Hydroseeding vs. Sod Installation: Which Is Worth It?

Whether you’ve got a damaged lawn, are starting from scratch, or you’re considering rejuvenating your property, there are a few great options to choose from. We’ll walk you through two of the most popular, hydroseeding and sod installation, and so you can choose the right one for your property.

Sod vs. Hydroseed: What Are They?

Most people are familiar with sod installation—an instant, green lawn that gets rolled out at watered. It’s pre-grown grass with a viable root system ready to penetrate your soil and grow.

Hydroseeding is an application of slurry, a combination of seed, fertilizer, mulch, and water, that is sprayed onto the soil.  This method gives the seed a good start with the elements it needs to survive and grow.

Is Hydroseeding Better Than Sod?

One of the most important factors when choosing hydroseeding vs sod is price. On the front end, hydroseeding is less expensive. However, the costs can add up when you consider the additional watering, time, and the need to re-seed areas that were missed or that failed to germinate after the first application.

Hydroseeding is unfortunately prone to needing touch-ups due to water runoff, wildlife, and gravity with sloped areas.  If Mother Nature rains on fresh hydroseeding, which is a common occurrence in the Pacific Northwest, you’ll have to pay to have the hydroseed applied a second time.

Advantages of Sod Installation

Instant Lawn

Sod is grass that is ready to grow in your yard, which means you can go from bare soil to a lush lawn in a single day with sod installation. It just needs to be rolled and watered and then it’s ready to go. It will take a bit longer for the grass to fully take root and integrate with the lawn, but it will look beautiful as soon as you lay it out.

Less Watering

Because sod has already germinated and has a viable root system, it doesn’t need as much water to get established on your property. While it will need to be watered regularly, it isn’t as high maintenance as traditional seed or hydroseeding methods.

Better Erosion Control

Sod is excellent for erosion control because it has an established plant that has a root system that holds everything together. Hydroseeding, on the other hand, can wash away with too much water.

Wider Planting Window

A benefit of sod is that it can actually be installed at any time of the year, as long as the ground isn’t completely frozen. It offers a wider planting window, which makes it more accessible to those who may need an installation in the late fall when temps are cooler or in the early spring before temps have warmed up.

Seed and hydroseed, unfortunately, do need to be planted in warmer weather that is conducive to seed germination. Seed needs time to germinate, grow, and get established before it can tolerate colder temperatures.

Other Alternatives to Hydroseeding

There are other options for establishing a beautiful lawn and for non-mowable areas. Although less common, slice seeding is another option that some choose, along with traditional seeding and overseeding.

Many property owners choose to create pollinator gardens or plant native flowers that will thrive in areas where mowing is a challenge or where they simply won’t be mowed frequently.

Traditional seed is still a tried-and-true method of creating a gorgeous green lawn, though it does require a little more elbow grease—but we can help with that. With fresh topsoil, traditional overseeding with proper watering and fertilizing schedules in place can create the yard of your dreams.