Contains a Wetting Agent

[Raised Beds]

I bought a bag of Multi Purpose Compost from our allotment shop.

On the bag in big letters its says Contains A Wetting Agent. Would it be the same stuff used in dog food to keep it moist and hand washing liquid to make your hands feel "smooth". I believe its polyglycerine.

Is this stuff good to go into the soil? I guess its not organic.

I have the bag and will use it, but will watch out in the future.

[valmarg]

Well, RB, I'm sure you have the phone number of the 'manufacturer' of the said compost on the sack that you purchased.

If you are uneasy about the 'wetting agent', why don't you ring them up and ask them 'what exactly the wetting agent is?' The chances are that it is 'washing up liquid', or something equally innoccuous.

For many years, until the local garden club closed down last June, I have bought a multipurpose compost from them (SHL), which contained a wetting agent. All I can say it that I am sorry I can no longer buy this product, and I had wonderful results using it.

I would say, just do a bit of research beore you start scaremongering. Not everything 'out there' is designed to harm rather than help!!

valmarg

[Alison]

I've had a look on t'internet and can't find anything particularly helpful. Quite a lot of the composts listed do seem to contain a wetting agent to assist the re-wetting and drainage of the compost which is obviously a good effect. Most don't seem to tell you how this is achieved and whilst this may not necessarily be bad, it is always good to know what is in things so that you can make an informed choice. There did seem to be some products made from natural products which stressed that they were nature friendly but again, very limited information. I'd go with the above advice and give the manufacturers a ring although I really don't see why Valmarg needs to be quite so rude in suggesting this unless there was something different in the first post before it was edited!

[Snadger]

Check out this interesting organic site about compost tea, it mentions that soap or molasses can be added as wetting agents so the wetting agent in the compost could be quite innocuous!

http://www.ibiblio.org/london/orgfar...ompost-Tea.FAQ

[Seabreeze]

A wetting agent, I was told when I did my Photographic Tec. C&G course back in the 1970's reduces the surface tension of water...

We subsequently always used a drop of washing up liquid added in the final rinse when washing films. It enabled the water to run off more easily without drying in patches. (I don't recommend it for digital imagery ;-).

What it does to garden compost I have no idea!

Keith

[Snadger]

Just out of interest......Wetting agents have there main uses in amenity horticulture! They are used quite a lot on golf greens to combat a fungal disease called 'dry patch'.........which has nothing at all to do with the original thread....but there you go!

[Protea]

I sell wetting agents (AKA Adjuvants) to commercial growers. They are designed to reduce water surface tension and are often used to ensure better spray covereage, so i assume that when added to compost it helps to re-wet the compost when it dries out.

It could be made of anything, but a lot are alcohol based or soap based (like fairy liquid which someone mentioned) but either way they won't be harmful to you or your plants - there is a whole heap of legislation surrounding the use of these products - believe me!

Contact the manufacturer if you are concerned.

[Birdie Wife]

Wetting agents are also used in conjunction with herbicides such as glyphosate, especially when the weeds to be controlled have waxy or shiny surfaces - the wetting agent helps the herbicide to cling to the leaf rather than sliding off.

[srodders]

A good tip if you are having trouble getting peat based compost to take up water when bone dry, is to add a couple of drops of Fairy liquid to the water as a wetting agent. I guess the compost manufacturers are just doing the job for us. I personally wouldn't be bothered about it - but not sure if it is truly Organic or not.