In the lawn business, we use tools such as wetting agents, moisture managers, and polymers to help combat drought and its effects. To an outsider, it can be confusing to know what each of them do.
| Soil Wetting Agents | Moisture Managers | Polymers | |
|---|---|---|---|
| What they do: | Reduces surface tension of water, allowing water to easily penetrate soil | Pushes, pulls, and attracts water in the soil, making it available to plants | Absorbs water and holds it more tightly than soil particles |
| When to use them: | When soil compaction prevents water from entering soil profile or after drought stress has occurred | Before drought situations occur to prevent drought dormancy | Polymers need to be placed INTO the soil, so usually prior to planting seed or after a core aeration |
| Notes/Comments | Wetting agents are temporary, lasting anywhere from 1 week to 1 month | Lasts up to 3 months. Requires moisture. If there is no water or humidity, nothing happens | As they absorb water, the pellets expand. With constant growing and shrinking, eventually they get pushed out of the soil. |