High desert ground

Hydroseeding in Palmdale, CA

Under six inches of rain a year, fifty-some frosty mornings and a long run of triple-digit afternoons.

No-charge visits to your property, with estimates in writing
Itemized quotes: prep, seed, mulch and erosion control
Seed mixes picked for coast, basin, valley or foothill

Seeding Where Rain Is Scarce

Hydroseeding in Palmdale is a different job from hydroseeding in the Los Angeles Basin. The city sits in the Antelope Valley at about 2,660 feet, on the High Desert edge of the Mojave, with the San Gabriel Mountains to the south. Normal rainfall is 5.90 inches a year, spread over about 27 days. Any plan that counts on rain to establish grass will fail most years.

Two kinds of extremes

Palmdale sees about 52 mornings a year at or below freezing and about 35 afternoons at or above 100 F. The city is in USDA hardiness zone 8b. That rules out many grasses that do fine in the basin. A lawn here needs a tough, heat-tolerant variety, an irrigation system that is working before the seed goes down, and timing that avoids both deep summer and hard frost.

Native mixes for open ground

For large lots, pad edges and disturbed land that will not be irrigated, a native seed mix is often the better choice. The plants that grow wild around Palmdale include California buckwheat, giant wildrye, white and black sage, antelope bitterbrush and desert globemallow. Seeded with hydromulch and a tackifier just ahead of the winter rains, a mix built around species like these can give cover without daily watering once established.

Holding soil and dust

When bare desert soil dries out, it moves. On graded lots, solar or utility sites and new subdivisions, a tackified hydromulch layer helps hold the surface until plants take over. Where a stormwater plan is in force, silt fence goes on the downhill edge and the drains nearby get inlet protection. Joshua Ranch Trail, a natural preservation area, is currently closed because of nearby housing construction, a sign of how much ground is being opened up around the city.

Watch the wet months

Rain here comes mainly from December through March, with February the wettest at about 1.49 inches. Rare storms can be heavy: 7.55 inches fell in December 1943. That is why sediment control still matters in a desert town.

Typical Palmdale requests

Native or wildflower seeding on large lots
Dust and erosion control on graded pads
Lawn seeding with drip or spray irrigation in place
Silt fence for builders

Get a free estimate or call (213) 451-4997.

Palmdale Desert Facts

Rainfall. Normal annual rainfall is 5.90 inches, falling on about 27 days a year.
Temperature swings. About 52 mornings at or below freezing and about 35 afternoons at or above 100 F each year.
Native plants. Local natives include California buckwheat, giant wildrye, black and white sage, antelope bitterbrush and desert globemallow.
Fault line. The San Andreas Fault crosses the Antelope Valley Freeway near the Avenue S off-ramp and runs west along Elizabeth Lake Road.

Grading, Topsoil & Dirt Work in Los Angeles, CA

Our Services in Palmdale, CA

Palmdale Questions

Can I grow a regular lawn in Palmdale?

Yes, with a heat- and cold-tolerant grass and reliable irrigation. Without irrigation, a native mix is the realistic option.

Which native plants go into a high desert seed mix?

We build mixes around locally adapted species such as California buckwheat and giant wildrye, adjusted to what the seed supplier has available that season.

Will hydromulch blow away in the wind?

Plain mulch can. We add a tackifier so the layer bonds to the soil surface and holds up much better.

Why bother with silt fence in a desert?

Rain is rare but can be heavy, and bare graded soil washes easily. Many construction permits also require sediment control regardless of climate.

Free Estimates in Palmdale, CA

Tell us whether the ground will be irrigated and we will plan from there.

Call (213) 451-4997 Free Estimate