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Lawn Soil Wetting Agent Treatments
Wetting agents have been used in the sports turf industry for many years to help green keepers and groundsmen control dry patch disease, reduce the amount of water they apply, and improve plant nutrient efficiency. In lawn care, this practice has not been so commonly used because of the frequency required to make a difference.
More recently, professional long lasting wetting agent products have become available that can be effective in the soil for between 4-6 months which is ideal for lawns if applied in the spring when conditions are moist. Applying wetting agents can help reduce damage and drought stress to the lawn caused by prolonged dry weather conditions.
The benefit of wetting agents explained
What is a lawn wetting agent treatment?
Wetting agents are a granular or liquid product applied to your lawn to make water more efficient in the soil. The wetting agent reduces the surface retention of water assisting it to penetrate the soil so that the water can be utilised by the grass plant.
How does a wetting agent help my lawn?
Wetting agents help water to be more efficient in the soil and increase the ability for the soil to retain moisture. This is becoming more important due to the longer, hotter, drier summers that we are experiencing and limited water resources. In dry periods a wetting agent will help to ensure more water makes it into the root zone, rather than remaining on the surface and evaporating.
In periods of drought, it is the length of time soil stays dry, and the loss of even very small pockets of moisture that cause complete root death rather than dormancy. By applying a wetting agent, we can shorten the period where the soil is very dry by helping the soil to retain moisture and speed up how quickly it rehydrates – this will reduce the risk of large areas not recovering after drought.
How do wetting agents work?
If you ever wax your car, you will see that when it rains the water turns to little beads and readily runs off. When conditions turn dry soil microbes that break down organic matter, produce a waxy substance that makes soil hydrophobic. Under prolonged dry conditions this waxy secretion causes a condition in the soil called Dry Patch Disease which repels water causing the soil to become hydrophobic and unable to support plant life.
The wetting agent works in three ways; it reduces the surface tension of the water stopping it from forming droplets and allowing it to spread in a film, it breaks down the waxy coating on soil particles and allows water to penetrate the soil and, once there, it helps the soil to retain it.
When are wetting agents applied?
This depends on the type of wetting agent used. Some liquid products are designed for monthly application, this is ideal on intensively managed sports turf where automatic irrigation is available. Alternative granular products can last for up to 6 months, which is ideal for domestic lawn care, providing it is applied in the spring when conditions are wet or when it is thoroughly watered in. Aeration prior to treatment can also help the product work efficiently.
Do I need to water-in the wetting agent after the application has been made?
If significant rain is imminent or, it is raining when applied you do not need to water it in. If there is no rain, and conditions are dry, an initial soaking of the entire lawn by watering is required.
What other benefits do lawn wetting agents have?
Using wetting agents as part of a regular lawn care programme will improve the quality of your lawn and assist the biological activity in the soil helping microbes to be more affective whilst making nutrient more readily available to the plant, it also reduces the likelihood of soil borne diseases such as Fairy Rings and Dry Patch.
Will wetting agent stop my lawn from going brown in dry weather?
No, all plants need moisture, but it will help the lawn not to dry out as fast and will ensure the lawn recovers quicker after a drought. If you water your lawn during dry weather, it makes the watering more efficient so you need a lot less water.
Dry Patch Mycelium in the soil. A white, waxy fungus.
A lawn with evidence of Dry Patch causing Fairy Rings.