Hydroseeding in Helena Montana

We are Montana Hydroseeding! We are based out of the Helena, Montana area and have been providing hydroseeding and landscaping services for 18 seasons

 

Where We Hydroseed

Montana Hydroseeding is based out of Helena, Montana but we are always working in the following areas and in between:

• Helena
• Montana City
• Clancy
• Jefferson City
• Boulder
• Townsend

Landscaping in Helena Montana

While we spend most of our time landscaping in Helena Montana we will on occasion go to other places around Montana. If you have project that makes sense to hire someone out of your area and you are looking for high quality work then reach out to and we will see if we can help you.

You can check out our Landscaping in Helena page to see the quality of work that we do. Click here to be taken there.

If you would like to see the list of landscaping services that provide please click here to be taken to that page. The list is not all inclusive. We are able to provide landscaping services that encompass just about everything that is available in the landscape industry.

Who We Are & What We Do

Montana Hydroseeding is a veteran-owned, family-oriented business that has been in the landscape industry for the last 18 years. We have worked on all kinds of projects ranging from multi-million dollar homes to businesses and homes in town. We are obsessed with grass and we have taken the time to create the perfect seed mixes. We are always continuing to update our products and procedures with the most up-to-date information.

We carefully select the perfect seed combination for your project and apply it to your property to create the lawn of your dreams. Montana Hydroseeding is able to work with landscape companies, construction companies, road builders, homeowners and we are approved to work on government projects. We are able to hydroseed pastures, lawns, the side of roads and highways, large acreage properties, businesses, HOAs, parks, golf courses or really anywhere you want or need grass. 

 

What is Hydroseed & Why is it Better Than Other Installations?

Hydroseeding is one of three typical ways to install a yard. Hydroseeding is a mixture of water, paper mulch, a bonding agent, grass seed, and a fertilizer mixed up in a large tank. While these are the most common products used, we have access to and routinely use other products for select situations. We will discuss these additional products if your property has a unique situation going on that requires these. A pump shoots the mixture out of a high pressure hose and we apply it directly to prepared soil. The pressure helps the seed embed into the soil and the mulch protects the seed and helps retain moisture and provides a perfect start. While this sounds simple…..there is actually A LOT that goes into perfecting the process! It takes a few years to really get the ingredients perfected as well as the process. Every time we want to make a change we have to test it for a few months to see how the change affects germination as well as longer term health of the lawn.

Montana Hydroseeding will help you choose the correct seed type for your yard. Hydroseeding is highly preferred over regular hand-seeding due to the extra boost that the fertilizer and mulch give the grass seed, the added moisture retention abilities, as well as being able to add organic material and other needed products to your yard. It is completely safe for the environment as the mulch disintegrates and becomes part of the soil.  Hydroseeding may also help combat soil erosion depending on the situation. 

Hydroseeding is also budget- friendly when you compare to sod installation. It provides the same thick, luxurious lawn that sod does with a fraction of the price. All you need to have hydroseeding grow effectively is regular watering.

Handseeding or Drill seeding

Why not hand seed or drill seed? 

Drill seeding is great for very large areas like agriculture fields. The seed is put down at a much lower amount per square foot so it does not create a lawn like affect. It will however create a nice stand of pasture grass. 

Hand seeding is a very inexpensive way to get some grass on the ground. It works decent but there is no comparison to hydroseeding or sod. The couple pennies per square foot that you save when hand seeding instead of hydroseeding in the Helena area will quickly be lost when you have to water much more heavily along with add fertilizer more often since the nutrients that hydroseeding add will not be there. Plus hand seeding is a very inconsistent method where hydroseeding and sod is much more evenly applied across your lawn. 

 

Hydroseeding-Important Things to Know

Hydroseeding is convenient and cost effective, but there are a few things that you should know in order to keep the growth positive.

1. Water, water, water. Just like any other plant, grass will not grow, or germinate, if there is no water. Depending on the time of year and weather, you may have to water your new yard up to 3 times a day! It is best to have a permanent automatic sprinkler system installed. If that isn’t something that you have, you can set up a sprinkler system with a series of heads and hoses as well as a battery operated timer. Questions might arise about how long to run your water, so please ask us!
2. After getting established, there are drought-tolerant grass seed varieties that we have custom blended, designed specifically for this area. We also have a mixture that will create the softest, prettiest lawn around! The type of lawn you need will be discussed during our initial meeting where we will consider irrigation, wind, sun, maintenance needs and other factors to get you the best quality. We work side-by-side with seed companies to custom tailor our seed combinations.
3. Montana Hydroseeding has a product designed to assist the watering needs of your lawn by saving water and helping the seeds get established. 

 

Hydroseeding in Helena- What’s The Cost?

Hydroseeding often costs about 75% less than sod installations. We will be glad to come measure your project and give you an exact cost. Please call our office to get the site visit set up. We have spent years installing sod and while the results are great they can not compare to a properly prepared, watered and hydroseeded yard! Sod gives you the instant grass that some people need or want but the water requirements to establish are much higher then hydroseed. Also, sod is grown very fast and cut when immature most of the time so it is incredibly stressed when it arrives to your home or business. 

 

Best time of year to Hydroseed in Helena Montana

Here is the great part about hydroseeding! You can literally hydroseed in the Helena Montana area anytime of the year except when snow is on the ground. Let us explain

1. Spring-You will have more natural rainfall to help establish your lawn and keep the added water from sprinklers down a little. However in the spring the temps are a little cooler will absolutely cause your new lawn to germinate then when its warmer. We can not estimate how much longer it will take as germination is based on soil temps. The trade offs for hydroseeding in the lower temps are you will not have nearly as much evaporation. 
2. Summer-Summer is a great time to hydroseed in the Helena area. The temperatures are warmer then the spring time so you get faster germination. However, with how hot and dry it can be you may have to increase your water times a little bit during establishment in order to keep your grass seed damp. We add some products to our mix to help retain moisture as well.
3. Fall-Fall is another great time to hydroseed. There is usually a little added moisture and with the cooler temps the water will not evaporate as fast. There may be a week or two in very late fall where we advise waiting for a couple weeks. You see, we want the grass seed to have a chance to germinate and root some prior to freezing temps OR we want it to stay dormant which we will explain in the Winter category below. 
4. Winter-Most people believe that winter is a bad time to hydroseed. While thinking logically this would seem to be correct but let us explain why this could not be more wrong. As long as there is no snow on the ground and the property that we are hydroseeding is relatively flat then winter is one of the best times to hydroseed. Grass seed when stored at the manufacturer is typically kept frozen in order to keep it from germinating or going stale. When we hydroseed in the winter the grass seed will stay dormant until spring at which time the snow will melt and provide a large infusion of water. This is called dormant seeding and works amazing! Some of our best lawns are created in the winter. There are a few rules to follow: Ground can not be frozen yet, property must be flat enough that erosion is not an issue, there can not be any snow on the ground at time of application, and the temp must be close enough to above freezing that the hydroseed pump will not freeze while working. Sometimes HOA’s require that new homes be seeded upon completion prior to the owners being allowed to move in. In this case we will break the rules where are able to and then come back in the spring and do a touch up for you where its needed.