West Branch country

Hydroseeding in Naperville, IL

Lawns and swales on flat old prairie that has flooded hard twice in recent memory.

No-charge yard walk-throughs with a quote in writing
Seed mix matched to the sun, shade and soil on your lot
Watering and first-mow instructions in writing with every job

Growing Grass Where the West Branch Runs

Hydroseeding in Naperville often starts with one question: where does the water go? Before settlement the land here was mostly flat prairie, and the West Branch of the DuPage River still runs through the city. The 1996 flood dropped 14 inches of rain in under 24 hours and caused more than $30 million in damage, and the river flooded again in 2013. Grass that is seeded without a plan for runoff tends to wash out the first time a summer storm stalls overhead.

Swales are the real job

Many Naperville yards drain through shallow rear-yard swales that carry water between houses to a storm inlet or detention pond. When those swales get filled in, scraped out by a fence install or flattened by a patio, water backs up. We reshape the swale with a grading crew, then hydroseed it with a heavier mulch rate, or lay an erosion control blanket in the flow line where water runs fastest.

Flat ground and heavy soil

Much of northern Illinois prairie formed poorly drained soils like Drummer, a black silty clay loam the USDA places on nearly level outwash and till plains. It is rich, but it holds water. On heavy ground we keep the seedbed loose, avoid working it when wet and seed at the right depth so the new grass is not sitting in saturated mud.

Near preserve land

The Forest Preserve District owns much of the land along the West Branch, which limits building in the floodplain, and preserves like Springbrook Prairie border neighborhoods. Lots that back onto open space often get silt fence along the rear line during construction so sediment stays out of the preserve.

Timing in zone 5b

Naperville sits in USDA zone 5b with about 37.67 inches of precipitation a year. Late summer into early fall is our first choice for cool-season grass; spring works if watering keeps up.

Get a free estimate or call (312) 598-0845.

Naperville Land and Water Facts

1996 flood. The 1996 flood brought 14 inches of rain in under 24 hours and over $30 million in estimated damage to Naperville.
West Branch DuPage River. The West Branch runs through the city, and the Forest Preserve District owns much of the land along it, limiting floodplain building.
Prairie origins. Before settlement the Naperville area was primarily flat prairie; its biggest hills, like Greene Valley, are human-made.
Climate zone. Naperville is in USDA hardiness zone 5b with about 37.67 inches of average yearly precipitation.

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Naperville Questions

My back-yard swale stays soggy for days. Can seeding fix that?

Seed alone will not. The swale usually needs regrading so it drains to the inlet, then seeding or a blanket in the flow line.

Can you seed right up to the forest preserve line?

We seed your lot. If the lot backs onto preserve land, we keep sediment on your side with silt fence until the grass is established.

Is my clay soil too heavy for hydroseed?

No, but it needs loosening and some topsoil on top so the seedlings are not sitting in dense, wet ground.

Spring or fall for a new lawn in Naperville?

Late summer to early fall is usually best. Spring seeding works if you can water through the first hot spell.

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