Hydroseed VS Straw Blanket

Which is better; Hydroseed or straw blanket?
We get this question alot, and they answer is really simple:

They both grow grass very well...  But that isn’t the point.

The point is that you can achieve the same or better results with less labor, less material cost and more consistency.

When you apply hydroseed the steps are simple:

1. Soil Prep
2. Apply Hydroseed Blend (water, mulch, seed, fertilizer and other additives)
3. Make sure the customer/site has a watering schedule and plan
4. Check back to see if any areas have washed out in heavy rain and touch up with light dirt and hydroseed

DONE! 

When you apply blanket, there are more steps:

1. Soil Prep
2. Apply or drill in seed
3. Apply fertilizer
4. Apply other nutrients or moisture retention aids (if needed)
5. Roll out straw blanket
6. Staple Down straw blanket
7. Make sure no pockets or air gaps in blanket where the germinating grass may “tent” the blanket (add more staples)
8. Re-check blanket after high winds to ensure it has all stayed in place and no “tents” created
9. Re-check blanket after heavy rain to make sure no hidden washouts under the blanket have occurred. If they have, pull up blanket, fix dirt, re-apply seed/fertizlier, and then re-lay blanket (more than likely new blanket because the old stuff will be mangled from pulling it up)

DONE

Furthermore, despite the manufacturer claims that the netting in straw blanket will biodegrade, it takes many, many years. It can get sucked up into your lawn mower, entangle wildlife and cause other issues when frost and rain and wind pull the netting to the surface.