This is really interesting. Are there any things to look for when choosing a solution/agent (without you having to act as a marketing rep.)that you can share?

Sorry Stuart, I didn't type my name in the above question. Jan

I'm so glad your plants are on the straight and narrow again. :) It's wonderful when you try a product such as this and it actually works -- so often they're a waste of money. Thanks for passing along the info!

This is pretty grand news! Boy do I need to get some. If the water was absorbing better then the nutrients are too. I'll look for it. I've never heard of such a thing.

Stuart, as I understand water is in short supply in Australia this product must be a real help to water more efficiently. So often water is applied to plants in the wrong way or wrong time and is such as waste. I chuckled about you having reservations because it was marketed as a wonder product, I would feel just the same.

Best wishes Sylvia (England)

Stuart, as I understand water is in short supply in Australia this product must be a real help to water more efficiently. So often water is applied to plants in the wrong way or wrong time and is such as waste. I chuckled about you having reservations because it was marketed as a wonder product, I would feel just the same.

Best wishes Sylvia (England)

Hmmm...looks like the gardener found an effective wetting agent himself...

I hadn't paid (botanical) wetting agents much heed until a recent planting mix came with some incorporated into it. Like your experience, it was amazing how well it accepted water. I'll have to pay them more attention.

@Jan - sure there are. The product that I used doesn't list it's ingredients (not very helpful) but they do make the claim that they are 'Eco-friendly, non-toxic and organic'. Basically soil wetting agents are a surfactant (a chemical that breaks the surface tension). These can be oleochemicals - made from plants and/or animals or they can be petrochemical based. I would always opt for the former over the latter.

I've had great success with wetting agents, at my house and with client's gardens as well (only in pots!). I have the usual professional gardener's problem of neglecting my own plants during the busy season, and the wetting agents smooth over any ill effects from my being such a bad plant-mom.