OutdoorKing Repair Forum Forums General Discussion Forum Lawn Care & Maintenance Soil wetter - options?

I'm finding that my soil/lawn is going hydrophobic really quickly this season. Could be the heat, but I don't recall it being this obvious this early in the season.

My current choice is adding sugar soap into my humic/kelp/P/K mix and using as a foliar spray the day after a foliar fertilisation application. Waters in well and if I don't add the soap, hydrophobia returns!

Have tried all kinds of wetters in the past like Seasol, Plant Doctor, granular, liquid and I'm finding that sugar soap works just as well...

Cheers,
TC.

Hi TheCount

Ive been using Amgrow professional liquid wetting agent for the last couple of years with good results.

Cheers
wce

Hi TC

I have been using Earth Choice dishwashing liquid. Natural Surfactants in it supposedly. I also add a 1/2 cup of molassis, seasol and a tin of mid strength beer to the hose end sprayer and spray it down once a month

The homebrand dish soap one is full of artificial crap and is apparently bad due to high salt content

Maybe we should trade soils. Mine is usually water logged most of the year. :lol:

AVB I'll trade 5 tonne. Mines so sandy it basically lets the water straight down to the water table or bounce off

Hate to think of the freight cost though haha

Hi TheCount,

Products I’ve used and thought were quite good:
Eco-growth eco-wet (total eden, select nurseries, Ralphys)
Lawnporn moist (stratco, certain turf retailers, online)
Plant doctor nature’s soil wetter (twice the recommended rate though) (direct from them, lawntips store)
Aquaforce and biagra (can’t remember sorry)

Products I will use this summer which I think will be good:
Munns smart wetter (Bunnings)
Ralphys Refresh (Ralphys lawn and garden)

There are also heaps of options on the lawn enthusiast websites which are more commercially oriented but will probably be excellent and more economical.
I use soil wetter fortnightly on the sand over here in Perth. Some of these options may only be available over here too.

Cheers,

John

I will also be adding Eco-Growth Eco-Humate at 1L per 100m2 to a dose of soil wetter monthly this season to see how that goes

[quote=jds303]Hi TheCount,

Products I’ve used and thought were quite good:
Eco-growth eco-wet (total eden, select nurseries, Ralphys)
Lawnporn moist (stratco, certain turf retailers, online)
Plant doctor nature’s soil wetter (twice the recommended rate though) (direct from them, lawntips store)
Aquaforce and biagra (can’t remember sorry)

Products I will use this summer which I think will be good:
Munns smart wetter (Bunnings)
Ralphys Refresh (Ralphys lawn and garden)

There are also heaps of options on the lawn enthusiast websites which are more commercially oriented but will probably be excellent and more economical.
I use soil wetter fortnightly on the sand over here in Perth. Some of these options may only be available over here too.

Cheers,

John[/quote]

Thanks John,

You're spot on with your comment about doubling the rate for PD wetter. I found it to ineffective.

I use humic acid powder (from PD) in my spray and regularly lay down the granular form. I'm finding the benefits are amazing and the soil (I have clay based) is light and not bound tightly which really helps water penetration.

For now I just add 50ml of sugar soap ($17 for 5L) to each 100m of lawn and it is working...

Cheers,
TC.

Hi TC,

I couldn’t believe the change in my soil after a couple of seasons of using humic acid products (along with other products - seaweed etc.) - the structure has really improved. In my case this has helped water retention.

I’ve never heard of sugar soap as a wetting agent.

Good luck with it all.

Cheers,

John