Hydroseeding in Rio Linda, CA

Hydroseeding in Rio Linda has to account for what sits a short way under the surface. The soil here is mainly hardpan made up of silted clay and fine sands. Across the eastern Sacramento Valley, the USDA's San Joaquin series describes a similar pattern: a duripan 20 to 40 inches down, very slow permeability and medium to very high runoff. Water cannot soak away quickly, so yards pond in winter and dry hard in summer.

What hardpan means for new grass

Seed itself does fine on hardpan ground; it is the roots and the water that struggle. We rip or till the surface where we can, add topsoil to deepen the root zone on thin spots and set a slight grade so winter water drains across the surface instead of sitting. Watering should be lighter and more frequent, because water cannot drain down quickly.

Poultry colony to horse country

Rio Linda sits on part of the 1844 Rancho Del Paso grant. In 1910 a Minneapolis company bought 12,000 acres, subdivided it in 1912 and, by the 1920s, advertised the area to Eastern buyers for poultry farming. Those larger lots still shape the town: many parcels have room for pasture, paddocks or an arena alongside the house.

Pasture and arena edges

On horse properties, we hydroseed pasture blends on grazing areas and sturdier mixes along fence lines and arena edges where hooves and wind wear the ground. Gibson Ranch Park, with 325 acres of open countryside and horse stables, gives a good picture of the kind of ground most local pastures sit on.

Near Dry Creek

Dry Creek passes through Rio Linda on its way to Steelhead Creek and the Sacramento River, and it is noted for causing local flooding. Parcels near the creek need sediment controls during any grading and quick cover afterward.

Getting an estimate

Tell us the size of each area and whether it is lawn, pasture or a bank. Get a free estimate or call (916) 249-7160.