Frequently Asked Questions

Hydroseeding is a way of planting grass by spraying a mix of seed, mulch, fertilizer, a tackifier that helps it stick, and water onto prepared soil. The mulch holds moisture around the seed and keeps it from washing or blowing away. It is used for new lawns, construction sites, slopes and ditch banks.

It depends on how the lawn will be watered and whether you want to seed or sod. St. Augustinegrass is common here but only comes as sod, plugs or sprigs. For seeded lawns, bahiagrass handles sandy, infertile soil and dry spells well and is a good fit for large or unirrigated areas, while centipedegrass is a lower-input option for central Florida. We recommend a grass after seeing the sun, soil and irrigation.

Not for every grass. UF/IFAS says bahiagrass can be established any time of year in much of Florida, though growth slows as it cools. Centipedegrass is different: UF calls fall seeding undesirable and puts its window at April through July. October also starts the dry season, so plan on irrigation.

National guides put it at roughly $0.07 to $0.26 per square foot (Angi) or $0.12 to $0.35 (HomeGuide). HomeGuide also says most outfits won't mobilize for less than $300 to $500 or more. Grading, topsoil, slopes and blankets add to that. After we measure your ground, you get a written price, and the bill does not move from it.

Under good conditions seed starts sprouting within about a week, and HomeGuide puts the first cut at 4 to 6 weeks out. Slow-germinating grasses like bahia can take longer. Mow high the first few times and keep heavy traffic off it.

Usually less, but not never. Even in summer there are dry days, and the top half inch of sand dries fast. Keep the surface damp until the grass is up and established, and skip watering after a real soaking storm.

Over a thin bahia or centipede lawn, yes, after mowing low and loosening the soil so seed reaches it. Over St. Augustine, seed will not blend in because that grass is not grown from seed; patching it with sod or plugs works better. See our lawn patching page for details.

Published national ranges for hydroseeding cost start near $0.07 and top out around $0.35 a square foot, and HomeGuide's example of a 5,000 square foot lawn comes to $1,000 to $1,750. Soil prep, grading and slopes add to that, and most companies have a minimum fee. We price your yard in writing after a visit.

No. According to UF/IFAS, St. Augustinegrass has to be started from sod, plugs or sprigs. If you want St. Augustine, plan on sod.

It takes longer to fill in, so for the first weeks sod looks better. Once established, a well-prepared seeded lawn can be just as healthy, at a fraction of the cost. Sod is still the better choice on steep mounds and for grasses that do not seed.

Keep the surface damp until the grass is up. In Tampa heat that usually means several short waterings spread through the day, then taper to deeper, less frequent watering. Skip a cycle after a soaking storm.

Stay off the new grass, and keep dogs and the mower off too, until it is up and rooted, usually around four to six weeks. Light walking to move a hose is fine.

Published guides range from about $2,000 to $4,897 per acre (Fixr, LawnStarter), with some listing up to $8,700 for an acre. Slope, access, mulch rate and how many trips the job needs drive the number. We price your site in writing.

Stabilization depends on the vegetative cover actually established, as defined in your permit, not just on seed being sprayed. Hydroseeding is how many sites get there. Check your permit's definition and keep the area watered until cover forms.

Yes. Pond side slopes are one of the most common jobs. Steeper banks or areas that carry flow may also need erosion control blankets.

Yes. If your plans or an agency spec list seed types and rates, we match them and note it on the estimate.

Yes, but the seed will need water. We discuss irrigation or water truck options before scheduling.

Hydromulch suits gentle slopes and broad areas with sheet flow. Where water concentrates, like a swale or ditch bottom, a stapled blanket holds much better. Many jobs use both.

Straw blankets break down within about a season, while straw-coconut and coir versions last longer. The goal is for grass roots to take over before the blanket is gone.

Usually, yes. We reshape the swale, seed it, and line it with a blanket. If it carries water from several lots, we may also ask whether the HOA or the city has a say in the drainage.

Yes. Seed goes down first, and the grass grows up through the open weave of the blanket.

On gentle banks, often. On steeper or wave-washed banks, a blanket or bonded fiber matrix is safer until roots form.

The City of Tampa says silt fence must be installed before any earthwork and stay in place for the whole of construction. Pinellas County requires perimeter controls before mass grading.

Pinellas County requires inspection at least weekly and after any rain of half an inch or more. In summer, that can mean several checks a week.

If soil could wash off the lot, sediment controls are expected. The City of Tampa treats any soil leaving a site as an illegal discharge, regardless of job size.

We can. It comes out after the area is stabilized, and we seed the trench line.

A filter or barrier around a storm drain that lets water through but holds back sediment, so it does not reach ponds, canals or the bay.

UF/IFAS recommends 1 to 2 percent away from the house, roughly half a foot to a foot over 50 feet.

Not always, but on bare construction sand, compost or topsoil makes a real difference in how fast grass fills in and how much water it needs. We test and look before recommending it.

Often, by regrading and sometimes a swale or French drain. If the water comes from a neighbor or the street, the fix may also involve them or the city.

Yes, hauling is listed as its own line when a job produces spoil.

As soon as possible. Bare, freshly graded sand is easy for a summer storm to wash out.

No. St. Augustinegrass is not grown from seed; UF/IFAS lists sod, plugs and sprigs as the only ways to establish it. Bare spots are fixed with plugs or sod.

Bahia goes dormant in long dry spells, and late spring before the rains is often the driest, hottest stretch. It usually greens up again with rain or irrigation. If it does not, look for mole cricket damage.

Published ranges run about $0.07 to $0.25 per square foot (Lawn Love, Fixr). Soil prep and weed control add to that. Once we have looked at your turf, you get the price on paper.

If most of the yard is still healthy grass, patch and overseed. If it is mostly weeds or sand, a full renovation costs less in the long run than repeated patches.