SOIL WETTING AGENTS FOR LAWN CARE AND SPORTS TURF
Advanced Soil Wetting Agents for Professional Turf.
Soil wetting agents are important tools to manage soil moisture in high performance turf. Whether you deal with hydrophobic sands, localised dry spot (LDS) or poor water infiltration, Gilba Solutions has one of the best ranges of soil wetters in Australia.
Our soil wetters are proven, safe to the environment, and you can use them on all turf types. They help you to drive water into the soil profile, produce healthy turf, and reduce the need to hand water.
Why Soil Surfactants Matter in Turf Management.
When you used correctly, modern soil wetters help you:
- Improve water movement into the soil profile. They enable moisture to penetrate into water repellant soils.
- Improve the distribution uniformity (DU) of water in the soil profile.
- Reduce LDS and localised dry patches.
- Grow a deep root system.
- Increase your irrigation efficiency and reduce waste.
Wetting agents aren’t just a fix for dry patch. They are a tool for high performance areas like sports grounds, greens, tees, collars, and fairways.
How Do Soil Wetting Agents Work?
In sandy soils and those high in organic matter (OM), soil particles can develop a waxy, water repellent coating. This wax layer makes it difficult for turf roots to access water in the soil.
Wetting agents are surfactants, and have a hydrophilic (water-loving) and a hydrophobic (water-repellant) end. When you use a soil surfactant, the hydrophobic end attaches to the wax coat, and the hydrophilic end interacts with the water.
This leads to better water movement and distribution in the profile.
What Do Soil Wetting Agents Do?
Reduce Surface Tension:
- When water molecules attach to each other they create surface tension. Wetting agents interfere with this attraction, and reduce the surface tension.
Counter Water Repellant Soils.
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Sandy or high OM soils can become hydrophobic. This is likely to occur in hot, dry weather.
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Surfactants make it easier for water to evenly move into the profile.
Enhance Water Penetration:
- When soil wetters reduce surface tension, water wets the soil more efficiently. This enables water to move deep into the profile.
- Soil wetting agents improve water movement into and through the root zone.
Improve Water Distribution in The Soil Profile:
- They help water move evenly through the soil.
- Wetting agents reduce LDS. You tend to see this on sandy profiles like golf greens and sports fields.
Retain Water in the Soil:
- There are some products that are able to hold water in the root zone for a longer time. This reduces the need to irrigate or hand-water as the water is available to the turf for longer.
Turf Health Benefits:
- If you improve water penetration and distribution, it means turf is better able to take up nutrient, it has increased drought tolerance, and it is less prone to wilting.
- Hydroforce Ultra is able to directly improve turf health.
HydroForce — Designed for High-Performance Turf.
The HydroForce® range is engineered to deliver consistent results across a wide range of soil types.
Key Features:
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Improve water movement in soil profiles.
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Allow rapid infiltration of water.
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Their use results in deep, consistent moisture levels through the entire profile.
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They do not foam.
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They are a flexible option in tank mixes.
- Improve turf health.
Whether you have creeping bentgrass greens or warm season sports grounds, the HydroForce range delivers consistent results that you can see.
What Superintendents Say.
Pete Dunn, Superintendent – Federal GC
“HydroForce Ultra is the best I’ve ever seen by a mile. Day three of 35°C and we haven’t had to hand water a single green. We’d skip any irrigation if it weren’t for the surrounds.”
Chris Lynch, Superintendent – Fairbairn GC
“We’ve had better infiltration on heavier soil greens. No more water pooling where it used to sit.”
Backed by Research.
We work closely with companies like Indigo Specialty, Rhizosolutions, and Agspec , all of whom are at the forefront of research into turfgrass water management. This ensures that turf managers can produce the best possible playing surfaces in all situations.
We invest in applied research to improve soil wetter performance under real world conditions:
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2022–2023: Surfactant impact on moisture at 75 mm.
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2024 trials: A comparison soil wetters at 37 mm and 75 mm.
Our data feeds into future product development and real world recommendations.
Learn More
For in depth technical insights, trial results, and water management strategies, visit our Turf Blog. This is a dedicated space for professional turf managers who want more than just marketing fluff.
Practical Benefits for Turf Managers
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Less LDS.
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You don’t need to hand water as much.
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Improved irrigation efficiency.
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Better root growth.
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Stronger, more healthy turf.
Wetting Agents at a Glance | ||||
Area | Turf | Best Option | Frequency | Products |
Greens | Bent, Couch (sand) | Penetrant + Retainer | Every 1 to 2 weeks | HydroForce Ultra + Aquimax |
Fairways | Couch, Kikuyu, Rye | Budget Option / Penetrant | Monthly | HydroForce Extend |
Sports Turf | Kikuyu, Ryegrass, Couch | General Purpose or Retainer | Every 3 to 5 weeks | HydroForce Ultra, HydroForce Extend, Aquaforce |
Wetting Agent Summary | ||||
Turf Problem or Soil Type | Wetting Agent Type | Best For | Product | |
Water-repellent sand profiles | Penetrant | Rapid infiltration; counter water repellent soils | HydroForce Ultra, Scrubwet, H2Pro Trismart | |
LDS | Penetrant + Retainer | Fast penetration + uniform soil moisture | Aquimax + HydroForce Ultra, Scrubwet | |
High-traffic areas (greens, collars, sports turf) | Combination | Uniform moisture + less stress | HydroForce Ultra, Aquaforce | |
Rootzone post renovation | Retainer | Holds water in the profile | Aquimax | |
High Clay or thatchy soils | Penetrant | Helps water move into soils | HydroForce Ultra, Scrubwet,Tricure, H2Pro Trismart | |
Limited Water | Retainer | Extends irrigation intervals | Aquimax | |
100% Blend Of Proprietary Surfactants
A premium soil surfactant designed to maximise water management in sand-based profiles.
60% Blend of Surfactants
An economical soil surfactant.
100% Blend of Surfactants
A long term soil wetting agent.
20% Blend of Surfactants
An injectable soil surfactant for use via irrigation systems or in sprayers.
100% Blend of Surfactants
A unique patented co-polymer system which improves soil water availability.
Soil Wetting Agents.
Soil Wetting Agents | |||||
Product | Description | More information | Label | MSDS | Technical Sheet |
Aquimax | Keeps soil moisture in the soil profile | Aquimax | MSDS | ||
Extend soil wetting agent | 100% non ionic surfactants. Lasts up to 90 days. | Hydroforce Extend | MSDS | ||
Inject | Quickly and efficiently moves water into the soil profile | Hydroforce inject | MSDS | ||
Rapid | Rapidly moves water past thatch. | Hydroforce Rapid | MSDS | ||
Recharge | Prevents and overcomes non-wetting soils | Hydroforce recharge | MSDS | ||
Ultra | A soil wetting agent for dry patch areas. | MSDS | |||
Scrubwet penetrant | Soil penetrant. Can use to prevent dew. | ||||