Mow Early: Most lawns begin to fill in rapidly after a few mowings. The energy of the plant should be transferred from the plant into the root. It is important to mow early so that the plant will begin to propagate. When the lawn reaches 2″ it is ready for mowing. Set the mower at 1 1/2″ so that no more than 1/3 of the plant will be mowed at any given time. Mowing will stimulate root growth and help the lawn grow thicker.

Lawns Require Temperature To Grow: During spring and late fall, temperatures often fall below 50 deg. A lawn requires at least 50 deg for it to grow. Shaded conditions and low temperatures significantly slow down a plants growth rate. It is natural for a lawn to grow slowly in these conditions and patience is necessary. SprayLawn Hydroseed will grow on the hood of your car, unfortunately the product germinates only as fast as the climate will allow.

Fertilize: It is vital that your lawn be fertilized regularly. Without nutrients, your hydroseeded lawn will “stall out” and struggle. If you have not fertilized within 30 days of a hydroseed application, this is the first order of business and may explain why you may still see some dirt.

Several years ago a customer requested I look at his lawn. Upon my arrival I was shocked to see alternating strips of thick, lush lawn and near bare dirt. I had never encountered anything of the kind. It was only later when talking to the gentleman that I found out that the customer had used an old fashioned drop type fertilizer spreader incorrectly. When he pushed it, the spreader dropped fertilizer on the lawn, and when he pulled it, it did nothing. The thin areas were a result of a total lack of fertilizer on the lawn. I cannot emphasize enough how important it is to fertilize in order to sustain the performance of a hydroseeded yard. This is especially true when marginal soils are used without any composted loam mixed in.

You May Need Lime: Very often lawns will struggle and become very thin if they are under evergreen trees. Evergreen trees shed pitch and needles which greatly acidify the soil. It is vital to your lawn that you treat it with lime in order to neutralize these conditions. If left untreated, the soil may become so acidic that it cannot support a lawn. Dolomite (a granulated lime) is convenient to work with as it is pellitized form does not become airborne, eliminating the nuisance of any caustic airborne dust. Lime treatment is an ongoing maintenance procedure which must be performed 2 to 3 times per year, depending on the density of the evergreen vegetation.

Correct Watering: On occasion we see overwatering or ponding conditions. In either event, the lawn will appear unhealthy and blanched. If you look very close at the base of your grass and see black stems, chances are you have one of these conditions. The easiest remedy is to reduce the watering cycle if you have overindulged your lawn. If your lawn is slightly marshy without having watered it, then you will either have to add a sandy topping mix (at 1/2″ intervals every other month) or introduce drainage. Ponding conditions are serious and cannot be resolved chemically.

Soil Conditions: Precipitated organic tailings in topsoil will typically cause thinning and yellowing. The problem arises where, in these isolated areas, the grass plants root find itself suspended in a sawdusty environment and has no chance of sustaining any hydration. The roots basically have no real dirt to establish itself in and dry up. I have literally grabbed a handful of virtual sawdust in these circumstances with the struggling lawn hanging on for dear life on top. In these circumstances one needs to fertilize, lime, and water regularly in order to fully decompose these spongy spots.