Hydroseed Lawn Installation in Seattle, WA

Hydroseed lawn installation in Seattle is the route many Seattle homeowners take from a torn-up yard to grass without paying for sod. After a remodel, a side-sewer replacement, a new house or simply a lawn that has given up, we grade and ready the ground first, and only then spray on seed, fiber mulch, starter fertilizer and tackifier mixed into one slurry. The green tint you see the day we leave is the mulch. Grass usually starts to show within about a week in good conditions, and the mulch keeps the seed damp and in place while it roots. For lawn installation on a budget, or on any yard with a slope, a hydroseed lawn is usually the practical choice.

Fall or spring?

Seattle's driest months fall right in the middle of the growing season, so the date you choose changes how much watering a new lawn needs. Seed laid in early fall, once the heat breaks and the October rains are on their way, gets free irrigation while the soil is still warm. A spring lawn grows just as well but has to be watered through a nearly rainless July and August. We are happy to seed in spring when a project calls for it, and we will be straight with you about the hose time.

Soil depth matters more than seed

Western Washington upland soils like the Alderwood series are gravelly sandy loam over a dense layer of glacial till, often within 50 to 100 centimeters of the surface. After construction, a yard may have even less: subsoil spread around the foundation and packed down by equipment. Grass roots in that thin layer dry out fast in summer and sit wet in winter. Our first job is to loosen compacted ground and, where needed, spread topsoil so the lawn has real depth to grow into.

Choosing the seed

We use cool-season mixes along the lines WSU Extension recommends for western Washington: mostly turf-type perennial ryegrass, which takes full sun and stands up to traffic, and turf-type tall fescue, which is better adapted to shade. Fine-leaved fescues can be added for color and some extra shade tolerance where the lawn will not see heavy use. Most lawns get a blend, adjusted for sun, shade and whether kids and dogs will be running on it.

WSU also makes a point we repeat to every customer: a new lawn's success depends more on the ground preparation than on whether you choose seed or sod. Soil left after construction is often infertile subsoil with rocks and debris mixed in, and the extension service names sandy loam as the ideal lawn soil.

Hydroseeding cost compared with sod

Hydroseeding cost runs well below sod in every national guide we have seen. HomeGuide puts hydroseeding at twelve to thirty-five cents ($0.12 to $0.35) per square foot, against $1 to $4 per square foot for laid sod. Dry seed is cheaper again, but it is slower to establish and less forgiving on slopes. For a typical new lawn, the soil preparation is often a bigger part of the bill than the seed and mulch.

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Lawns on slopes and odd shapes

Sod is hard to lay on a tilted yard: the rolls slide, seams open up and the top edge dries out first. Hydroseed goes on as a continuous layer that follows the ground, which is why so many lawns on Seattle's hilly lots are sprayed rather than rolled. On grades too steep to mow comfortably, we may suggest a low-mow mix or a heavier mulch rate, and if water concentrates along a swale, a strip of erosion blanket under the seed.

Water access and timing the spray

Before we book a date, we check that there is a working hose bib or irrigation zone that can reach every part of the new lawn, because the first three weeks decide how well it fills in. We avoid spraying right before a forecast downpour on a bare slope, and in late spring we like to seed early enough that the grass has some roots before the dry weeks of July. If you are going on vacation in the month after seeding, tell us; we will either move the date or talk through a timer setup.

Who we install lawns for

• Homeowners finishing a remodel, addition or side-sewer replacement
• New construction where the builder's scope ends at rough grade
• Yards where the old lawn was mostly moss and weeds
• Planting strips, side yards and backyard cottages on infill lots

Looking after a new hydroseed lawn

Keep the surface damp, not soaked, for the first few weeks, with short waterings once or twice a day in warm weather. Stay off it while it fills in. Plan on the first mow somewhere around four to six weeks in, when the blades stand a few inches high, with the mower set high and the soil firm. A light feeding after the first couple of mows helps it thicken before its first winter. We leave written instructions so nobody has to guess.