Smart Farming Solutions

It’s called Hydretain. It is a revolutionary new chemistry designed to reduce the watering requirements of plants by as much as 50%. Hydretain is used professionally by golf courses, landscapers, greenhouse growers and farmers to control watering schedules and reduce the overall watering requirements of bedding plants, grasses, trees, shrubs as well as food producing agriculture.
It is liquid and easily applied with a hose-end sprayer. Hydretain works by capturing and retaining water vapors coming in contact with the roots, dramatically reducing drought stress. In essence it prevents moisture from leaching or evaporating and makes it available to the roots at all times. It is not a wetting agent which reduces water surface tension and allows it to penetrate.

I have to admit, I was very skeptical when I first heard about this product. Ecologel, the company which manufacturers the product is based in Ocala, Florida; so a year ago I visited them and obtained samples to try on my lawn and garden. Every spring Florida is in a drought, a perfect time to test the merits of Hydretain. And of course my yard, like most homeowners has areas of dying grass because sprinklers do not reach properly or sprinklers are damaged and need replacement. To make matters worse, Florida is a giant sand bar, meaning that water leaches instantly or is evaporated in the air the minute it hits the grass. In addition, we are under strictly enforced lawn watering restrictions and it’s virtually impossible to properly maintain a lush green yard under those conditions.

I specifically applied Hydretain to the dry and dying areas of my yard followed my about 1.5 inches of water to drive it to the root zone. Within 48 hours the grass came back to life and remained green and healthy the rest of the year, even with minimum watering. I was sold.

I became even more enthused with my garden tomatoes. Tomatoes require constant watering to develop normally. It is a time consuming daily chore and not always possible when you spend a lot of time on the road. I was amazed at the yield and size of the tomatoes. The best crop I ever had and that’s without watering for many days at a time.

This product is well worth the money, particularly if you live in a subdivision with lawn care maintenance rules, watering restrictions and costly city water.

And I am not the only one who thinks it's terrific. Watch KSAT in San Antonio Texas report on the power of Hydretain in fighting seasonal drought

Labels: irrigation, Lawn Care, soil moisture, watering your lawn