Wetting Agents Are Not Just For Golf Courses

For thirty years I have been trying to get grass and ornamental plants to grow in crappy soil.  I have fought clay soils on slopes and flowerbeds to no end, pouring the water on them to keep them going.  And then I found wetting agents.

Simply put, wetting agents are products that can help water penetrate water repelling organic matter and clay, help the soil retain more moisture, and increase the ability of the soil to “rewet” once dry.  Not all wetting agents do all those things equally or at the same time, but I hope you get the idea.  I am using a couple of them that do what I need.

My number one choice is Cascade Plus granular wetting agent.  I apply this with a small hand held spreader at 7 lb. / 1000 square feet over grass slopes, dry knobs, and mulched beds to give me over 3 months of getting the water into the soil rather than running off.  It is easy to apply, and has a cost around $ 18.00 / 1000 square feet.  This service can easily be sold to customers at a profitable mark-up.   Duplex Ultra is another product I recommend for those customers that don’t need the long residual, or just need to help irrigation water to penetrate the soil.  This product is mixed with water and sprayed on the turf / soil, or injected into the irrigation water.

Wetting agents are excellent tools to overcome problem soils.  Just make sure that it isn’t a piece of drywall, bricks, stone, or some other issue causing the problem.  Stick a soil probe down into the offending area to make sure!