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| Advantages of Hydro Mulching |
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Before continuing please note that · To establish a top quality lawn, good ground preparation incorporating well-rotted organic material and super phosphate into the seedbed is essential to achieve the best results. · It is vital to apply post application watering, in some instances it would be necessary to install a temporary automatic irrigation system. Advantages of Hydromulching The main advantage of this technique is that a quicker and more even germination is achieved as the wood fibres used provide moisture retention for the seed and the spray application ensures an even distribution of seed eliminating the row effect that is often encountered with mechanical seeding or conventional seeding. The fibres surround the seed and keep it close to the ground where it is insulated from sun scorch, protected from washing away and birds. The hydro mulch fibres can hold up to 10 times its weight in water, creating a near perfect environment for germination. With the right temperature and moisture conditions, this can occur within three to four days but the normal germination rate is seven to 14 days. The mulch eventually biodegrades and acts as a fertiliser. Dust control Both the interlocking wood fibres and the tackifier used in the hydro mulching process provide a good degree of dust control. Dust abatement effect lasts far longer than water alone because the tackifier polymer binds the interlocking wood fibres and the top layer of soil into a wind-resistant crust Typical uses include dust abatement on mining, roadwork, and construction sites. Erosion Control, Slope Stabilization When combined with seed and mulch, the polymer will stabilise topsoil while creating a greenhouse effect to stimulate vegetation growth for a period of up to one year. The polymer and mulch crust will protect the soil from wind or sudden water runoff while allowing the vegetation to germinate and grow. When vegetation is fully established, the pulp will gradually biodegrade into the soil matrix. Typical uses include newly graded highway cuts and berms, range fire recovery areas, and open pit mine reclamation. The Process Hydro mulching, sometimes referred to as hydro seeding, is a grass planting process. The process is fast, efficient, and economical. This grass planting process is usually more effective than conventional seeding and certainly more economical than conventional sodding. The process begins by mixing mulch, seed, tackifier, fertiliser, and water in the tank of a hydro-mulching machine. The mixed material is then pumped from the tank and sprayed onto the ground. The material is often referred to as slurry, much like a soupy batch of green papier-mâché. Once applied to the soil, the material enhances initial growth by providing a microenvironment beneficial to seed germination. If the area being planted is smooth and manicured, the resulting grass surface will be smooth and manicured. Golf greens are frequently planted with hydro-mulching resulting in a smooth surface. Hydro-mulching material is weed free. However, weed seed is almost always present in the soil, and are certain to be blown in by the wind. When the soil gets moisture and fertiliser from the planting process, weeds usually appear within a short period of time. |
| The Mulch Material |
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Mulch products are usually produced from wood. The wood raw material is processed into fibrous material. A very specific fibre texture is particularly important in achieving an erosion resistant product, which can also be easily pumped with a hydro-mulching machine. The mulch fibre is dyed green for aesthetics, but the colour is also important so that the thickness of application can be monitored.
The Value of Mulch Mulch applied to the soil reduces moisture evaporation from the soil. Grass seed needs soil moisture to germinate and grow. Moisture must initially come from either irrigation or rainfall. Once the soil has moisture, mulch helps the seed get the most benefit from that moisture. Poor growth is almost always due to the seed and or the seedlings not getting enough moisture during certain critical times. Soil moisture is always important. A good mulch application also provides erosion resistance. Soil erosion caused by flowing water is always a factor. Mulch helps hold soil in place and reduces the possibility that the seeds will be washed away, providing a better chance for establishing a more uniform coverage of grass. Further, when soil erosion is reduced, soil pollution of streams and other bodies of water bodies are reduced. The mulch, with its fibrous network in the soil, can have significant benefits in reducing or preventing soil erosion. Using a tackifier can enhance the strength of the mulch. A tackifier is the glue for tying the mulch and soil together. Hydro Mulching Has a Variety of Uses New home lawns may be the largest single defined market for hydro mulching. Other landscape applications are also significant. Hydro mulching is being used more and more in new golf course construction. Each of these applications is usually irrigated, and the turf resulting from the application is usually classified as "fine turf". Sod Quality Results can be achieved almost every time when appropriate amounts of quality wood mulch and tackifiers are used. New highway construction always needs new grass planted. Grass is frequently needed on mine sites, and reclamation of mine sites has increased with the recent concerns for the environment. Utility construction areas frequently need grass after pipelines or power lines have been constructed. The list of places for planting grass in these "non turf quality" areas seems to be endless. Hydro-seeding, utilising less mulch, is frequently used on these large areas to be more economical. Hydro seeding can work well on these "non-irrigated" areas, if the conditions are not too hot and dry. The Result Warm and moist conditions promote faster seed germination. Seedbed conditions determine growth rates after germination. When all the conditions are favourable, grass may require mowing and have excellent coverage in three to four weeks. It may be possible, under the most ideal conditions, to produce a turf suitable for a football field, which can be ready for play in 90 days. During less favourable circumstances, a good stand of grass can take many months or even up to a year, to become established. A temporary controlled irrigation system is recommended in the dry season. Mulch Application Rates Hot dry conditions demand more mulch. Under very hot dry conditions in summer 30 to 36 kg of wood mulch per 100 square metres provides the best protection. In cooler and wetter conditions 15 kg pounds per 100 square metres will usually provide excellent results. |
| Seeding, Sodding, Hydro-Seeding or Premium Hydro-Mulching?: |
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Seeding without the protection of mulch is less expensive than hydro mulching. Hydro- seeding with little or no mulch can also be very cost effective. Broadcast seeding without mulch, or hydro seeding with little or no mulch may be the method of choice due to budget constraints. However, such processes are always subject to hit-and-miss results. Sodding will provide solid coverage of grass immediately, but is costly, and installation is labour intensive. The lowest cost solid sodding usually costs almost twice the cost of even premium hydro mulching. Premium grasses and certified clean sod can easily cost three times the costs of premium hydro-mulching using premium grasses. Premium Hydro-Mulching can provide a full coverage of grass in three to four weeks, depending on conditions. The cost of premium hydro mulching may be more than twice that of thin-mulch hydro seeding. However, premium hydro mulching is considerably less than the costs of solid sodding. Where sod quality results are needed, and where good irrigation is available, premium hydro mulching is by far the most logical and economical choice for establishing fine turf. Regeneration of Natural Vegetation This process is ideally suited to the revegetation of natural areas in particular dune revegetation along the shoreline. The Demand for Hydro-Seeding & Hydro-Mulching Almost all construction sites need new grass. The big question ultimately becomes, how good and how reliable must the grass planting results be. The results needed will determine if lower costs hydro-seeding is best, or if the site needs to be planted with more reliable hydro mulching. The biggest problem facing the industry today is that there is no clear definition separating low cost hydro-seeding from premium results hydro-mulching. This lack of clarity is a problem for everyone. Many people don't recognise that there is a significant difference. The purchaser of the service is inclined to take the lowest bid, not realising that he is asking the contractor to do a cheap job. It is not possible to bid a job at a low price and provide a premium application. Jacobsen Aeroking The Jacobsen Aeroking is a combination verticutter slit seeder designed specifically for the over seeding of greens and domestic lawns.  Verticutters, which are also referred to as Vertical mowers, slicers or scarifiers have vertical blades that cut groves through the thatch and into the soil. They cut into the soil, redistributing some soil onto the surface providing some soil loosening that helps seedling establishment.  Slit seeders are smaller versions of agricultural seed drills, with closer spacings between discs. The discs slice open the ground just ahead of a small tube that drops the seed into the open furrow. A packing wheel follows the seed tube and closes the sliced ground. A slit seeder sows grass seeds in distinct rows the distance apart depending on the space between the drill discs. It is important to repeat the seeding process at different angles. |
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