It's important to keep in mind that wetting agents treat soil, not turf, so they only work where you put them. If you don't water them in, all of the function remains near the top. If you have no tolerance for dry spots, you need to use a retainer, or use a distributor barely watered in.
Most will need to be thoroughly watered in and can be reapplied every six to eight weeks, as often as needed to treat water repellent soil. Granular products are usually made up of a carrier medium, such as cork, which holds the soil wetting agent and any other additives, such as minerals and trace elements.
Application and Safety
Unlike fertilisers that can cause toxicity if applied too frequently or in too large an amount, wetting agents present no such risk. While they won't cause in problems, applying them too frequently is a waste of money – once they have done their job there is nothing more that can be achieved.
The wetting agent should be applied to the lawn prior to rain or watering. You can apply to the whole lawn which may include some greener areas or just to the dry areas. If applying to dry patches, treat an area slightly larger than the patch itself.
How long do wetting agents take to work? You will see results 10 days after wetting agent and water application.
To effectively kill weeds, it's recommended that you spray 30 minutes to an hour before rain, if not earlier, depending on the brand you choose. After it rains, wait for the leaves to dry out before spraying, or the herbicide may be washed away.
Wetting agents, which include surfactants, reduce the surface tension of water so that it spreads and is absorbed by dry soil and potting mix. They help water transfer from particle to particle. They are widely used to enhance the effects of pesticides.
Long term conditions in older lawns may need treating every month from April to August (5 applications). This means typically you would need to order enough to treat the total area 3 to 5 times in any one year. This product has a shelf life of 3 years.
Generally, wetting agents should be applied as often as fertilisers — about two to four times a year in most garden situations. Granular form is the slow-release way to apply a wetting agent, while liquid form works more immediately but isn't as long lasting.
Wetting agents are commonly used to reduce the surface tension of water and thus help the water-based solutions to spread. Wetting agents are utilized in many different products. In coating industry, wetting agents help the fluid phase to wet pigment particles during the pigment dispersion process.
You can make your own wetting agent using the same soap you use on your sponge, your hands and dishes.
If grass clippings or leaf litter clog on your lawn, they can prevent the soil from absorbing water as it would under normal conditions. Soils. Hard, compact soils and heavy, sticky clay soils are also less absorbent and prevent surface water from seeping into the ground.
While it's best to immediately water in the wetting agents upon application, if you do need to leave it for a little while that's okay – wetting agents will not burn the lawn if left like fertilisers will.
For best results, soil surfactants should be applied two weeks before seeding to prepare the soil. A second application is beneficial three to four weeks after seedling establishment to ensure continued soil moisture uniformity.
How long does the wetting agent treatment last? Granular wetting agent treatment can last for up to five months in domestic lawns providing it is applied in the spring when conditions are wet or when it is thoroughly watered in.
Different types of wetting agents
Most granular and liquid concentrates need to be watered in well, but it is always best to check the product label.
All wetting agents are surfactants, but not all surfactants are wetting agents. Wetting agents are a class of surfactants that lower the interfacial tension of a liquid. An example is water. Water has a high interfacial tension, so a drop of water tends to “bead” on a hydrophobic surface, such as plastic.
Typically, 5-6 oz is used for 30 days, and 2-3 is used for 10-14 day applications. It's fine to mix the wetting agent chemistries with other types (foliars, PGRs, fungicides) provided that you have enough free water in the tank for tank mix compatibility, and you water in the application that night.
By simply adding a chemical wetting agent called aerosol to water, we reduce both surface and interfacial tension. In fire fighting, wet water will penetrate into a burning cotton bale and extinguish the fire. It is similarly effective on fires in mattresses and other materials difficult to wet, and on brush fires.
There are four main types of wetting agents: anionic, cationic, amphoteric, and nonionic. Anionic, cationic, and amphoteric wetting agents ionize when mixed with water.
Another way of making your own wetting agent is to add 3 drops of detergent to 5 litres of water. Make sure that you are using a plant-based detergent that does not have a fragrance as fragrances are often toxic.
When it comes to watering the lawn after a lawn care application, a good rule of thumb is to wait at least 24 hours after an application before watering but be sure the lawn receives a good watering within the first 10-14 days of the application being applied.
It's usually not recommended to cut weeds before spraying them with herbicide. Cutting weeds can reduce the effectiveness of the herbicide by limiting the amount of leaf surface available to absorb the chemical.
Herbicides: Time of day you spray can make a difference Herbicides: Time of day you spray can make a difference. University studies show crop weed herbicide applications made early in the morning when the winds not blowing typically gives much less control than that same application later in the day.