Month: November 2021

Restoring and maintaining grass and soil quality is imperative for projects in the infrastructure, construction and mining industries – hence the popularity of hydroseeding and hydromulch products. 

While minor at a glance, the difference between these two solutions can have a significant impact on uptake speed and grass quality on site. 

Are you considering investing in a grass treatment? Do you want to find out more about each application process and which one will work best for you? Read on for insights rooted in soil science.   

What is hydroseeding?

Hydroseeding is the hydraulic application of a mixture of seed, water, fertiliser and tracer dye sprayed on top of topsoil through a cannon or hose from a machine called a hydromulcher. 

Hydroseeding mixtures contain a blend of seeds (cover crop, pasture species and natives), along with fertiliser and a binder/tackifier that acts as a glue to hold the seed in place and minimise the effects of erosion from wind and rain. 

This type of solution is suitable for flatter surfaces up to 1V on 4H with a healthy topsoil layer and an irrigation program already in place. 

What is hydromulching? 

Hydromulching describes the hydraulic application of a slurry containing mulch, tackifier, fertiliser, water and seeds onto open or disturbed ground and on steep slopes. This type of soil solution was developed by soil scientists to improve soil quality and increase plant growth rates. 

There are many advantages to using hydromulch over hydroseeding: 

Suitable for most areas
Hydromulch can be used on all typographies, including very steep slopes and uneven surfaces. Hydroseeding, by comparison, is generally ineffective on slopes as it leaves the seeds more susceptible to water runoff and erosion. However, hydroseeding can be used to vegetate stockpiles,  mounds and other non-critical areas. 

Minimises erosion and exposure
Unlike the hydromulching process, hydroseeding leaves plant seeds exposed to the environment. As a result, hydroseeding projects rely on a well prepared seedbed, a healthy topsoil layer and a strong watering program to survive. By adding a layer of mulch with newly applied seed prior to watering, the hydromulching process also minimises evaporation, erosion and exposure to pests such as birds. 

Which hydromulch products are best?

EnviroStraw has a range of hydromulch products for various applications, including our hero product, EnviroMatrix ECM – an advanced hydraulically applied biotic growth media designed for extreme conditions and slope degrees. Developed by Australia’s leading soil scientists, microbiologists and erosion control specialists, EnviroStraw’s five-strong hydromulch range has been specially formulated to deliver serious growth on highly disturbed soil. 

BFMs (Bonded Fibre Matrix)
EnviroStraw BFM is designed to control erosion and to stabilise and restore vegetation on disturbed soil sites, including slopes up to 1V on 2H. Manufactured from annually renewable, biodegradable Australian materials, it consists of heat and mechanically treated cereal straw, cellulose and wood fibres. The combination of the fibres and cross-linked, high strength polymer binders facilitate effective erosion prevention and vegetation establishment, while the product’s improved water use efficiency (WUE) reduces the water volume required in application by up to 50%.

ECM Erosion Control Matrix FGMs (Flexible Growth Mediums)
Our advanced Erosion control matrix includes an advanced polymer system with added long strand plant-based interlocking fibres that are designed to provide increased sheer stress and water holding on extreme steep slopes or in vegetated drains and high-rainfall areas. 

BGAs (Biotic Growth Amendments)
The latest innovation in Hydromulch, BGAs are designed to treat areas where topsoil is scarce or problematic and address the biological, chemical and physical requirements for erosion control and revegetation. Our all-in-one BGAs include EnviroMatrix (ECM), which is suitable for all sites owing to its natural long strand interlocking fibres, and the newly introduced BFM Complete with added binders. ECM also includes a diverse range of carefully selected strains of beneficial bacteria and fungi, with included bio-stimulants and other carbon building inputs. As a water efficient, cost-saving solution, ECM is ideal for use on depleted construction sites and extreme slopes. 

Try EnviroStraw’s hydromulch solutions today 

The real secret to growing more grass in less time is two-fold, often requiring an in-depth understanding of soil science for a holistic solution. When you need more than a surface solution, you can trust in the science behind EnviroStraw’s product range. 

Are you ready to put our soil-conditioning options to the test? Fill out the form below and our soil scientists will be in touch or click here to find out more about our hydromulch product range. 

The process of revegetating highly disturbed soils on a mine site is critical to reviving soil and establishing native vegetation. In fact, without an effective amelioration or soil conditioning strategy, projects can be put at risk. Care needs to be taken with the use of soil conditioners like Gypsum as high application rates on mine sites can create challenges with plant establishment and soil compaction.

The process of revegetation on mine sites can be an expensive and time consuming exercise, with the ultimate goal of returning the land to its former glory, and the design of any project is critical to the project outcome. Ultimately, establishing vegetation in a timely manner is critical to preventing ongoing pollution of waterways and the surrounding environment and ensuring long-term self-sustainability can be achieved.

The amelioration process: an overview

The amelioration soil conditioning process is rooted in soil science, and an understanding of the nutrients required to condition and balance the soil is critical. The first step in this process is to formulate a plan to return the soil to optimum health. You can then determine the amelioration products and volumes needed to correctly condition the soil and apply them using a hydromulching truck, a new innovation developed by EnviroStraw.

In this way, our products are more efficient and cost-effective to apply than a conventional soil amelioration program, which may require a combination of spreaders, excavators, tip trucks and loaders. Our process also typically requires only 80% of the volume of other soil conditioners.

Digging deeper: soil biology

The key to effective soil health and revegetation lies not in large volumes of soil conditioners, but in working with soil biology. The microbes in soil have the ability to feed plants, and this plant-microbe symbiosis allows both microbes and plants to thrive while also balancing pH, reducing sodicity and building soil carbon levels in the soil in a more natural way.

Mineral imbalances are common on mine sites where the soil has often suffered extensive damage due to ongoing mining activities, causing the soil to “lock up” nutrients. Adopting a perspective that sees the soil as a living being allows us to reinoculate the soil with microbes that free up these nutrients.

Common challenges faced with soil amelioration on mine sites

Working with machinery
A conventional amelioration program typically involves using several pieces of machinery, including a loader, a tractor, a spreader or excavator and tippers to transfer material from one location to another. It can be difficult to achieve an even spread of the soil conditioning agents and effectively combine them with the soil through this process, especially on steep slopes. All of this can significantly increase the cost of the project and increase carbon emissions on site.

Using soil conditioners correctly
The conventional method of conditioning soil involves flushing conditioners like Gypsum through the soil profile using high volumes of water. If this step is missed, the high rates of soil conditioners applied can cause an adverse chemical reaction in the soil, resulting in nutrient lockout and compacted soils.

Importing soil conditioner
Mine site amelioration typically requires large volumes of soil conditioners like Gypsum or Compost, for example. These must be carted to site by truck, which increases costs and carbon emissions. Storage of these high volumes can also be a challenge as they need to be kept covered and dry to minimise dust and prevent chemicals from leaching into the surrounding environment.

Why customers choose EnviroStraw’s BioGrowth™ program

BioGrowth™ is a world-first – a microbial, carbon-regenerative revegetation program designed for sites with depleted soil which can be used wherever a vegetated solution is required for soil remediation and revegetation.

An innovative outcome-driven alternative to conventional revegetation practices, BioGrowth™ works to mitigate risks commonly associated with revegetation projects by assessing and addressing influential ecological factors and constraints.

Building on conventional rehabilitation practices to revegetate and stabilise highly disturbed soil in a cost-effective manner, the BioGrowth™ program supports naturally occurring biological activity to prevent erosion, increase soil fertility and enhance soil health.

The scientifically designed and rigorously tested products used as inputs in our Australian-made BioGrowth™ Regenerative Revegetation program include:

• hydromulch medias
• specific multi-strain bacteria and fungi
• controlled release mineral fertiliser (CFF) and trace elements; and
• additional biologically and environmentally friendly inputs.

These combined inputs rapidly establish the beneficial soil bacteria and fungi that further bind the soil with glomalin (soil carbon cement) and increase soil aggregation and the soil’s ability to store water.

At its core, the BioGrowth™ program is focused on utilising easy-to-adopt, scientifically validated, economical and environmentally sustainable practices and inputs to achieve optimal outcomes. By radically improving soil health, quality and fertility, BioGrowth™ reduces the costs associated with amelioration, watering and on-going maintenance, and lowers the risk of expensive reworks.

Which EnviroStraw products are recommended and why?

EnviroStraw has a range of products designed to assist with the amelioration process on mine sites. These include Calcium Plus, a product used for soils with low calcium content and structural issues caused by sodicity, and Carbon Plus, a product used to raise soil carbon levels and encourage moisture and nutrient retention.

The advanced science involved in the development of our products goes against many long-held understandings about soil biology and soil fertility, even amongst ecologists and agronomists. That’s why we’re so focussed on sharing education around what we are doing – conditioning the soil in a natural, holistic way to build soil biology – through our website and our blog.

Are you working on a mine site with depleted soil that needs revegetation? If so, speak to one of our friendly soil scientists today to see how BioGrowth™ and our range of amelioration products can help you bring it back to life, or click here to check out our soil amelioration product range.