Frequently Asked Questions

Hydroseed, by a wide margin. HomeGuide lists hydroseeding at $0.12 to $0.35 for each square foot, against $1 to $4 per square foot for installed sod. Dry seed is cheaper still, but without mulch it is easier to lose to rain, birds and slopes.

National guides put most residential jobs between about $0.07 and $0.35 per square foot. Seeding 5,000 square feet of lawn runs $1,000 to $1,750 in HomeGuide's numbers. Minimum job fees of $300 to $500 are common. Topsoil, grading and erosion controls are extra, and we quote those once we have walked your site.

Late August through September, for the cool-season grasses that grow here. Spring after the ground thaws is the second choice. Seed sprayed after mid-October often waits until spring to come up.

Germination usually starts in one to two weeks. Most lawns are ready for a first, high mow around four to six weeks, when the blades stand roughly four inches tall.

On most Boston-area lots, yes. City yards often have fill with brick and ash in it, and suburban lots often have dense glacial till close to the surface after construction. We check depth with test holes and tell you how much, if any, you need.

Short, light sessions several times daily at the start, just enough that the mulch never dries out and never puddles. Once the grass fills in we move you to fewer, deeper waterings. You get a written schedule with the job.

With the right mix, yes. On steep slopes we add extra tackifier, or switch to bonded fiber matrix or blankets staked over the seed, which keeps it from sliding until the roots can anchor the soil.

HomeGuide's figures are $1,000 to $1,750 at 5,000 square feet and $1,900 to $2,800 at a quarter acre. Topsoil and grading are separate and often the bigger part of a Boston job. We quote both once we have measured the yard.

Often better. Seed roots grow straight into your soil instead of into a layer grown somewhere else, and you can choose a blend for your conditions. Sod only wins on how fast it looks finished.

Stay off it except to move hoses for about three to four weeks. Footprints in damp mulch leave bare spots.

Thin spots usually trace back to uneven watering, washouts or heavy shade. Call us; we look at the cause and touch up the area as needed.

No, but you need a dependable way to reach the whole area with water several times a day at first. Hoses and timers on sprinklers work fine for most yards.

Yes. Builders, site contractors and property managers make up most of our commercial jobs. We work from your plans and schedule.

Yes. We seed finished areas as they are ready and come back for the rest, which keeps exposed ground to a minimum.

Washouts happen on new slopes. We agree in advance how touch-ups are handled, and we use heavier mulch or blankets on the steep spots to cut the risk.

Yes. We install and maintain sediment controls and can remove them once the grass is established.

On steep slopes and anywhere water runs in a channel, like a swale or ditch. Hydromulch works well on gentle and moderate grades where water spreads out as it runs off.

A heavier hydraulic mulch with strong binders that dries into a continuous mat. It protects steep slopes from rain splash better than standard hydromulch, without the labor of stapling blankets.

No. Straw and coir rot away naturally while the grass comes up through them. Some blankets have plastic netting; ask us about netting-free options near wildlife areas.

Usually. We look at where the water is coming from, fill the cuts, and seed with the right cover. Sometimes the fix starts with redirecting runoff at the top.

If bare soil can wash toward a street, a drain, a wetland or a neighbor, it is a good idea, and your permit may require it. We look at the slope and tell you what makes sense.

Until the disturbed ground is stabilized, usually with established grass. Then we remove it and seed the trench line.

Fence works well on open soil where it can be trenched in. Sock is better on pavement, frozen or rocky ground, and tight city lots.

Not if it is designed right. We use filters and barriers that let water bypass in heavy storms.

It depends on what is there now. On good native soil we may only loosen and top-dress; on city fill or packed till we add more. Test holes tell us before we quote.

Yes. We regrade so water runs away from the foundation, and add a swale or drain if there is nowhere for it to go.

Yes. Brick, construction debris and the larger glacial stones get raked out and hauled as part of prep.

For drainage in the yard, yes: trench drains and pipe runs. Foundations and large excavations go to an excavation contractor.

If at least half the lawn is decent grass and the soil is reasonable, overseed. If it is mostly weeds, very thin soil or the wrong grade, renovation is usually the better spend.

Late August through September. Spring works with more watering and more weed pressure.

Yes. We remove gravel and salty soil, add topsoil, level it and seed it once the weather allows.

Shade and root competition. Fine fescue blends handle it better, and limbing up trees to let in light helps a lot.