Wetting Agent for Peat Based Soiless Media?

[DoubleAtotheRON]

Ultra Dawn blue. Rescued fowl worldwide attest.

I got plenty of that!

 

[CatHedral]

Water best wetting agent. When did wetting agent become a thing, never heard of it until this year?

It means the chemical agent that gets water (with its inherent surface tension) to get into a substrate that is hydrophobic (duck’s back), like peat media.

 

[DoubleAtotheRON]

Water best wetting agent. When did wetting agent become a thing, never heard of it until this year?

Hard to say... maybe more peat based users?, we're always finding solutions to problems? IDK. Im gonna give my next round of clone feeding a drop of Dawn per 3 gallons and see how well it breaks the surface tension.

 

[OneMoreRip]

It means the chemical agent that gets water (with its inherent surface tension) to get into a substrate that is hydrophobic (duck’s back), like peat media.

correct. What is wrong with just water? Always works for me, water slowly, maybe twice if soil not holding water

 

[m4s73r]

Is it this stuff? This stuff seems expensive.

BuildASoil Quillaja Saponaria Extract Powder 60%

Unlock natural potency with BuildASoil's Quillaja Saponaria Extract Powder 60. Our latest batch offers enhanced solubility and quality, sourced directly from Chile's finest. Ideal for gardeners seeking eco-friendly solutions, it's the premium choice for effective plant care. Order now and...

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Thats it. I bought the small one and it takes less than a 1/8 teaspoon. Had it for a year and still have over half the pack.

Also... has anyone ran a crop with this, and had it lab tested (the weed)?.. cuz this kinda concerns me a bit in the product description as far as yeast, arsenic, lead, mercury, 3000 CFU's of yeast/mold. We've had growers pop hot for heavy metals, and you can't do shit with it after the State knows about it. Which the Labs do report fails to the State. You have to pay them to come pick it up if you fail the threshold.

Product description
Saponin, Quillaja Extract Powder, 100%, 25g For Research & Development Not for drug, human, animal, or food use Specifications: Appearance (Color) Yellow-beige to light brown Appearance (Form) Powder Moisture <8.0% Color (10% solution @ 520 nm) <1.5 pH (4% solution) 3.7 -5.5 Taste Bittersweet Saponin Content 16+% Arsenic (As) <2 ppm Cadmium (Cd) <1 ppm Lead (Pb) <2 ppm Mercury (Hg) <0.1 ppm Preservatives None Total Aerobic Plate Count <3,000 CFU/g Yeast <100 CFU/g Mold <100 CFU/g CAS: 8047-15-2 FORMULA: N/A

3 runs using Saponin for the last year.

 

[CatHedral]

correct. What is wrong with just water? Always works for me

I have wrestled with hydrophobic media. So, lucky you.

 

[OneMoreRip]

I have wrestled with hydrophobic media. So, lucky you.

just put water on it and wait, don’t wrestle it. That may be your problem

 

[CatHedral]

just put water on it and wait, don’t wrestle it. That may be your problem

I had a peat-based medium that shed water in beads, like a duck’s back. I had to use the blue dish soap to rescue that grow.

 

[m4s73r]

Even better cover your top soil with plastic, mulch, or grow clover and then your soil wont dry out and you wont need a whetting agent.

 

[DoubleAtotheRON]

Even better cover your top soil with plastic, mulch, or grow clover and then your soil wont dry out and you wont need a whetting agent.

Too much of a pain in the ass for 100 plants.

 

[OneMoreRip]

I wouldn’t suggest using dish soap (or any ‘wetting agent’), that I have seen on plants, just use water, it makes things wet, sometimes it takes a little time. Works everywhere.

 

[CatHedral]

I wouldn’t suggest using dish soap (or any ‘wetting agent’), that I have seen on plants, just use water, it makes things wet, sometimes it takes a little time. Works everywhere.

I say otherwise.

 

[OneMoreRip]

I say otherwise.

And what evidence do you have that water does not make things wet?

 

[DoubleAtotheRON]

And what evidence do you have that water does not make things wet?

Like he said.. sometimes peat based mediums have such surface tension, that it rolls off the soil like water off a ducks back.... no matter how much water you pour on a duck.... she stays dry.

 

[OneMoreRip]

Like he said.. sometimes peat based mediums have such surface tension, that it rolls off the soil like water off a ducks back.... no matter how much water you pour on a duck.... she stays dry.

I have and have used peat, water makes it wet. If it dries completely it will take more time

 

[DoubleAtotheRON]

I suppose if you set a 5 inch pot in a 5 gallon bucket for a couple of hours, it might penetrate. But otherwise, it can be problematic.

 

[CatHedral]

And what evidence do you have that water does not make things wet?

The phenomenon is called hydrophobicity.

 

[DoubleAtotheRON]

I have and have used peat, water makes it wet

OK...cool.

 

[Milky Weed]

OK...cool.

I don’t know if it’s economic for you but some peat sellers sell their mix with whetting agent built into it. I tried a bale of pro mix bx and it seems to work well so far, but I’m curious if it washes out over time. If you mix your own media you could possibly add it yourself next run

 

[DoubleAtotheRON]

Im gong to do a side by side test with video to see if this works with the Dawn. I'll take 2, 5 inch pots (no plants) and feed them equal amounts of water. One with Dawn, and one without. I'll then break them down and see if there are dry pockets/sides.