Home of the Penn soil series

Hydroseeding in Upper Providence, PA

The official type location for Penn soil, the red shale ground found across southeastern Pennsylvania, is in this township.

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Seeding on Red Shale Ground

Hydroseeding in Upper Providence Township means working with a soil that was literally defined here. The USDA's official type location for the Penn soil series is a corn field in Upper Providence, 250 feet southwest of Hafner Road and Old State Road. Penn soil is a dark reddish-brown silt loam weathered from reddish shale, siltstone and fine sandstone, and it covers large parts of southeastern Pennsylvania.

What Penn soil means for a lawn

Penn soils are well drained, but bedrock is only 20 to 40 inches down. That shallow depth means a lawn can dry out quickly in July, and grading cuts can hit shale fast. When we prepare a new lawn here, we try to keep or replace the topsoil rather than spreading seed on bare subsoil, and we recommend a drought-tolerant tall fescue blend. Slopes on Penn soils range from nearly level to steep, so on banks we switch to a heavier hydromulch or to bonded fiber matrix.

Rivers on two sides

The Schuylkill River forms the southwestern boundary and Perkiomen Creek separates the township from Lower Providence to the southeast. The old Schuylkill Canal ran about five miles through here, and in the 1950s the lower canal was used as a silt holding basin after the river was dredged. Silt has been a local issue for a long time; keeping it on the job site with silt fence and inlet protection is part of every project we do.

New neighborhoods

The township grew from 15,398 people in 2000 to 24,091 in 2020. US Route 422 is the main highway, and new construction lots need silt fence during building and fast seeding at the end.

Common work

New lawn installation in recent subdivisions
Silt fence and inlet protection for builders
Slope seeding on shale banks
Topsoil and grading where cuts reached shale

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Upper Providence Soil and Water Facts

Penn soil type location. The official Penn soil series type location is in Upper Providence Township near Hafner Road and Old State Road.
Shallow bedrock. Penn soils are well drained silt loams from reddish shale, with bedrock 20 to 40 inches down.
River boundaries. The Schuylkill River forms the southwestern boundary, and Perkiomen Creek separates the township from Lower Providence.
Canal silt basin. After the Army Corps dredged the river in the 1950s, the lower Schuylkill Canal served as a silt holding basin.
Growth. Population rose from 15,398 in 2000 to 24,091 in 2020.

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Upper Providence Questions

Why does my lawn burn out every summer?

Penn soil is shallow over shale, so it holds less water. More topsoil and a drought-tolerant seed blend help.

We hit red rock while grading. Can grass grow there?

Not directly on shale. We spread several inches of topsoil before seeding.

Do builders here need silt fence?

Yes. Silt fence and inlet protection keep soil on site during construction.

Can you seed steep banks near the Perkiomen?

Yes. The steepest sections get bonded fiber matrix or erosion control blankets over the seed.

Free Estimates in Upper Providence, PA

Free estimates throughout Upper Providence Township.

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