Forum home› Plants
This Forum will close on Wednesday 27 March, 2024. Please refer to the announcement on the Discussions page for further detail.

Soil Wetting Agent

ERICS MUMERICS MUM Posts: 627
in Plants
These are supposed to help soil/compost absorb more water so it doesn’t just run through and drip out of hanging baskets, pots etc.

what are people’s views ?  Are they a waste of money or worth buying ?  If the latter could you recommend a particular brand ?

thanks
«1

Posts

  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    A few drops of detergent in a watering can will act as a wetting agent.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • FairygirlFairygirl Posts: 55,117
    Can't really help you with that product, as the sky generally does the job here, but I think it might be better to use a different medium altogether for baskets/containers in drier areas, or if the hanging baskets are under the house eaves, which is often the case.
    I'd use soil, maybe with some grit mixed in, depending on what you're growing of course.  You can add slow release food if they're heavy flowering plants, to save using a diluted liquid feed or similar   :)
    It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....



    I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
  • ERICS MUMERICS MUM Posts: 627
    Pete.8 said:
    A few drops of detergent in a watering can will act as a wetting agent.
    Oh !!  What a fab suggestion, I’ll give it a go before investing in yet another bottle for my gardening shelves.  Thanks
  • SlumSlum Posts: 385
    If compost has dried out and water is just running through, try submersing the pot/basket in a bucket of water until the air bubbles stop bubbling up. This always does the trick for me. 
  • GardenerSuzeGardenerSuze Posts: 5,692
    @ERICS MUM Used them years ago in a clients garden you need to be careful not to use too many as the compost could swell over the top of the pot or basket.
    They were used in window boxes with Balcon Pelargoniums. Year two the lady had nearly ran out of them so I put them in the upstairs box only as acsess to it was difficult. The windows faced South and it got hot. Although they don't need alot of water the upstairs ones were bigger plants and flowered better. They were cared for in that they were watered weekly in the height of summer. Swell Gel was used.
    I have worked as a Gardener for 24 years. My latest garden is a new build garden on heavy clay.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    It wont act like a water retaining gel, but it will help dry compost absorb water.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • ERICS MUMERICS MUM Posts: 627
    GardenerSuze said:
    @ERICS MUM Used them years ago in a clients garden you need to be careful not to use too many as the compost could swell over the top of the pot or basket.
    They were used in window boxes with Balcon Pelargoniums. Year two the lady had nearly ran out of them so I put them in the upstairs box only as acsess to it was difficult. The windows faced South and it got hot. Although they don't need alot of water the upstairs ones were bigger plants and flowered better. They were cared for in that they were watered weekly in the height of summer. Swell Gel was used.
    I stopped using the water absorbing swell gel products after I dropped a couple of the ‘beads’, my cat (Eric!) ate them and they swelled up in his stomach.  Nearly killed him and cost me a fortune at the vets.  I daren’t take the risk.
  • Pete.8Pete.8 Posts: 11,340
    If you want something safe to retain water in your compost, you could try adding vermiculite.
    It absorbs water and swells then releases it as needed.

    Billericay - Essex

    Knowledge is knowing that a tomato is a fruit.
    Wisdom is not putting it in a fruit salad.
  • bédébédé Posts: 3,095
    edited April 2023
    Detergents and soaps are wetting agents.  They could be needed with coir-based composts that are difficult to wet once dried out.

    Moisture retention agents are things like polyacryics or polyglygols.  They are usually geis and actually hold on to the water.

    It's a bit like skin-care!

    Other ingredients, as mentioned by some posters, are conventional compost ingredients:  humus, vermiculite.

    Water will only run-through or drip from a container once the compost is thoroughly wetted.  It is a good indicator that this is achieved.  Ok. there may be some unfilled gaps that will act as a soil by-pass.


     location: Surrey Hills, England, ex-woodland acidic sand.
    "Have nothing in your garden that you don't know to be useful, or believe to be beautiful."
  • LynLyn Posts: 23,190
    I’ve always  cut up compost sacks to line hanging baskets,  use inside a coir liner.  Pierce some holes about 2” up the sides,  not the bottom. 
    Gardening on the wild, windy west side of Dartmoor. 

Sign In or Register to comment.