Landscape Architect Articles

Combating Landscaping Labor Shortages08-19-15 | News

Combating Landscaping Labor Shortages
Hydroseeding Products Can Only Cut Application Time

ProGanics• Biotic Soil Media™ has been designed as a topsoil alternative that accelerates the development of depleted soils/substrates with low organic matter, low nutrient levels and limited biological activity. Photo: Profile Products

With the post-recession loss of 100,000+ landscape jobs, forecasts claim it will take another decade to regain those positions. Finding the manpower to do time-intensive tasks like laying topsoil, sod and erosion control blankets can be challenging.

One solution is to utilize hydroseeding products that cannot only cut application time 50-80 percent with their ability to be sprayed hydraulically, but also perform better for many projects.

On one abandoned and completely denuded 2.7-acre home development site, for example, Profile Products ProGanics Biotic Soil Media topsoil alternative slashed application time from five days to one and reduced material costs 40 percent by eliminating nearly 100 truckloads of dirt. It also helped turned the site from brown to green in a matter of weeks.

Using other hydroseeding options like Flexterra HP???(R)???AE???? (a patented erosion control product that also promotes rapid germination and vegetative establishment) and ProMatrix???(R)???AE???? (a hydraulically applied mulch for cost-effective soil stabilization and seed establishment on active construction and building sites) instead of a blanket or sod similarly cuts hours off application time.

ProGanics Biotic Soil Media is one of the most advanced Engineered Soil Media•. Soils and substrates associated with land disturbing activities are inherently lacking in organic matter.

Nutrients and biological activity are essential to sustainable vegetative establishment. Ideally these sites would be covered with several inches of rich fertile topsoil to help develop a reasonable growing medium. However, there is simply not enough suitable or reasonably priced topsoil to counteract inhospitable conditions on every site.

ProGanics is not a direct replacement for expensive topsoil, but provides an abundant source of organic matter and soil building components to quickly modify soil chemistry, initiate growth establishment and buildup of the uppermost O and A soil horizons.

Unlike peat harvested from fragile wetlands, all components of the ProGanics Biotic Soil Media blend are naturally derived and renewable, and engineered to optimize moisture retention, growth and establishment of vegetation.