Today’s Erosion and Sediment Control Tip: #5

 

In Alabama, we are now getting into the time of year where it is good to be seeding grass or laying sod.  But we are also at a time when soils can be dry due to hot and/or windy conditions, and we can have several days without rain.  So to encourage germination of seed and growth of grass or sod, we turn to irrigation to overcome dry soil and drought conditions. The question then is often asked “how much water is needed?”  And the answer is probably more than you thought.

Newly seeded areas need water for germination and then water for growth.  Newly sodded areas need immediate water for sod survival, and then watering very often until the sod has formed a good root system.  You should follow quality guidance documents (like Extension Service) to determine how much water is needed.  One inch of water would probably be a minimum for initial watering.  That equates to about 27,154 gallons of water for an acre. Can you do that with a hydroseeder?  Maybe, but it would take a large tank hydroseeder (3,600 gallons) about 7.5 loads on that 1 acre. After the initial wetting, newly seeded and sodded areas will need additional water daily or maybe multiple times per day until germination or root development. The other issue is that the water needs to infiltrate and not runoff.  So it would need to be gradually and evenly applied (hard to do with a hydroseeder).  To do it right, means using a properly designed irrigation system.

The bottom line, you may can use a hydroseeder to apply water on small areas, but if large areas need water, plan for an irrigation system. And as the spring and summer days pass by, it becomes increasingly important to care for the seeding or sodding project as growing days become fewer to establish the desired vegetative cover.