Bad land is a common scenario in many areas. It is caused by massive erosion of the upper soil layers, exposing the inner soft rocks that lie just under the soil. Such erosion can result from bad farming practices, deforestation (extensive felling of trees in forested areas), or mining. Essentially, bad land cannot support productive activities such as agriculture and supporting the growth of wild vegetation and animals. The good news is that bad land can be reclaimed and restored for more meaningful use. Hydromulching is one of the ways through which such reclamation can be done. Here are some few reasons it is ideal:

Better Retention of Moisture

Often, vegetation cannot grow on bad land because of the inability of the soil to retain moisture. Essentially, rain and irrigation are the sources of water on bad land, although the water cannot help much because there is too much evaporation and runoff on the surface of the soil. This makes it hard to grow grass or any other plants on bad land as you try to reclaim and make it better. However, this is not the case when you use hydromulching. The mulch applied on the soil provides cover, which provides shade on the surface of the soil and improves its capacity to retain moisture.

Resistance to Erosion

Basically, bad land is bare, meaning that the soil is exposed to agents of soil erosion such as water and the wind. However, hydromulching provides the much needed cover that prevents further erosion of the soil. In the process, fertiliser, seeds, mulch, and a binder are mixed with water before being applied to the soil. Once the slurry has been sprayed onto the surface of the bad land, it reduces the effect of surface run-off water and the wind because it keeps the soil particles wet and heavy. This makes it hard for them to be blown away by the wind or washed by away by rainwater. Moreover, as the seeds germinate after hydromulching, their roots penetrate the soils beneath the mulch and help to bind the soil particles together.

Restores Soil Fertility

Besides improving the water retention capacity of the soil and preventing erosion, hydromulching also restores the fertility that the soil has lost over the years. Surface runoff water dissolves and washes away nutrients from the soil whenever land is bare. Hydromulching includes fertiliser meant to make the soil more nutritious. Furthermore, the mulch will also rot after some time and provide nutrients in the soil, used by the growing plants grown to restore the land.