Today's machines do it easier and faster than ever before.
When it comes to raising turf, both customer and regulator are in a hurry. They want it done faster and more economically than ever before. Fortunately, whether it's hydroseeding, sprigging, or a dry application, today's machines are meeting that challenge. It still takes a careful, knowledgeable operator to successfully establish turf, especially on steep slopes, but doing so is easier than ever.Take, for example, the Bermuda Blender from Reinco. "All industry rates, with quality materials, are achieved when it comes to slurry applications," declares George Braun, vice president. Speaking from Reinco's Plainfield, NJ, headquarters, Braun points out that the company's newest 500-gal. vertical agitator is a blender, not an auger. "Vertical suspension keeps support assembly bearings above the slurry level for ease of maintenance. The material is pumped upward and gravity draws it back down, allowing for uniformity in the mixer."
Braun also cites simplicity of both operation and maintenance. "Our largest [3,000-gallon] hydroseeding machine has just eight lubrication points, and six of those get a shot of grease every 80 to 100 operating hours. The other two are charged every 20 operating hours." On the smaller machines, pumps have a visual indicator on the lubricator cup, which is easily seen from the perimeter of the machine.
Furthermore, there's a short learning curve to operating the machine. Adds Braun, "The operator basically needs to get some experience with the materials that he's mixing. He can adjust the mixing speed to what's comfortable, and the mixing is often handled as quickly as the machine can be loaded." Ditto for the jet-agitated machines.
He says the Bermuda Blender had been designed to handle bonded fiber matrix (BFM) materials. "When [the Bermuda Blender was] originally developed, the products then available could contribute to cavitation and aeration of the slurry. Now the ability to control mixing using the centrifugal system minimizes air entrainment, utilizing standard pumps and lower horsepower requirements."
Pointing out that the blender has been out since 1995, Braun states that today's models are just two-thirds as high as the earlier models. "The machine can be handled by one person, but it's more practical and cost-effective to have two or more to minimize material-handling efforts and when you may have to use hoses in some areas."
Mechanical or Jet Agitation?
One of the ongoing debates with hydroseeding has been whether it's better to use a mechanical agitator or a jet agitator. Braun comments, "The physical properties of materials are the same for either system. First and foremost, consideration must be given that hydraulically applied mulch materials require the absorption of water to be pumpable. Wetability of the materials introduced will affect mixing and discharge rates. Regardless of the mulch fiber material, whether wood, paper, Kraft, cotton, straw, or peanut hulls, the rule of thumb is 40 pounds of material–plus or minus 10%–to 100 gallons of water.
"The addition or subtraction of amendments for the particular charge will affect the charging rates. Some materials are manufactured with amendments premeasured to improve their wetability or pumpability. Material shelf life and storage will affect certain materials. While applicators wish to increase the mulch application rates with lessened water intensity on the site, the ratios still remain close. Granular materials do not absorb water and are considered on the basis of their effect on system wear. The coarser the materials, the greater the abrasive effect on the components."
Braun explains that the jet-agitation system in Reinco's Hydrograsser line incorporates a uniquely designed tank configuration to produce a violently turbulent action, which mixes material load rates comparable to any other mixing system since its introduction in 1958. "Over the years, changes in pump design and basic system piping configurations have been made to maximize performance while maintaining functional simplicity. This agitation system offers fast uniform loading of materials. The pump discharge through a common manifold provides turbulence to maintain uniformity in the mix, as well as discharge pressure."
On the other hand, mechanically agitated units incorporate an independently controlled vertical blender to lift the slurry materials upward in the tank, allowing gravity to complete the cycle. "The system was designed to allow the operator to control the mixing speed of the slurries, where the ingredients may contribute to aeration and cavitation of the pumping systems. For systems that utilize centrifugal-type pumps, this is a potential problem with high surfactant and/or tackifier rates. By controlled slowing of the mixing apparatus, air entrainment or loss of prime in the pump can be minimized. A pump bypass to the tank incorporates a jet to prevent ‘dead heading' [blocking pump discharge] or ‘shock' [flow interruption] when the spray valve is closed. This system also allows for charging of materials with a full tank of water, where restrictions, preference, or ordinance prohibits or prevents charging of materials at the water fill site."
Bob Lisle, president of Easy Lawn in Bridgeville, DE, says that jet is ideal for machines up to 1,200 gal., but larger units need mechanical agitation. "Easy Lawn's new larger machines are hydraulically powered, including the pump, agitator, and mulch grinder, so that they are easier to operate. Hydraulics are easy to control, and with stainless steel tanks maintenance is less of a chore."
Lisle remarks that it doesn't take long to become familiar with using the Easy Lawn Contractor Series. "The 900-, 1,200-, and 1,500-gallon units take about 45 minutes to learn that valves to operate and when. The 2,800- and 3,300-gallon units take about double that time."
Sprigging is another option for EC measures. "In the Southwest and along the Gulf Coast, they plant grasses which do not have a seed source, so they have to do it from sprigs. Sprigging takes about the same time as hydroseeding with mulch."
Meeting the Price Challenge
Regarding what the biggest challenge is with hydroseeding today, Chuck Boyles, owner of Treeland Nurseries in Frederick, MD, relates, "Prices are so very, very competitive. I have become very selective and am offering package deals that include landscaping, sod, walls, patios, and paver work. I'm looking for diversity, and hydroseeding made up only 35% of the $1.5 million we did in 2001."
Treeland Nurseries, now on its third generation of family management, was founded in 1951. Noting that his three 1,500-gal. machines are older models, Boyles adds, "They will do small work as well as big work. We've hydroseeded as little as 3,000 square feet in a project as well as seeded, strawed, and packed upward of 30 acres in a single day. That took three hydraulic seeders and two straw blowers, and they went all day long."
Maintenance has been the key to long life for the machines. Every three to five years, Treeland Nurseries takes a machine into the shop, where it's disassembled, sandblasted, and repainted. "We replace worn-out parts with the latest versions. This is easy because it's a simple machine to maintain. When there's a problem, all I have to do is call George at Reinco, and he has the answer."
A Host of Other Machines
A prime supplier of jet-agitation equipment is Turbo Technologies Inc. in Beaver Falls, PA. Ray Badger, president, reports the company's newest series, the ZX line (introduced in 2000), is powered by 24-hp Kohler engines, with 24-hp Honda or 33-hp John Deere diesel as options. "The pump rate can reach 740 gallons per minute, and tank capacities range from 300 to 1,500 gallons. This makes it possible for operators to cover from 4,000 square feet to a half acre per load. It can handle any seed, paper mulch, or wood mulch or mix as well as polymers and tackifiers. The jet mixing system makes it possible for the applicator to spray up to 135 feet from the nozzle."
Furthermore, it takes just two to three minutes to clean the poly tank. The simple drive system provides increased reliability because the only moving parts are the impeller in the pump and some ball valves. "There are no hydraulic motors or chains, no sprockets, no belts," Badger explains. The new machines are 60% lighter than older models.
On the mechanical-agitation side, and providing some of the smallest machines in the industry, is the AgiGator line developed by Kincaid Equipment of Haven, KS. David Scott, who has been the factory rep for three years, states that Kincaid is a relative newcomer to the hydroseeding business. "We have two product families. The smaller one is the AgiGator, which comes in two sizes: 425 gallons and 700 gallons. Mechanical agitation allows contractors to apply the thickest BFMs and the new [mechanical] BFMs at the recommended rates. Those mixtures can be shot 75 feet from a tower or sent 350 feet through a hose."
What makes all of Kincaid's machines particularly handy is that the operator can draft water directly from a pond or a creek as well as a nurse tank. "This means one less piece of pumping equipment to keep track of and maintain," Scott explains.
The larger family, the Pro Series, is available in 900- and 1,200-gal. sizes and will introduce a new 3,000-gal. unit early this summer. "Our Pro Series is competing with Bowie and Finn," Scott notes. "We looked at the best of both and combined those features into one machine. This includes a gear pump with full recirculation and reversible hydraulic agitation. We also added saddle tanks to carry 140 gallons of fresh water. That water can be used to clean out the machine at the end of the day or be put into the main tank to stretch a load. Simplified valves and plumbing are also areas that have been improved."
Hydromulching
Warren Binion, southern states environmental products sales and marketing manager for Central Fiber in Ft. Worth, TX, comments that hydromulching is growing. "When hydroseeding was first developed, it primarily was a mix of seed, fertilizer, and water. Then in the early '60s they incorporated mulch, which became hydromulching, creating a one-step process rather than two. Sometimes there is a need to hydroseed to get a better seed/soil contact, then come back over with a mulch cap of anywhere from 800 to 2,500 pounds per acre."
When it comes to the challenge of properly preparing sites where access is a problem, he recalls a retention pond in a residential development area in the Dallas—Ft. Worth Metroplex. "We could not drive to the far side of the pond because the area was fenced in. We had to go from the street side and drag the 1.5-inch hose across the 100-foot-wide pond. I was on the hose, with a crewmember standing next to the water on my side and another crewmember across the water near the truck. We were using 2,000 pounds of paper mulch per acre and had a half acre of a three-to-one slope to cover."
He reports that the job took about one and a half hours to spray after stringing the hose across the water. "It was early summer, and the water was low, so once we got on the other side it was pretty much your typical project."
Binion, who also demonstrates hydromulching techniques and product use, including BFM materials, remarks that successful applicators take the time to clean up afterward, leaving the site in good standing and keeping the mulch where it belongs. "If you do a good job, the customer will tell a few people, but if you do a lousy job, the customer tells everybody."
Other Refinements
Because the demand for hydromulching is increasing, Finn has produced its Series 2 line of HydroSeeders, incorporating a custom-designed centrifugal or progressing cavity (PC) pump configuration. "We have developed both pump offerings in order to best satisfy the varied demands of contractors," explains Walter Butman, executive vice president for Finn Corporation in Fairfield, OH. "With the PC pump, up to 1,000 feet of hose can be used on hard-to-reach projects with minimal reduction in pressure. It is ideal for golf course hydrostolonization or mountainous regions where you can't easily get close to the project with vehicles."
Butman explains that the PC pump works on a different principle than the traditional centrifugal pump. "It's an auger-type pump that is driven hydraulically, turning in a screwlike fashion. The rotor turns within a rubber stator, creating positive displacement and pushing the thick slurry through the hose, delivering up to 125 gallons per minute at 200 psi. The large models are available with both pump types on the same unit. The operator can easily open and close a valve, sending slurry flow to the desired pump, depending on the material and application. Material can be applied through a weight-counterbalanced discharge boom or through lengths of hose for more detailed spraying."
Thanks to the direct-drive configuration, maintenance is simplified and performance is increased. Butman states, "Spray distance was increased by 20% when we went to the Series 2 [direct-drive clutch/pump] configuration, and that's important on tough-to-reach sites." Furthermore, mixing time has been greatly reduced, thanks to more aggressive, reversible, hydraulically driven mechanical paddle agitation. "With a 1,200-gallon unit, a 13-acre load can be mixed and discharged in less than 30 minutes, so contractors can put down some major acreage in a day."
Another refinement is the addition of hydraulically powered hose reels, which Butman says makes the operation less ergonomically challenging with power in both wind and unwind directions. "With a flick of a lever you can pull out 200 feet of hose or reel it in. It's more like walking a dog instead of dragging a hose."
Shop-Built Advantages
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| The self-contained Top Gun 185 is designed to handle big, round bales. |
Although David Sherbrooke, owner of Sherbrooke Turf Inc. in Pelican Rapids, MN, is pleased with his three Finn HydroSeeders, he's had conveyors built that run off the power take-off and carry the products to the top of the tank. "All of our trucks have hydraulically run pumps so we can fill the 2,500- to 3,000-gallon tanks in five minutes from any body of water."
Looking at the hydroseeding challenges, Sherbrooke sees thin rates as an industrywide problem. "Hydroseeding products are great when applied correctly, but they can really be failures when applied incorrectly. Most of the time, when hydroseeding products do fail, I'd say the biggest thing isn't the product, but the applicator.
"After the site is prepared, if it's flat enough, we like to incorporate seed in the dirt, then put the hydroseeding mulch or BFM on top. If it's too steep, then we incorporate both the seed and the hydraulic material and apply in a one-step application. Lawn seeds need soil contact, not burial, so we rough up the surface just 3 inches, unless rocks are a problem. Then we put the seed atop the dirt and cover it with BFM, and it grows fine."
His standard strategy in his 80-100 jobs per year is to incorporate the seed, then spray the nutrients, hydromulch, or BFM, depending on need. One challenge in his part of the country is rain during the first eight to 10 hours after planting. "If it rains before it dries, it's like having too much water in the mix. The chemistry won't work right." Yet much of his work involves 1:1 slopes, so hydromulching or BFM is part of the job.
Sherbrooke's supplier is Brad Braden of Mat Inc. in Floodwood, MN. Says Braden, "Bonded fiber matrix products are becoming more popular for contractors because of increased demand for stringent erosion control plans and Phase II NPDES [National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System] requirements. Contractors have to cover the ground and establish vegetation as quickly as possible, yet it may take up to eight people a full day to put down an acre of blankets. But a two- or three-person crew can do that same acre in just three to four hours with a BFM product. Even better is that with BFM, 100% coverage is simpler than trying to get 100% contact with a blanket. BFM also allows you to add seed and fertilizer to the slurry to eliminate a step in the process, saving time and money.
"The liquid blanket helps contractors avoid air pockets, which lead to underrilling and seed and soil loss, which are common with blankets. BFM products can stand up to one-to-one slopes, and I've seen them used successfully on even more severe slopes."
Handling the Mulch
Since erosion control is part of the criteria, getting dry materials to stay put is another concern. One answer has been the Mulch Tucker from Brillion. "We first came out with the 8-foot model, but landscapers wanted a smaller unit, so we came out with the 6-foot model," explains Mike Irish, general manager. He adds that the two-tier machine has tucker blades spaced 8 in. apart. The notched blades are 20 in. in diameter and made out of abrasive-resistant steel.
"The second half that makes it different from other tuckers is our pulverizer. If you're running a tucker blade on damp or rough ground, the pulverizer will firm it back up and give it a nice finish. It also increases soil/seed contact. Users report a 60% to 70% improvement over not firming up the ground after application." Furthermore, the only moving parts are four bearings, and they're triple-sealed.
Irish notes that Brillion just started delivering its 36-ft. folding turf-making grass seeder. "The actual seeding unit has been around since 1996, but we've put it on a framework that follows the contours of the ground. It folds to 14 feet wide for road travel." He notes that those with small planting windows do 200 ac. in a day with the new machine.
Large projects call for big machines, and Vermeer's new Top Gun 185 is designed to handle big, round bales. "It's a self-contained, skid-mounted unit and can spray a big bale of straw up to 100 feet in less than five minutes, covering as much as a half acre," explains Jay Van Roekel, market development and sales support manager. "It has a 185-horsepower John Deere 6.8-liter engine. The belt-driven main drive system operates flails and blowers, with hydraulics turning the bale to keep it unrolling as well as rotating the gun."
Van Roekel states that an operator has complete control with the joystick and a couple of finger switches, while the padded seat swivels to minimize body movement. "The big change on this machine is that it can cover 300º, which allows the driver to drive with the flow of traffic when reworking a shoulder. This helps minimize traffic interruption." Furthermore, since big, round bales are considerably cheaper than two-twine bales, the savings in mulching materials help contractors quickly recover the cost of buying the bigger machine.
Shop-Built Machine Answers Contractor's Need
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| The HG-5H2A Hydrograsser uses a jet-agitation and Quad Blender arrangement to disperse slurry. |
Gregory Seeding and Landscaping Inc. of Pulaski, VA, uses big, round straw, but his machine is shop-built. "Over the years, we've done a lot of modifications on equipment in our shop," confesses Edward Gregory, second-generation owner of the company. "Our blower unit is shop-built, and it has the capacity to blow lime 150 feet to the right or to the left. Now we can handle all lime in bulk instead of bag, and lime is our first application on our projects." Gregory notes that the company does about $1.5 million a year, with 15% hydroseeding and 85% straw and tacking.
"Earlier we found rilling was a major problem because the sprayed-on products didn't have the control for runoff that straw did. Today 99% of what we're doing includes a straw mulch. We put down the seed, fertilizer, and lime in the first application, then come back the same day and put down the straw, followed by an application of 750 pounds of Hydrofiber or another hydromulch as a tacking agent. All three trips are done the same day and give us superior control."
Gregory reports that a crew of seven can seed 40 ac. a day on roadside projects. "Before we had the shop-built modifications, we were doing just 10 acres and working everybody to a pulp. In 2000, we used small, square bales–about 58,000 of them. We knew that we had to make a change or cut the operation down because it was too labor-intensive."
Gregory created his own patented cab-enclosed machine, which he reports will blow straw 175 ft. in still air. One difference the shop-built machine has made is in job preference. "It used to be that tackifying was the best job; now it's the worst."
Over on the Dry Side
When it comes to laying down seed, the latest development is incorporating soil with the seed instead of hydroseeding. Dan Sutton, vice president of marketing for Rexius Inc. in Eugene, OR, comments, "The longer we do this, the more we realize the success rate of germination and success of growth have been so much more [compared to] existing practices. We are seeing that our success has exceeded that of many hydroseeding applications that were done side by side or at the same time of year in similar conditions. In addition, we are finding more and more additives we can inject with the seed to help stabilize slopes and enhance the biological characteristics of the soil media or compost used with our terraseeding process.
"Hydroseeding in most cases is not normally an immediate control for erosion. It takes time for the seed to germinate and for roots to help stabilize, whereas blowing compost with seed offers immediate stabilization. Then as the seed germinates, long-term erosion control happens. Furthermore, there's no need to follow up with a straw mulch, et cetera. One application does it all."
So what are contractors saying about the process? Bob Downin, president of Downin Green Grow in Columbus, IN, comments, "Our hydroseeding projects were just too sparse. With this system, the seed is injected into the dirt and covered with 2 to 4 inches of an organic topsoil. Before, it took seven to 10 days for rye and fescue to germinate and 21 days for bluegrass. With terraseeding, we get germination in three to four days with rye and have a green lawn in a week."
He adds that the morning after a 5- to 6-in. storm, he saw that hydroseeded projects were totally gone, but his terraseeded job was still intact. "The nice thing about spraying compost and mulch is when it rains it absorbs water like a sponge. With hydroseeding and straw, water passes under and washes away the soil. Plus, the compost process has killed all the pathogens and weed seeds, so we're basically putting down sterile soil, giving our projects a cleaner, healthier stand."
Downin reports that the process has opened up a lot of opportunities for his company. "We were in the lawn-spraying business, and we wanted to get into something more environmentally friendly. Now we have all kinds of landscaping opportunities, including berm building and other erosion control measures, terraseeding, and even supplying sand and gravel for private beaches and in crawl spaces."
In Augusta, ME, Kevin Lane, senior vice president of Mulch Maine-ia, reports that commercial customers like the terraseeding technology. "Our customers include Rite Aid drugstores, Shaws and Hannaford Brothers grocery chains, and other successful landscape contractors. We mow 125 acres of lawn a week and maintain over 100 acres of flowerbeds and more than 150 acres of parking lots. We don't do any hydroseeding, we terraseed with a blower truck."
One of his many projects for the state of Maine included 1,500 yd. of top dressing and terraseeding in the decommissioning of a nuclear power plant in Wiscasset. "The job started June 2001, and it took about nine working days to handle 69,000 square feet of containment berm 17 feet high, which we seeded. We've also done some wildflower seeding on I-295 in the middle of Portland, placing crown vetch lupine, black-eyed Susan, and North All Annual mix." He points out that applying compost and seed at the same time protects the seed from birds and erosion.
Regarding how he handles the competition, Lane relates, "The biggest thing for us is we guarantee our work, and we emphasize the service not the product. Another thing is, in keeping our integrity, we push the limit of our equipment to the point of failure. For slope stabilization, we don't install anything under 3 inches because we've had problems with rilling on lighter applications."
So whether the technology is hydroseeding, sprigging, or terraseeding, ultimately the success of any project still depends on the applicator behind the gun.