Hydroseeding which is sometimes also called hydraulic mulch seeding, hydro-mulching, or hydraseeding) is a planting process in which a slurry containing seed, hydro seeding mulch, fertilizer and a tackifier (bonding agent) is sprayed onto the ground. The slurry is transported in a truck or trailer mounted tank to the job site and sprayed over prepared ground in a uniform layer. Hydro seeding offers many advantages to the traditional process of broadcasting or sowing dry seed. It promotes quick germination and inhibits soil erosion. It is also a very cost-effective alternative to sod and offers a significant cost savings as well as many other benefits.

Virtually any grass or erosion control seed that can be planted by seed can be hydro seeded. This includes any sun or shade lawn seed, athletic field mixes, pasture mixes, native grasses, wildflowers, roadside mixes and erosion control mixes. The nutrient rich slurry helps promote fast germination. The hydro seeding mulch helps keep the soil moist to enable the seed to germinate quickly and unlike straw or hay contains no weed seed. The tackifier in the mix acts like a glue to hold the mulch in place and to help prevent washout in the case of heavy rains.

Sod provides instant gratification but there are advantages to hydro seeding over sod. As someone once commented, hydro seeding is a lot like sod but you eliminate the middle man.
The advantages of hydro seeding over sod are:

• You can have a sod quality lawn in a few weeks for less than 1/3 the cost of sod
• Both hydro seeding and sod require watering but the watering requirements for hydro seeding are less
• Hydro seeding grows the lawn on your soil and is not a different soil that is transplanted.
• With sod the roots are cut very short and the sod goes through some shock during shipment and installation

Slope is the rise or fall of the land surface. with some of the newer hydro seeding materials that have come on the market it is now possible to save time and money by seeding difficult areas that formerly required labor intensive erosion control blankets.

Products such as BFM (Bonded Fiber Matrix) and EFM (Engineered Fiber Matrix) will provide superior erosion control and fast turf establishment with up to 8 times less labor than erosion control blankets. Unlike blankets these erosion control products bond directly to the soil surface and both hold better and require less surface preparation. On less demanding applications standard hydro seeding materials do an excellent job.