Every day, Armando Orta, co-owner of Armarc Landscapes, takes the temperature of dirt and then looks at the weather. First and foremost, Orta is a horticulturalist and this – the temperature of the ground in combination with the amount of sun, moisture, etc. – is vital to what he does. What does he do, exactly?
Orta sprays on lawns. And native grasses. And even wildflowers.
Standing on a desert slope that was plowed under to make way for the Pueblos at Alameda Ranch, Orta shoulders a hose, opens a valve and sprays a thick blue material over the ground. It is shocking, at first. If the great Chihuahuan desert that mingles with the housing developments is a bald head, then hyrdoseeding (what Orta is doing) is the spray on hair that one sees on infomercials late at night.
However, what Orta sprays actually grows stuff in its place, and in less than 20 minutes, he has effectively seeded about 4,000 sq. feet. With time, this blue stuff on the ground will grow into wild grasses that will curb erosion and reduce dust.
According to the International Association of Hydroseeding Professionals, hydroseeding is simply the process of applying grass seed, a protective mulch and fertilizer all at once. Why? As Orta explains, “… a slurry of cellulose paper mulch, seed, fertilizer, bio-stimulant and a tackifier that serves as a glue… secures the mulch to the ground so that our endless winds and hammering rains don’t disintegrate our application.” To be overly simple, the blue liquid he is spraying over this slope will dry and form a crust. With time, this mixture will hold the proper seeds, mulch and fertilizer in place so that the plants can take root.
Advantages
It costs roughly 75 percent less than traditional grass sod. It is a natural way to grow a lawn, and cost effective. Orta explains, though, there are many applications for hydroseeding. For example, erosion control, slope stabilization, dust control (it is environmentally safe), over-seeding thin or damaged lawns, flower field applications, spray-on erosion control blankets using locking fibers and, finally, re-vegetation of disturbed sites, such as from new construction. The mixture is environmentally safe and works well.
Disadvantages
Hydroseeding requires patience. Whereas sod is simply unrolled and left to set, hydroseeding does it the old-fashioned way (a.k.a. Mother Nature’s way) with a little modern technical help. The payoff is not instantaneous. “Seeds germinate when conditions are ideal, such as night soil temps and moisture is available,” says Orta. Depending on the type of seed used (wildflower, native grasses, desert species or lawn grasses), seeds can germinate anywhere from three days to four seasons.”
Spray on lawns. You decide.
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