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What
is a wetting agent,
and is there another option?
If
you're getting married, you need a wedding agent. That's different.
Here, we talk about wetting agents, or surfactants. These are compounds
that are designed to help water penetrate the soil more thoroughly.
Some wetting agents
are made
from corn cob granules that have been impregnated (after the wedding,
of course) with detergents and an acid to break down the corn, slowly
releasing the surfactant over time.
Wetting
agents are available in liquid and granular form, can be expensive, and
need to be applied regularly.
They are applied to the lawn and then watered in.
Why
would detergent make a difference? It's because of the nature of water.
Water has a skin that carries a positive charge (just like newlyweds)
that repels other positive things, like soil. If the water is hard,
it has more positive charge. Soft water has much less positive charge,
but it contains sodium, which is a salt.
We use
detergent in our homes every day to break the surface tension to clean
things, like our hands. The water gets "small" and can penetrate the
smallest cracks, and even mix with oils and float them away.
When
soil gets wet, how wet is it? That all depends on the surface tension
and the pore size. If the soil has lots of tiny air spaces - spaces the
water can't wet, the soil can't hold on to what it never had. Using a
detergent allows the water to penetrate the smallest air spaces; those
that would otherwise never get wet.
You've
seen what happens to water on a duck's back, haven't you? Now that's
runoff! When you see water that acts like that on your lawn, your lawn
might be hydrophobic (unable to absorb water efficiently to some
degree).
You can
make your own wetting agent using the same soap you use on your sponge,
your hands and dishes. It doesn't matter whether it's Lux, Ajax, Dove
or Palmolive (your lawn is soaking in it); you can use it as a wetting
agent.
Some
people say to avoid "antibacterial" types of detergents because they
destroy some good bacteria that eat thatch. However, all detergents are
antibacterial in many ways because soaps and detergents kill bacteria.
Homemade
Wetting Agent Recipe :
Use
this ratio: 1 cup detergent (NOT laundry detergent!) mixed in 3 cups of
water per
1000 square feet' (roughly the size of two 2-car garages). Put the
water in a
bucket, then stir in the detergent. Apply the mixture to your lawns
using a hose jar sprayer (set on high) or a watering can like Mary
Contrary had. Then water it in.
You'll
be amazed at how much better the water soaks in before running off.
Remember, this won't make the soil softer (that's what aerating does);
it will make your water penetrate the smaller crevices that were dry
before.
A better
option: Moisture Managertm
is a hygroscopic humectant (it attracts water) and is an excellent way
to reduce overall landscape water use. When applied to turf or
landscape areas and watered into the root zone, this product will allow
plants to more effectively utilize any water they receive through
rainfall and irrigation.
When
water is applied to the soil, it has one of three fates. Firstly, it
can be pulled down by gravity deeper into the soil and eventually added
to the ground water. Secondly, it may evaporate and escape the soil
back into the atmosphere above the soil. Finally and most favorably, it
can be used by the plant.
Moisture
Manager
effectively minimizes the loss of soil water to evaporation by
condensing the escaping water vapor back into liquid form for the plant
to use. In fact, Moisture Manager has been documented to reduce overall
water use by as much as 50 percent.
Moisture
Manager
is effective, inexpensive, lasts three months and will make a huge
difference in the amount of water you use.
Call Green Lawns at 1-800-281-6482 to
have Moisture Manager applied
to your lawn or yard.
Click HERE
for a FREE quote online.
Questions about
your lawns? Call Green Lawns at 1-800-281-6482 or click HERE for free advice.
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