The Pros & Cons of Sod vs. Hydroseeding - Southern Maine Landscaping & Property Management (2024)

FAQs

Which is better, sod or hydroseed? ›

If there's a competition between hydroseed and sod, give sod the trophy — sod almost always wins. It's instant lawn that looks great right away. Its roots are already developed and ready to take root in your soil.

Disadvantages of Hydroseeding

Overall, hydroseeding is a very cost-effective option, considering the higher germination rate than conventional seeding methods. However, like traditional seeding, the time of year hydroseed can be installed is limited, and it also has moderate to high water needs.

The price of hydroseeding vs. sod is generally 1:3 – around 15 cents per square foot of hydroseeding vs. 45 cents per square foot for sod.

Ideally, hydroseeding should be done between March and October. However, that window is even shorter here in New England, so we hydroseed lawns in the late spring and summer. Hydroseeding takes time to get a result.

Late summer/early fall is optimal, as the temperatures continue to fall and the precipitation increases. The spring and fall allow for faster growth than in cold and hot seasons, but won't require as much water as a lawn that began in the drier summer season.

Any spring lawn installation will flush with weeds.

It's not so much an issue of quality hydroseed or even quality loam. All screened loam will have millions of weed seeds that lay dormant.

In general, if the soil has been properly prepared and is not compact, hydroseed will not wash away after application. If, on the other hand, soil has not been de-compacted or prepared, there is a potential for heavy rains to partially wash away seeds if the rain occurs directly after hydroseeding has been completed.

There is a high rate of failure associated with hydroseeding due to inadequate preparation and the soil environment. It is possible for the earth to get severely compacted on building sites. When this takes place, it becomes more challenging for water, air, and roots to penetrate the soil.

If you have a small or intricate area to seed, and you need a specific variety of grass seed, then hand seeding may be the right choice. On the other hand, if you need to stabilize a slope or use a combination of seeds to ensure growth in unpredictable soil conditions, hydroseeding can be well worth the investment.

How much will 500 gallons of hydroseed cover? ›

Hydroseeding is a way to lay grass seed using a spray mixture of mulch, seeds, fertilizer, and water over any barren patch of the lawn. You can buy premade hydroseeding mixtures, or you can try your hand at making a DIY hydroseeding mixture (which may be less expensive).

Top soil ammendment is not always required. If you do plan to ammend the soil we recommend a 50/50 blend mix. If you do bring in top soil or rototil we suggest grading area afterward. We suggest you apply granular fertilizer (16-6-8) then water for ten days to bring up dormant weed seeds.

Avoid walking on hydroseeded areas. Block children, pets, and other pedestrian traffic if possible to avoid disruption of the hydroseeded mulch or germinating seeds. You should also minimize traffic after application for 5 to 6 weeks to allow your lawn to mature. Foot traffic can damage new grass.

Mulch is the ingredient that makes hydroseeding possible! Wet mulch is heavier than seed and water and allows the mixture to spray farther and more efficiently. Mulch also aids in the growth process in a lot of ways.

For A Better Looking Lawn with Fewer Weeds, Choose Sod Over Seed. There's one common reason why people choose to plant grass seed instead of laying sod and that reason is cost. Sod may cost more initially when compared to seeding.

If you hydroseed over an existing lawn, it's unlikely that the slurry mixture will reach the soil and germinate or grow roots. There's also a good chance that the heavy hydroseed slurry will suffocate and kill your existing grass. So, you should avoid it if you don't want to ruin your beautiful lawn!

The best time to lay the sod is late summer into the late fall (September-November). Postpone summer installation if temperatures are in the high 80's or 90's. Winter sodding can be successful but is risky due to winter injury and desiccation. And, if needed, the sod would have to be watered.