Hydroseeding service takes agriculture around the world

By KARI KRAMER | East Texas Edition

Lance Martin, 33, operates a hydroseeding machine from the back of a truck. The bright green mixture can include seed, mulch, fertilizer, and dyes. Hydroseeding professionals must have a solid understanding of agriculture and soil science. -- Photo courtesy of L&E Services

Sept. 29, 2005 - East Texans Earl Martin and his son Lance are taking agriculture into cities around the world.

The duo owns and operates Land and Environmental Services (L&E Services). The company specializes in hydromulching, which is often referred to as hydroseeding. Hydroseeding is a planting process that uses a mixture of seed and mulch (which can be made with anything from plant scraps to newspaper), that is stored in trucks with tanks and then sprayed over the ground in an even layer.

Hydroseeding mixtures can also contain fertilizers, dyes, and other additives. The additives usually help the grass establish quicker. For the applicator, hydromulching is a science, based on agriculture, that requires a knowledge of the soil. For the customer, hydroseeding is a fast way to get a full, green lawn, faster than seeding, and cheaper than sod.

The Martins’ story begins more than a decade ago.  Earl spent more than 25 years in the agriculture sector working in the commercial fertilizer industry. He spent a great deal of that time on farms and ranches, learning about the specific needs each soil type possesses. 

Once the seeding is complete, thick green cover will establish in a matter of weeks. -- Photo courtesy of L&E Services

While Earl, now 60, was busy on farms and ranches, his son, Lance, now 33, was working with a company in Arizona doing reclamation, erosion control, and grassing projects. He spent a year in the Southwest and then was sent to Asia, where he worked on hydroseeding projects for more than two years.

When Lance returned, Earl said the two decided to combine their knowledge and form their own company. L&E Services was born.

With Lance’s experience in the field, and Earl’s knowledge of fertilizers and soils, the two took to the road.

�We have worked on golf courses, athletic complexes, commercial buildings, housing developments, parks, home lawns, lakes, farms and ranches,� said Earl.

The two have traveled across the United States with their equipment. “We travel all over the U.S.,” said Earl. “Mostly, the Western half.”

In addition, the two have worked in Asia and the Caribbean Islands.

�One of the most challenging projects was on the island of Barbados in the West Indies,� recalled Earl. �It was a 120-acre golf course being built in, and around, a rock quarry.�

For that project, Earl said the materials, including equipment, sprigs, and seed, were imported from the United States.

Earl said getting equipment and materials to a job is one of the biggest challenges the pair faces. He added that time away from home can also take its toll. Earl lives in Sulphur Springs with his wife, and Lance lives in Ponder with his wife and two children.

Despite being absent from home for long periods of time, Earl noted that the job still has its perks.

�The best part of our job is getting to know new people,� he said. �Making new friends (and) seeing the project completed and grown in.�

In addition to the travel, the good name they have built for their company, and the variety of people they have been fortunate to meet over the years, the ultimate reward is the final result - seeing their hard work pay off.

�We chose this job because of our background - our experience in agriculture and construction,� Earl said. �Plus, we like working with the soil.�

Soil is important in company’s line of work. The preparation and seeding choice is based on the soil. Earl said he encourages prospective customers to consider several variables when choosing their seeding preference for their property.

�What people should consider are the grasses they wish to establish that are adaptable to their area and climate,� suggested Earl. In addition, he said that moisture, either from rainfall or irrigation, should also be considered.

To some it is obvious how the practice of hydroseeding is agriculturally based: The soil, the seeds, the moisture. But for some, even educators, Earl said the connection seems to be lost.

�We have had some interns work with us in the summer,� he said. �(They) were very limited in knowledge of the hydroseeding process.

�It is included in some of their ag classes, but not in depth.�

Even with more and more institutions forming turf grass programs in addition to already established plant and soil science courses, the art of hydroseeding seems to be left out.

�The general public realizes how ag related this and many other businesses are - if they understand the definition of agriculture,� said Earl.

The basic definition of agriculture: The science, art, or occupation of cultivating the soil, producing crops, and raising livestock. The Martins’ line of work undoubtedly fits.