Erosion is every gardener's nightmare! It robs your soil of precious nutrients and properties that would promote excellent plant growth. Therefore, it makes sense for you to prioritise erosion control and ensure that the soil is in good condition for growing plants. The most reliable way to do this is by resorting to a growth medium. It does well at controlling, keeping loose soil intact and enhancing the efficiency of modern agricultural practices. For instance, hydroseeding thrives when done in an environment with a growth medium.

Anyone who invests in a growth medium must know a few things to get it right. Here is a discussion that sheds more light on the subject: 

Understand the Working Mechanism

Before you decide to buy, examine the growth medium's working mechanism to understand the impact it will have on your soil. The best growth mediums come with flocculants and water-resistant tackifiers. These elements enhance the medium's bonding matrix to guarantee a robust bond with the soil particles. They also improve the particle's ability to absorb water so that your plants have enough water for all the growth stages. 

Pay Attention to Adhesion

Essentially, erosion happens when erosion agents such as moving water or wind encounter loose soil particles. Preventing this from happening involves creates strong adhesive bonds between the soil particles and growth mediums, which are designed to act as reinforcing agents. In this case, your best bet is going for a growth medium that combines both chemical and mechanical and bonds to form an erosion-resistant blanket. The blanket eliminates the impact of the erosive elements, helping the soil maintain its structure.  

Stay Away from Netting

Some growth mediums will require you to use stitching or netting as a final finish. The only problem is that the netting can cause irregularities on the top surface and allow the erosive elements to reach the loose soil particles. Therefore, you are better off with growth mediums that do not have stitching or netting acting as the bridge over the topsoil. Instead, you get highly-enhanced additives that maximise the bonding on the top surface where there is a high impact of erosion. 

Focus on Easy Installation

The growth medium costs you money, so it helps to keep installation costs as low as possible. When buying, make sure that the growth medium allows mixing with hydro-seeders, fertilisers and seeds. You can then shoot the medium from a cannon or hose during installation.  

For more information about growth mediums, like Flexterra growth medium, reach out to a local gardening supplier.

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