Hydro seeding in Hungary

When I first decided to introduce this technology to Central-Eastern Europe, I knew that I would not be able to handle the entire market alone. I realized that in this area, everybody cuts corners and jumps at advantageous opportunities. I decided to import the hydro seeding equipment and sell the needed supplies, thereby opening the market to others.

Over the past couple of years, however, it seems I underestimated the greed behind people’s actions. I feel obliged to share ways that people who say they use this technology are ruining this technology’s good name.

Cutting corners

Equipment:

Some people thought by making there own homemade systems, they could offer hydro seeding without having to buy a machine.

Problems:

There machines do not mix or spray satisfactorily. This means the hydro seeding mixture is not uniform. This causes the seeded area to grow in patches, instead of the uniform sea of green it is designed to produce.

Note:

Hydro seeding tanks are NOT square. They are round like a barrel on its side, so that the mixture can continuously swirl around and not get caught in any corners.

Tackifier:

One of the main ingredients for hydro seeding is tackifier. This is similar to glue. It fixes the seed in place until it grows. It is NOT harmful to the soil, environment or animal life.

Problems:

Some “hydro seeders” use wall paper glue instead. This might do the job of gluing the seed into place, but it is not good for the soil or the seed. Not all seed will germinate when it gets into contact with wall paper glue. Again, this causes the grass to grow in patches. However it is cheaper than hydro seeding tackifier.

Mulch:

The best mulch is cellulose mulch. It is made out of specially selected black and white recycled newspaper. The newspapers are unsold and therefore untouched and returned newspaper. No other garbage or plastic is mixed into it.

However, paper factories want to get rid of there waste material. In order to make white paper, a high amount of water and chemicals are washed through the cellulose. The end product is paper, and a waste material. This waste material contains some washed out cellulose but also contains all the chemicals used in making paper. This waste material should be disposed of and treated as harmful material. Instead, many hydro seeders are “buying” this waste material and using it instead of cellulose hidromulch.

Problems:

The chemicals are harmful to the soil, environment and animal life in general. I really doubt that seeds will germinate well when immersed in polluted material, but of course the material is almost free.

Note:

It normally smells bad, because it has begun to decompose and rot. Hidromulch does not have any odor whatsoever.

Leaving out materials:

Some “hydro seeders” say they are hydro seeding when they simply put seed into water and spray! See our “components of hydro seeding” page.

To do a good job, you really can’t leave anything out. Some will leave out the fertilizer, some the pH modifier, some the mulch, some the tackifier, some the co-polymer gel. Some “gardeners” will even use less grass seed because they know that more seeds germinate when the hydro seeding method is used, which results in lawns that take a lot of time to grow densely.

Problems:

The grass will grow in patches. The grass will not be as dense. The grass will simply not grow the way it should.

Not preparing the seed bed adequately:

It is not difficult to prepare the seed bed, but it takes a lot of work and time. If the make-up of your soil is not adequate, then your grass will not remain beautiful for a long time. (See Preparing the seed bed)

If your soil does not have enough nutrients in it, or the top soil is not uniformly spread, you may see areas of your new grass that are darker green then other parts of your lawn. Your new grass may grow in patches, or thick in one area and sparse in another.