Keeping a Check on Soil Hydration to Maximise Growth

Sandy soils, soils high in organic matter and potting mixes, if left to dry out before watering, can become repellent to water, i.e. hydrophobic.

When hydrophobic soils are irrigated, the water simply runs off and is not absorbed. This can be a trap for gardeners who think they have watered their plants when in fact the water has simply run to the sides of the pot and out the drainage holes without wetting the soil at all. If water cannot readily penetrate and wet
the soil, the availability of moisture to plants is reduced, decreasing the germination rate of seeds, the emergence of seedlings, and the survival and productivity of crop plants. Lack of sufficient water in the soil also reduces the availability of essential nutrients to plants, further limiting growth and productivity.

Essentials Non Ionic Wetting Agent will help to overcome the effects of waxy organic coatings on the surface of the soil and the surface of organic matter thereby allowing the water to penetrate and be
absorbed. It reduces the surface tension of water allowing the water molecules to spread out and to wet the waxy surface of the soil particles allowing water to move into the soil through the spaces. The best way to apply Essentials Non Ionic Wetting Agent to your soil is by making small holes in the soil surface to allow water to pass through the hydrophobic surface layer.

What Essentials Non Ionic Wetting Agent does not do is to change the structure of the soil. It does not improve the soil condition as such. Slow rates of water infiltration can also be the result of factors such as soil compaction and heavy clays. Essentials Non Ionic Wetting Agent will not solve these problems and other strategies need to be employed. These include adding Perlite and/or Hydroton Clay pebbles
to create spaces through which water and air can move.

The Process of Foliar Feeding
Foliar Nutrient Application
Keeping a Check on Soil Hydration to Maximise Growth

Products

WETTING AGENT