Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, for most new lawns and large bare areas. The mulch keeps the seed moist and the tackifier holds it on slopes, and with warm soil and steady moisture you can usually spot sprouts within 5 to 7 days. It works best when the soil underneath is loosened and the lawn is watered faithfully for the first few weeks.

For most yards with some shade, a turf-type tall fescue blend. It stays green much of the year and tolerates shade, but it needs fall seeding and can get brown patch in hot, humid summers. For full sun and heavy wear, common bermudagrass seeded in late spring is the tougher choice, though it goes tan in winter.

Sod covers the ground instantly, so on a small, steep spot it can stop washing right away. For larger banks and graded lots, hydroseed with heavy mulch or an erosion control blanket underneath covers more ground for the money and roots in well. We often use both on one job: sod or blankets in the swale, hydroseed on the rest.

Early fall for tall fescue, roughly September into early October, and late spring into early summer for bermudagrass. Outside those windows we can still stabilize bare dirt with mulch and a temporary cover crop, then seed the permanent grass when the season turns.

Under North Carolina rules, graded slopes need to be vegetated or otherwise stabilized within 21 calendar days after a phase of grading is done, and local programs can set tighter deadlines. In practice, the sooner the better, because a single summer storm can cut rills in fresh clay.

We can, but we rarely recommend it without prep. Compacted Piedmont clay sheds water and blocks roots, so we loosen it, add topsoil or amendments where needed, and then spray. Grass on prepared clay roots deeper and needs less babysitting later.

Keep foot traffic off until the grass is up and filling in. Expect the first cut somewhere around four to six weeks, when the blades reach roughly 4 inches, with the mower set high.

Published national ranges sit around 12 to 35 cents a square foot, and most companies have a minimum around $300 to $500. Charlotte lots that need ripping, topsoil or slope work cost more than flat yards that only need raking. Once we have seen the yard, the number on your written quote is what you pay.

Seed usually sprouts in 5 to 14 days depending on temperature and moisture. The first mowing typically comes at four to six weeks, and the lawn looks full by the end of the first season.

Usually not in the same area, because they peak in different seasons and look different. We often put fescue in shaded parts of the yard and bermuda in full sun, seeded at their own times.

No, but you need a reliable way to reach every part of the lawn with several light waterings each day through the early weeks. Hoses and sprinklers on timers work fine for most yards.

The dye is there so we can see coverage. We mask or rinse hard surfaces, and any overspray on concrete washes off.

That is the point of scheduling to grade. Tell us when sections will be finished and we plan trips around them. If permanent grass is out of season, temporary seeding and mulch can stabilize the ground until the right window.

Each tank load needs a lot of water, so we settle the source at the bid: a hydrant meter, a site tap or hauled water. Whichever it is, it goes into the price so there are no surprises.

Yes. We match the species, rates, mulch and fertilizer called for on the approved plan or your spec, and note any substitutions before we make them.

Yes, in the York County towns near Charlotte. South Carolina has its own stormwater rules, so we work from the plan approved for that site.

In swales and on steep faces, usually yes. Blankets protect the soil from the first storm onward, while spray-on mulch can wash in concentrated flow. On gentle slopes, heavier hydromulch is often enough.

A spray-on erosion control product where wood fibers are bound with a stronger tackifier, forming a continuous mat. It holds better than standard hydromulch on steep ground and does not need stapling like a blanket.

Most straw and coconut blankets rot away gradually while the new turf roots through them. We will tell you which product we are using and what to expect from it.

Yes. We fill and compact it, regrade the slope so water spreads out, then seed and blanket it. If water is coming from a downspout or a neighbor's lot, we deal with that first or the gully will come back.

NC DEQ says erosion and sediment control is required regardless of the size of the disturbance, though a formal plan is only required above one acre at the state level. Local rules can be stricter. For a small residential job, a short fence line and inlet protection are often enough.

Check it after every significant rain. Sediment buildup, sagging fabric and undercut spots should be fixed promptly, because a full fence stops working.

It should not. Silt fence is meant for sheet flow. Ditches and channels need check dams, blankets or other measures built for concentrated flow.

We can. Once the area is stabilized and any inspector has signed off, we pull the fence, spread the trapped sediment and seed the disturbed strip.

Yes, in Fort Mill, Rock Hill, Tega Cay, Lake Wylie and Clover. Those sites follow South Carolina's rules, so we work from the plan approved there.

Not always. If the lot was stripped to red clay, a few inches of topsoil worked into the loosened surface helps a lot. If you still have decent topsoil, loosening and amending it is often enough.

Usually, by regrading so the ground slopes away from the house, sometimes with a drain or downspout line added. If water is coming from a neighbor's lot or a structural issue, we will tell you what we see.

Yes, for drainage work tied to grading and lawns: French drains, downspout lines and swales. Larger excavation such as foundations is outside what we do.

In the areas we regrade, yes. That is why we plan the grading so the new seed or sod goes down soon after.

Early fall. NC State's Piedmont window for overseeding thin fescue is September 1 to October 1. Spring seeding usually struggles through its first summer.

On Charlotte clay, yes in most cases. Aeration relieves compaction and gives seed better contact with the soil. NC State recommends aerating clay lawns and doing it in fall for fescue.

Likely brown patch disease, which shows up when it is humid and above 85 degrees. Mowing at 3 inches or more and watering early in the morning help, and overseeding in fall restores density.

Not with fescue as a permanent fix. Bermuda repairs itself in summer with sun and feeding; bare spots are patched in late spring with sod, sprigs or common bermuda seed.