Superintendents often use soil surfactants to regulate water during periods of summer stress, but surfactants can be beneficial in the fall, too.

Surfactants Help Roots Develop

During the hot summer months, surfactants help keep moisture in the root zone. During the fall, they help drive water into the soil profile, which helps turf develop deeper, more resilient roots. Surfactants should be applied before the ground freezes to ensure the product is able to move into the profile.

Surfactants Can Help to Prevent Winterkill

Courses exposed to wind and cold temperatures can often suffer from desiccation, but adequate soil moisture can help keep your turf hydrated and healthy. Surfactants will also remove water from the surface of your course. This will reduce the amount of ice that forms on the soil surface, thus minimizing the risk of crown hydration. Crown hydration occurs when water is unable to drain off the surface, leading to ruptured cells and damaged (or, in some cases, dead) turf.

In addition to helping to prevent winterkill, surfactants will also provide a firmer putting surface for players on courses that remain open throughout the winter. 

Surfactants Fight Localized Dry Spot (LDS)

Localized dry spots can be a year-round problem, and while symptoms are most apparent in the summer, they’re often harder to detect in the late fall as symptoms do not always appear on the surface of fine turfgrass areas. A late fall surfactant application will keep moisture levels at the proper levels, reducing the risk of LDS. 

Late Fall Surfactant Applications Enhance Spring Green-Up

Since soil microbial activity decreases as temperatures drop, colder temperatures prevent surfactants from breaking down quickly. Depending on the product you choose and your climate, its residual effects can last into April and even early May, maximizing growing conditions to provide an earlier, healthier green-up.

Types of Soil Surfactants

There are three different types of soil surfactants to choose from:

  • Hydration surfactants hold water in the soil where it can be easily used by the turf
  • Infiltration surfactants break surface tension and move water into and through the root zone
  • Combination surfactants combine both hydration and infiltration properties

Choosing a Soil Surfactant

  • HydroPak Percolate is a combination surfactant that improves infiltration and increases water availability in the root zone for several weeks
  • HydroPak Command is a combination surfactant that contains an organic acid to address bicarbonate issues
  • HydroPak Matador is a hydration surfactant that breaks down hydrophobic barriers and balances root zone moisture
  • Aquatrols Zipline is a combination surfactant that maximizes turf quality under stressful conditions and improves moisture distribution on greens and tees
  • Aquatrols Aqueduct is a curative soil surfactant commonly used to treat localized dry spots and other water-related issues

Your ATS rep can help you find a soil surfactant that suits your course’s needs this fall. If you’re new to ATS and would like to reach out, use our rep finder tool and get connected in seconds.

Blog fact-checked by Brad Emerick, CGCS