Post by roncylwies on Aug 22, 2012 10:05:40 GMT -5
Surfactants are chemical compounds that physically alter the surface tension of a liquid formula. In regard to the medical marijuana industry, surfactants are generally sold as emulsifiers or wetting agents. Many of the products sold as wetting agents are actually a combination of emulsifiers and wetting agents. Some products are specifically one or the other so be sure to read labels carefully and select the surfactant that best suits your needs.
TWO TYPES OF PRODUCTS FOR BETTER NUTRIENT INTAKE
Emulsifiers
Water and oils tend to naturally separate. Emulsifiers are used to combine oily liquids with water and keep them a uniform mixture. This combination allows the plant to absorb the oily substance through its stomata or root zone. Emulsifiers work great with neem or other oil-based insecticides by creating a uniform solution that stays on the plant leaf surface longer. For growers who want to use an oil-based insecticide as a root drench or in their hydroponic reservoir, an emulsifier is highly recommended. Without an emulsifier, the oily substance could separate and build up in the soil, medium, and/or reservoir.
Wetting Agents
Wetting agents serve a specific and highly beneficial function: they reduce the surface tension of the liquid solution. More specifically, a wetting agent will reduce the hydrogen bonding that naturally occurs in water. It is the reduction of this hydrogen bonding that makes water absorption easier for the plant. Now consider all the different elements that we add to our hydroponic solutions. Some of these nutrients bond together in a similar way that hydrogen bonding occurs in water. By using a wetting agent some of these bonds are also weakened, which makes the nutrients more available and easier to absorb. Advanced Nutrients’ Wet Betty is a highly concentrated wetting agent that has benefits as both a foliar additive and a nutrient additive. Many growers do not realize that their plants can absorb more of the nutrients they are already being fed by simply adding a wetting agent.
TWO TYPES OF PRODUCTS FOR BETTER NUTRIENT INTAKE
Emulsifiers
Water and oils tend to naturally separate. Emulsifiers are used to combine oily liquids with water and keep them a uniform mixture. This combination allows the plant to absorb the oily substance through its stomata or root zone. Emulsifiers work great with neem or other oil-based insecticides by creating a uniform solution that stays on the plant leaf surface longer. For growers who want to use an oil-based insecticide as a root drench or in their hydroponic reservoir, an emulsifier is highly recommended. Without an emulsifier, the oily substance could separate and build up in the soil, medium, and/or reservoir.
Wetting Agents
Wetting agents serve a specific and highly beneficial function: they reduce the surface tension of the liquid solution. More specifically, a wetting agent will reduce the hydrogen bonding that naturally occurs in water. It is the reduction of this hydrogen bonding that makes water absorption easier for the plant. Now consider all the different elements that we add to our hydroponic solutions. Some of these nutrients bond together in a similar way that hydrogen bonding occurs in water. By using a wetting agent some of these bonds are also weakened, which makes the nutrients more available and easier to absorb. Advanced Nutrients’ Wet Betty is a highly concentrated wetting agent that has benefits as both a foliar additive and a nutrient additive. Many growers do not realize that their plants can absorb more of the nutrients they are already being fed by simply adding a wetting agent.