Frequently Asked Questions

Not for tall fescue. University of Tennessee Extension puts the ideal cool-season window at late August to mid-October, and Atlanta's October highs average about 74 degrees. Early October is comfortable; late October gets riskier as nights cool. October is too late for bermudagrass, which we seed from about May through June.

It depends on light. Tall fescue, a cool-season grass well adapted to the Southeast's transition zone, is our usual pick for yards under Atlanta's heavy tree canopy, since bermudagrass is suppressed by dense shade. Bermudagrass is the stronger choice on open, sunny lots and takes heat and drought well, but it goes tan when dormant in winter and thins out in dense shade.

HomeGuide lists 2,000 sq ft at $500 to $700 and 5,000 sq ft at $1,000 to $1,750, so a 3,000 sq ft lawn falls between those. HomeGuide also notes most hydroseeding companies charge a minimum per job, commonly $300 to $500 and sometimes higher. Soil prep, topsoil and slope work add to the total, and we set the price once we measure.

It is not instant: grass shows in about a week and the first mow is roughly 4 to 6 weeks out. The area needs regular watering until roots are established, and a hard storm in the first days can move slurry on steep, bare clay if the mulch rate is too light. Timing matters too, since fescue and bermudagrass each have their own seeding window.

Yes, if the clay is prepared. Packed clay should be loosened, topsoil added where it is missing, and lime applied when a soil test shows strong acidity, which is normal for Cecil soils. Sprayed straight onto slick, compacted clay, seed often sprouts and then fails in the first dry stretch.

It is a big part of the fix. Georgia's erosion law calls for disturbed soil to be stabilized as quickly as practicable and for sediment to be trapped until it is. Seed and mulch cover the soil, while silt fence and inlet protection catch what moves before the grass takes hold.

We do, with a shade-tolerant fescue blend and realistic expectations. Grass needs some direct sun, so in very dense shade we may suggest limbing up trees or mulching the darkest spots instead of seeding them.

HomeGuide's national figures run from $0.12 up to $0.35 a square foot, with a 5,000-square-foot yard around $1,000 to $1,750, and most companies have a small-job minimum of roughly $300 to $500 or higher. Red clay lots that need topsoil, lime and loosening cost more to prepare than a yard with good soil. We quote on site once we measure.

The colored mulch makes the yard look green right away, but that is dye. With warm soil and steady moisture, grass usually sprouts in about 5 to 7 days, then fills in over the following weeks, with a first mow around 4 to 6 weeks after spraying.

We do not recommend it. Bermudagrass needs warm soil and starts growing above about 59 degrees, so fall seed struggles before winter dormancy. Seed fescue in fall, or cover the soil now and seed bermudagrass from May through June.

Once established, a well-prepared hydroseed lawn grows from seed in your own soil and roots straight into it. Sod is faster to look finished and suits small areas you need done today. Hydroseed costs far less per square foot and handles slopes and odd shapes easily.

For the first few weeks, yes. The seedbed has to stay damp, which usually means short, frequent waterings. Once the grass is up and rooted, you shift to deeper, less frequent watering.

A truck-mounted hydroseeder covers large areas in a single day, depending on tank size, water supply and access. Scheduling right after final grade matters more than spray speed, because rain on freshly graded clay creates ruts that have to be fixed first.

Yes. When a site has an erosion, sedimentation and pollution control plan with seed mixes and mulch rates, we follow it. If something on the plan does not fit the season, we raise it with you before spraying.

Temporary seeding gives fast cover for areas that will be disturbed again or that cannot get permanent grass yet. Permanent seeding is the long-term turf, usually fescue or bermudagrass in the Atlanta area, placed on final grade.

Yes. Pond banks usually need heavier mulch or erosion control blankets than flat lots, because water runs down them during every storm. We quote those areas separately.

Hydromulch suits moderate slopes where water spreads out. Blankets suit steeper banks and anywhere water concentrates, such as swales, ditch bottoms and pipe outlets. Many slopes get both: blankets in the channel and sprayed mulch on the faces.

Yes. The seed goes down first and the blanket goes over it. Grass grows up through the netting, and straw and coconut fibers break down over time.

Usually the seed is not held in place before it roots, the surface was smoothed so water sheets off, or more water is reaching the slope than it can handle. Fixing the water source, roughening the face and using a heavier cover generally solves it.

We do. A backyard bank or the slope beside a driveway gets the same approach as a commercial site, just at a smaller scale.

Any project that exposes soil where runoff could reach a street, drain or creek should have sediment control, and permitted work in the metro usually requires it on the plan. Your permit or builder will say what is required; we install to that.

The most common reasons are fabric that was not buried, so water runs underneath; fence running downhill instead of along the contour; and sediment left to build up until the fence sags or tears. Installed and maintained correctly, it works well for sheet flow.

When the area it protects is covered with established vegetation, not just freshly seeded. Taking it down too early is one of the easiest ways to get mud in the street after the next storm.

It is a barrier or filter at a storm drain inlet that catches sediment before it enters the pipe. Types include silt fence barriers, gravel and mesh, sandbags, and devices set under the grate.

It depends on what is left. If some sandy loam remains, loosening and a few inches of topsoil may be enough; bare, compacted clay needs more. We check on site rather than quoting a fixed depth.

Often, yes. Regrading the soil to slope away from the house, extending downspouts underground and cutting a swale around the house solve most pooling. Serious basement water problems may need a waterproofing contractor as well.

Yes, as part of grading: swales, buried downspout lines and small drain trenches. Large excavation such as foundations is outside our scope.

Not always a full regrade, but almost every bare lot needs some prep: debris removal, loosening, and a final grade that drains. Skipping it is the most common reason new lawns fail.

September into early October is the sweet spot. University of Tennessee Extension puts the ideal window for cool-season grasses at late August to mid-October, and Atlanta's cooling fall weather fits it well.

Most grasses need some direct sun. Bermudagrass needs full sun, and even fescue thins in deep shade. Shade-tolerant fescue, raising tree canopies to let more light in, or mulching the darkest spots are the usual options.

On compacted Atlanta clay, yes. Aeration opens the soil so seed can reach it and roots can grow down, which clay has a hard time recovering on its own.

Usually, if most of the lawn is still healthy. Lawn Love's range for overseeding is between $0.07 and $0.23 a square foot. If weeds or bare soil cover most of the yard, a full new lawn may be the better value.