A huge thanks to all the dedicated grounds staff who joined us at James Miller Oval in South Perth for an insightful turf management session. It was a fantastic day of learning, collaboration, and practical demonstrations — bringing together industry experts to share real-world experience and innovative approaches to managing sports turf. Two of our expert speakers emphasized the critical importance of applying wetting agents early in the season to optimise soil moisture and turf health. This timely advice is especially relevant as we prepare for the hot summer months ahead.
“We are a big fan of trying to get wetting agents out early. We try and do this because if we fertilise first, we actually get horrendous dry patch”
“We are a big fan of trying to get wetting agents out early. We try and do this because if we fertilise first, we actually get horrendous dry patch. So it is important I feel, to keep the surface wet. But we also don’t go out and fertilise if there’s large amounts of rain predicted.
So I think it is key to get that application right around the weather conditions. But we always try to get a little bit of wetter out first and even do some irrigation testing.
We’ve had it before where we’ve put some fertiliser out, had a couple of broken sprinklers and the dry patch gets way worse and we end up fighting those patches nearly all summer long. So I think it’s important getting irrigation tested, little bit of wetting agent out, and then we fertilise with some really good high quality slow release products.”
“When we test for water repellency, we actually take some cores and then dry them in the oven so they’re totally dried, and then test them for water repellency and that’s how we rate the soil.”
“These types of profiles get extreme water repellency, they’re predisposed to becoming water repellent. So you look at it in this wet condition now and you have no problem wetting the root zone. It’s when it dries out, is when it becomes very difficult to rewet.
When we test for water repellency, we actually take some cores and then dry them in the oven so they’re totally dried, and then test them for water repellency and that’s how we rate the soil. There’s actually a formal rating scale, traditionally it’s been from zero to four, so zero is no water repellency, four would be very severe water repellency. In our sands they’re typically severe to very severe three to four rating, but we’ve added one for turf soils, a rating of five, which we call extreme.
These turf soils are predisposed to becoming extremely water-repellent, but only when they dry out. Where a lot of people get caught is in the spring when the weather’s still cool and you’re maybe not irrigating, the turf is drawing on the root zone moisture and the surface dries out before you know it because it’s using water every day. Then when you come to start irrigating, it’s already starting to get water-repellent”
In WA’s challenging climate, wetting agents are essential for managing water-repellent soils, particularly in sandy areas. Wetting agents improve water infiltration, ensuring moisture reaches the root zone rather than being wasted through runoff or pooling.
The below image shows the difference in turf apearance when using wetting agent. ( Supplied by Sports Turf Technology)
Baileys offers both liquid and granular products to meet different needs. Both products enhance water efficiency and promote healthier turf by maximising water usage in tough conditions.
Liquid Grosorb provides rapid action, making it ideal for treating localised dry spots and achieving immediate results.
Granular Grosorb offers a slow-release solution, perfect for long-term water management over larger areas, ensuring even moisture distribution.
Grosorb Inject is designed for seamless injection via irragation, fertigation and boom spray systems, it’s low viscosity formula ensures easy mixing and uniform distribution across large turf areas.
When Perth-based contractor Luke, owner of Silverstone Gardening and host of the Australian Lawn & Garden Podcast, invited Baileys Shannon White onto the show, the goal was simple: share practical fertiliser knowledge that can help turf managers achieve better results and build more profitable businesses.
Baileys are thrilled to learn about the Urban Greening Grant Program, a collaborative effort between the Department of Water and Environmental Regulation (DWER) and WALGA.
For WA sports turf managers and park supervisors, the quest for pristine, active and passive areas is more than just a mission; it's a regional challenge. Amid the unique soil profiles in this region, where sandy soils and hydrophobic barriers are common, the key to success often lies in the strategic use of wetting agents.