General Information on Wetting Agents

For many years wetting agents have played a major role in water management programs on sports turf such as golf and bowling greens for many years.Wetting agents or soil surfactants work by lowering the surface tension of water enabling the water to move and penetrate into the root zone or soil where it is most needed.During times of drought, the lack of water and heat stress can have an adverse affect on the soil causing it to become hydrophobic (water repellent). When the soil become hydrophobic the soil particles become coated with a waxy substance which repel water and cause dry patch.When dry patch occurs it becomes very difficult to effectively re-wet the soil with artificial watering or irrigation. In many cases the soil will only recover properly once there is significant rainfall during the autumn and winter.However by using a wetting agent during drought and dry weather you can help combat dry patch in the lawn. Wetting agents help breakdown the waxy coatings on the soil particles enabling the water to penetrate into and move through the soil profile to the grass roots.

Formulation and application of wetting agents

There are numerourous formulations and different of applying a wetting agent to lawns and turf, each have advantages and disadvantages.

• Liquid wetting agents are widely used in the sports turf industry on golf greens, bowling greens and sports pitches. These products are applied through a sprayer (most commonly a knapsack or vehicle mounted) on to the turf. emergency alert response system Riegelsville PA . This is a very efficient application method ideal for treating large areas quickly and easily. Several years ago liquid wetting agents required some from of irrigation following application, however many of the more modern products require none.
• Wetting agents tablets are available to be applied with a hose end applicator. Cheap Insurance Quotes Van . The tablet is placed in a canister and the water dissolves the tablet applying the wetting agent on the the turf. phlebotomy certification . This method is ideal for spot treating problem areas such as high spots and areas prone to dry patch.
• Granular wetting agents are also available and can be spread over the lawn and worked into the ground, often when aeration has taken place.

When to apply a wetting agent

Ideally apply a wetting agent before the soil becomes too dry at the start of the dry spell for the best results, especially to localised areas that have shown signs of dry patch in the past.However wetting agents can still be very helpful to re-wet soils that have already become dry and hydrophobic.Greenkeepers apply these products at the start of the season before dry patch is a problem and they may re-apply them on a regular basis throughout the summer as part of their water management program

This year has given us one of the driest springs on record with virtually no rainfall in many parts of the country and the early signs of lawn drought are showing.This lack of rain fall coupled with warm temperatures has started to have detrimental affect on many lawns, playing fields golf courses etc. hotel para perros . Already local councils are threatening hose pipe bans as reservoirs and other sources of water are starting to become low.If this happens many lawns are going to suffer if the weather continues to remain warm and dry as predicted by the weathermen.However there are numerous things that you can do in the short term to help the lawn through this dry period witha limited amountor nowater available.

• Raise the height of cut on the mower as this will leave a long leaf on the grass help reduce the overall stress on the grass lawn during periods of lawn drought.
• Return the clippings to the lawn by not boxing off. This will help retain moisture by acting as a mulch and also returns vital nutrients to the lawn during the drought.
• Ensure that the lawn has received adequate nutrition by applying a balanced feed program. Grass that has received adequate nutrition is better able to withstand adverse weather conditions including drought. This will also aid recovery once the drought has ended.
• Shallow spiking will help reduce any water run off and aid penetration into the soil where it is needed most. This results in a better water management as less water is used to maintain the health of the lawn.
• If water is available use it wisely. Water during the coolest periods of the day, either early morning or late evening to reduce the loss of water from evaporation. Again less water is used by watering the lawn at key times of the day. If water is severely limited consider hand watering the lawn by applying water to localised areas that are suffering the most.Aim to water heavily and infrequently, letting the lawn dry out a little in between each watering during periods of lawn drought. boston seo . Aimfor the water to soakdown to about3 – 4 inches for a typical lawn. Avoid watering again until the grassturns a blue – grey colour and shows signs of drought stress.This method promotes root growth as it allows the soil profile to dry out between each application of water. This in turn forces the roots to go deeper in search of water and helps encourage a drought resistant lawn.If lawns are watered little and often (every night), the upper soil profile stays wet and the roots will remain shallow as they don’t have to go in search of water. Ultimately this leads to a lawn with very poor drought tolerance.
• If possible limit the amount of traffic the lawn receives during periods of lawn drought. Excess wear and tear has an adverse affect on drought stressed lawns and turf.
• If possible use a wetting agent to aid water penetration into the soil and water retention within the soil. wireless speakers for stereo system . Wetting agents are widely used in professional turf care as part of a water management program.
• Avoid using herbicides or other chemicals during periods of drought on the lawn. Not only are herbicides ineffective on weeds that are drought stressed, they will scotch andcause damage to drought stressed turf.

These are short term measures which will help your lawn withstand the stresses of lawn drought better than normal routine maintenance during the summer.