What is that 'spray-on grass' called and has anyone done it? (irrigation, grow)

[arsbadmojo]

I had a friend back in Kentucky who "sodded" has new construction yard with a sort of 'spray-on' mixture of grass seed and a substrate, a lot like what comes in those bags of grass patch repair. I don't know if it was applied wet or dry, but he was very happy with the results.

Has anyone around here tried it, and if so, what is it called and how did it work out for you?

When my house was built 3 years ago they sodded the front, but just seeded the back, and it never took. I've tried seeding on my own, but it has been largely a waste of time and money. There's no topsoil, just hard red clay.

[hamellr]

The clay is your problem. A spray on mixture isn't going to fix that issue.

You need to heavily amend your soil or lay a layer of topsoil down. Another option is to get the precut sod pieces and lay that down.

I've had good luck in my yard using a roto-tiller to break up the hard surfaces, then I mixed in compost that I had mixed grass seed in.

You can see where I did and didn't do that, so this year I'll need to finish the other side the same way.

[Hemlock140]

It's called hydroseed and used extensively here as a really easy way to grow turf, but then we have sandy soil and get rain 9-10 months of the year so it does great without having to water except maybe in August.

[arsbadmojo]

Why was this moved? I am looking for area specific information.

[CHTransplant]

When I moved to Raleigh in the late 90s our builder did not provide any sod as it was mid-summer and there was no irrigation system (we installed one later).

When fall came, we got a load of screened topsoil and spread it about 1/4" over the entire yard, which also allowed us to smooth over various rough spots and low spots in the clay soil (a push broom worked great for spreading the topsoil we dumped in small piles). We then seeded and applied starter fertilizer and covered with wheat straw (which does introduce some weeds - but they can be controlled). With plenty of water, the seed took just fine and in no time looked just like the yards that had been sodded earlier in the year.

[Bulldogdad]

Hydroseed can be a very good value if your yard is prepped correctly.

You must be willing to tend to it like a new born baby though while it grows and fills in for about 6 months.

Most of the hydroseeding I do in my business is commercial and municipal.

Very rarely do I get a call for it residentially as most homeowners will pay the extra amount for instant results with sod.

Also most companies have a minimum amount for sq feet before they will hydroseed.

Also ask about hydrosod which is a pre germinated seed and grows much faster. Again a little more expensive than seed.