ECN Forum

It is my opinion that all the components of a "hydraulic planting" slurry can easily be "organic", with the exception of chemical fertilizers.

Mulch--whether paper, virgin wood, or the newer grass straw/paper mixes, or even cotton waste are all organic. Some jobs are now calling for 50% compost (min. #6 on the Solvita scale) and 50% wood or paper.

Seed--certainly organic

Fertilizers- these can be organic. And fertilizer does not need to added through the hydroseeder (Finn trademark) or hydromulcher (Bowie trademark) or hydraulic planter (generic term). They can be incorporated into the soil or applied as top dressing. Grass seed does not need fertilizer at the time of germination. It is we who have become lazy and want to apply it as part of the slurry.

Tackifiers- Many types of tackifiers are being used and even pre-mixed with mulch (bonded fiber matrix, organic, and polyacrlamides (pam), chemical. I prefer to mix tackifiers on site, otherwise you are dictated to by what is in the bag !! And what's in the bag may not be what is ideal for that job.

And I always recommend a "2-Step" application method, especially for turf. The first step is a small amount of mulch to cushion the seed as it goes through the pump (in recirc type machines the seed damage can be great because the seed goes through the pump multiple times). Also in thsi first step is the fertilizer, if used, and the tackifier. This assures that ALL of the seed is in direct contact with the soil and not up in the mulch.

The 2nd step would be just the required mulch, as a top dressing, with some tackifier to "glue" the mulch in place. If using pam, it should all go on in the first step, as pam is a flocculant and you want it all on the soil to work. 

These are my ideas and observations. But after 39 years in this industry, I still don't know everything!!

Your thoughts on this issue?

I realize this post is a couple of months old, but its worth commenting on anyways.

I agree with most everything that was said. Adding orgaincs to a hydroseeder is simple as pie. I have often used a manure based compost in my seeding slurry. Pretty simple really, just leave out the fert and add the compost. One problem I have encountered is in the quality of compost that is readily available. My first attemp at using compost ended with mixed results. The compost was a cheap type bought at wallyworld and not of real good quality. The material contained bits of reconizeable materials, (mostly wood bark) and what looked and tasted like beach sand. These type of materials will settle and seperate in the hoses if spraying is stopped even for just a minute. The cloggs are extremely aggrivating to get cleaned out. If one is going to use compost materials in their hydroseeding equipment, care should be exercised to insure the material is fully composted. Fully composted means not being able to determine what material the compost was derived from. I am also a believer in bio stimulants and microbial innoculations. These materials are used in small quantities and can easily be added to the hydroseeding slurry.

 I am going to slightly disagree with jet agitation being more harmful to the seed than using a mechanical agitated machine. Yes, in recirculating machines the seed will cycle several times thru the pump, but these pumps are made to bypass 3/4in and larger particles and do little damage to the seed. Also, even mechanical agitated machines are designed to recirculate a portion of the materials back inside the tank, face it, what aint flowing thru the hoses or tower is being recirculated. Also positive displacement pumps use much tigher clearances in their design and crushing of seed can and does occur, they also recirculate a portion of their slurry back into the machine. Not saying you cant turn off the recirculating valves and run full system pressure to the spray nozzle, but in one man operations using hoses, this probably rarely occurs.

 I fully agree with using a two step application approach for lawns and even roadside seeding as long as one doensnt have to travel back and forth accross the already seeded areas. In roadside seeding, it is very easy to do 1,2, or even 3 passes with the spray equipment. On some lawns, it might not be quite so easy, unless you are willing to deal with a large amount of mud that is caused bythe first pass with the spray nozzle. For these type areas, I use a different approach. I spray directly down into the soil walking in semi circles and pause occasionaly to lift the nozzle up and let the slurry rain down on the already seeded area, to build up a good mulch layer. This insures good seed to soil contact and lets me continue seeding without having to walk over the already seeded areas.

 There are many ways to skin a cat and most professionals will find a way that suits them better than it might someone else. We all use different materials and application techniques. The end results are what we are all after.