Liquid Wetting agents and other products

Perth has sandy soils and as everyone knows we have long hot summers.  As a result, the sandy soils which many lawns are laid on get hydrophobic and do not allow water and nutrients to the root zone. If you aren’t so fortunate to have significant soil preparation under your lawn(at least 5% clay and some compost) and you want a really good lawn then you are going to need to learn about monthly wetting agents and regular fertilising if you want an attractive lawn. Using wetting agents and water retaining agents every month will greatly reduce your need for additional watering. Liquid products such seaweed and fish emulsions are great for lawns and help feed the soil life and make your lawn and garden more resilient and more responsive to the water that is applied. 

My favourite wetting agent is Eco growth Eco wet because it is high quality and easy to mix from a concentrate making it very cost effective per application. The only downside it is that is black and thick and can get everywhere unless you put a tomato sauce squirter on top of your bottle (credit the Facebook WA gardeners for that idea). Allot of turf guys like Aqua force which is a wetting agent and Biagra which is a water retaining agent however this generally comes premixed and is allot more expensive per application.    

Obviously Seasol is a popular product however I like Seasol commercial more because it has more additives and its concentrated and is cost effective per application. My choice though is Eco vital which is a fish and kelp emulsion and is a light liquid fertiliser that contains plant and beneficial microbe stimulants, reduces plant stress and feeds the plant and the soil. It is also good to use on native plants or other plants especially when they are establishing. I like to use monthly applications with Eco wet until the plants are established then I might apply them every 2-3 months through summer. 
These products are best applied using an old garden hose on spray bottle like Seasol or Garden Basics bottle and add the concentrate as required. 

Make sure you run your retic after applying these products especially wetting agents as they are surfactants and can burn the leaf if left on especially if it is a hot day.