Home › Guides
CDTS North & West · Technical library
Hydroseeding and Seeding Guides
Ten technical guides from CDTS North & West, UK hydroseeding contractors: how hydroseeding works, what it costs per square metre, when the UK seeding windows fall, and how it compares with drilling, blankets and turf. Written for site managers, specifiers and procurement teams, and revised as rates and regulations change.
Specifying work for a live scheme? Our commercial hydroseeding services page covers what we deliver and how to get a fixed quote.
Fundamentals
Hydroseeding fundamentals
The method, the timing and the case for using it instead of conventional seeding.
Rule of thumb: standard wood-fibre hydroseeding is suitable to around 3:1 (18°); with Bonded Fibre Matrix the limit rises to 1:1 (45°).
-
Guide
What is hydroseeding? →
How the slurry of seed, mulch, tackifier and water is mixed and applied, the six-step process from site assessment to establishment, where it is used and how to write the specification.
7–14 days to germination -
Guide
Best time to hydroseed in the UK →
Soil temperatures, regional windows and month-by-month timing for grass, wildflower and BNG mixes, plus how BFM and winter-active cultivars extend the season.
Sept – mid-Oct optimum window -
Comparison
Hydroseeding vs conventional seeding →
Cost, speed, slope limits and erosion protection compared side by side, with guidance on when a hybrid specification is the best value.
2–3 ha/day lorry-mounted rig
Costs
Costs and pricing
Current UK commercial rates and the site factors that move them.
2026 rates: amenity grass £0.30–£0.85 per m², wildflower and BNG mixes £0.45–£0.90, BFM and EFM erosion control priced on application.
-
Cost guide
How much does hydroseeding cost? →
Per-square-metre rates for amenity grass, wildflower and BNG mixes and BFM erosion control, day rates, and the access, gradient and preparation factors that move the price.
£0.30–£0.90 per m² -
Calculator
Hydroseeding cost calculator →
An instant budget estimate for your area, seed type and slope, built on the rates we quote for commercial projects rather than industry averages.
Live 2026 rates per-m² estimate
Erosion control
Erosion control
Choosing and specifying protection for slopes, cuttings and exposed ground.
Why it matters on site: rapid revegetation is the erosion measure CIRIA C532 and C811 point to first, and spraying from the crest or toe keeps operatives off the slope face.
-
Guide
Erosion control methods for UK construction sites →
Hydroseeding, BFM, EFM, rolled blankets and turf reinforcement mats compared on cost, slope limits, speed and performance, with the legislation and standards that apply.
Slopes to 1:1 45° with BFM -
Comparison
BFM vs erosion control blankets →
Which to specify on steep slopes: erosion performance, installed cost, labour, programme and the sites where each has the advantage.
Up to 99% erosion reduction -
Guide
What is Bonded Fibre Matrix (BFM)? →
How BFM works, how it differs from EFM and FGM, application rates, curing, costs and when it should be written into a specification.
4–24 hours curing time
Habitat and BNG
Habitat creation and BNG
Establishing wildflower, grassland and woodland habitats that satisfy planning conditions.
Since February 2024: most developments in England must deliver at least 10% biodiversity net gain and maintain it for 30 years, measured with the statutory metric.
-
Guide
How to achieve 10% Biodiversity Net Gain on a housing development →
Mandatory BNG explained for developers: wildflower seeding, plug planting and natural regeneration compared on cost, timescale and habitat units.
10% · 30 years net gain and management -
Guide
Direct tree seeding in the UK →
Methods, species, costs and success rates from UK research, and how hydroseeding establishes native woodland on hostile substrates such as quarry benches and spoil.
Birch, alder, pine pioneer species