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hugheseo

Aquasmart and lawns

hugheseo
10 years ago

When I installed my new zoysia palisades lawn, a lawn specialist said that they were now using a product call aqua smart on baseball fields to reduce compaction and retain water. The product is basically a polymer coated silica that retains a crazy amount of water. I was told that most MLB fields now use it. I bought some, but was too nervous to do the full application during the tilling Proccess. I have a small yard, and since it is getting warmer here, 70s to 50s already, I was inking of doing the full recommended topical treatment they recommend. I will do it while spike aerating and fertilizing. I have heavy clay soil which has compacted dramatically since sodding 5 months ago. Rock hard in some places, with still dormant grass, soft and green elsewhere. Aeration seems like a no brainier, but I wanted to see if anyone else had used aqua smart and if there is anything I should consider.

Thanks

Comments (6)

  • forsheems
    10 years ago

    One problem with spike aeration is that you are exposing weed seeds to fresh soil just when temps and typically moisture is prime for germination. Another issue is that a spike aerator doesn't really do much at all for compacted soil and could possibly cause more harm than good.

    There are several folks on here that recommend baby shampoo to loosen the soil. It sounds a little crazy but in a lot of cases it does actually work. Do a search for it. I started last year and was amazed at the difference it made.

    I have no idea on the aqua smart although it sounds like it could do what they claim. Maybe someone else will chime in on that.

  • dchall_san_antonio
    10 years ago

    The polymer used in these soil water suspension systems is identical to the powder used in disposable baby diapers. I would not use it. These powders absorb 500 times their weight in water before allowing water to go deeper into the soil. When they swell like that, they push things out of the way. Some of the first people to try them in potted plants complained that the polymer expanded and pushed the plants out of the pots.

    There are professional grade surfactants on the market which cost about $70 per gallon. They are used on golf courses to soften the soil. One of the other lawn forums developed a DIY surfactant for soil treatment. It is essentially pure surfactant, but you can do a passable job with just shampoo. Everyone who tries the shampoo, at least everyone I read about, has good luck with it. I thought it was a joke until there were just too many testimonials to laugh about. Then I tried it and it really did work. My two applications in 2012 have lasted until now with no end in sight. I will never use a core aerator again. I never saw any change in water retention or soil hardness after aerating. The application rate for shampoo is at least 3 ounces per 1,000 square feet. Apply and follow up with a full inch of water. Water another inch in a week. The second week, repeat the shampoo and inch of that. That's all there is to it. It will cost you a dollar (at the dollar store) to try. Use only a clear shampoo, not one with conditioners in it.

  • sonora_laura
    9 years ago

    The company I work for, Ewing Irrigation, sells AquaSmart. It actually holds 12 times its weight in water, so it won't cause the swelling issues that people experienced with other polymers. At the recommended application rate it helps soil hold moisture for longer (for less frequent watering) and improves root growth. If you end up giving it a try I'll be very interested in hearing your results! The more you can work it into the soil the better.

  • PRO
    Soil & Plant Lab
    8 years ago

    Soil polymers do not work. They may hold water but it's held so tightly that it's not available for the plant. Also soil biological bacteria and soil salts break down the polymer so that even if they did work it would be short term. Peer reviewed studies have been done on polymers for years. The most successful have been PAM on row crops to control silt run off but with no claims of water savings. As for the MLB a few guys got on board at the initial start but have now backed away and it's not a widely used product. Science disproves hype everytime

  • morpheuspa (6B/7A, E. PA)
    8 years ago

    I tend to use Terra Sorb in the root zone of the plants (added yearly as I put in the annuals). It does seem to work for me; watering once a week is more than sufficient through the season, and generally overkill, but I feed gently weekly using the irrigation system.

    In-house "experiments" with plants before and after adding the crystals does show much longer intervals between watering. Most of my house plants now only require water once a month, tops.

    Surface or top few inches application of water-holding polymers wouldn't be effective, and I did find a clever little experiment showing this: http://www.amnh.org/learn-teach/young-naturalist-awards/winning-essays2/2009-winning-essays/superabsorbant-hydrogels-a-study-of-the-most-effective-application-of-cross-linked-polyacrylamide-polymers

    The explanation as to why sounds valid, or why I've always removed the top three inches, worked the crystals into the soil, replaced the top three inches, and then planted the annual. Six hundred times in the gardens, requiring about a week.

    The Terra Sorb does seem to decay off within a year, but since it's also replaced yearly, that doesn't matter.

  • lbassard
    8 years ago

    We landscaped our large yard this to host 250 guests for our son's wedding. Since we live in California I feared the almost 3,000 sq ft. of lush sod was doomed until our landscaper brought over some bags of aqua smart pro. Even though the temperature has hovered around the 90's our lawn is absolutely gorgeous with twice weekly timed watering using the latest shopping sprinkler technology. The other plants are on a drip system and growing like crazy. The landscaper sprinkled Aquasmart on them, too!

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