantee will no longer be valid.

As stated above there can be many variables with a hydroseeding application. Our guarantee states we are not responsible for acts of God, vandalism, diseases or anything else beyond our control, including drought, torrential rains and any other weather related conditions. These are some of the variables that we can not be responsible for. But the good news is if you are effected by any of these unfortunate circumstances we will reseed any affected areas for a nominal fee. Most commonly we will receive phone calls after a severe rain storm. We tell our customers that the hydroseed will hold up to a moderate rain storm. As for torrential rains the time is limited until materials may start moving. You may see channels where the water traveled and washed the seed away. Most of the time a driving rain pushes the materials under the soil and it may look like it may have washed away. We encourage our customers to wait and see what germinates before any reseeding is done. In most cases reseeding is not necessary.

Drought is the most common reason your grass seed will not germinate. We can always tell when a seed job fails due to the lack of water. If it is not watered it will not grow and seed may even die. We can not check up on all the lawns we seed to make sure our customers are watering so that is why we only guarantee our work if you have an irrigation system. It is easy for anyone to say they have watered as directed but when it comes down to it when we have followed up on these statements and we would find the hydroseed bone dry in the middle of the day. Seed needs to stay moist, if you water before you leave for work in the morning, on a sunny day the seed will be dry by noon. This means it might not get moisture again until evening and this will slow down or fail germination. We know everyone does not have an irrigation system but what it really comes down to is if you keep your seed moist you will have a uniform healthy stand of turf.

So what do we guarantee? Always Green guarantees that high quality certified ingredients are used for the hydroseeding process. If the lawn does not establish properly within 30 days because of product or workmanship, those areas of the lawn that are not growing will be re-seeded at no charge.

Why do we only give a 30 day guarantee? We can grow a lawn anywhere as long as it is watered properly. Everything is in our mix to produce a lush healthy lawn. This will usually be evident in 30 days. After 30 days the lawn will now grow deep roots and establish itself in it’s own environment. This is where we get back to the variables. How are the soil conditions? Will the lawn decline due to insufficient nutrients in the soil or the soil being too acidic? Is there excessive shade where the lawn will thin out over time? Will the customer maintain their new lawn by fertilizing, treating for grubs and insects as necessary? What if the lawn gets a disease during our hot humid summers, will a fungicide be applied before too much damage is done? These are some of the variables.

Don’t let the variables discourage your choice for hydroseeding. Always Green Inc, Hydroseeds over 100 lawns each season and on average less than 5 per season need to be re-seeded for any potential problems.