THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1994, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, July 10, 1994 TAG: 9407080103
SECTION: HOME PAGE: G4 EDITION: FINAL
SOURCE: BY ROBERT STIFFLER, GARDENING COLUMNIST
LENGTH: Medium: 52 lines
AN EARLY SUMMER drought accompanied by extreme heat has destroyed many plants in Hampton Roads.
Trees and shrubs are losing leaves, a sign of stress. Be sure to keep all plants watered.
A new product called Aqua-Turf ``makes water wetter,'' according to its manufacturer, and promotes healthy growth in lawns and gardens.
The company, Schaeffer Manufacturing of St. Louis, is well-known in the west for its soap- and candle-making. Watering products usually are formulated from a soap or oil base.
Golf courses have used products like Aqua-Turf for years. Until last year, there had never been a small package for homeowner use.
It reduces soil surface tension, Schaeffer says, allowing water to reach plant roots. Surface tension what you see when you put water on a dry, hard clay soil only to come back hours later and see it still on the surface. Molecules of many substances, including liquids, are resistant to penetration by water. Surface tension can be broken by physical action, such as stirring, or by chemical action by applying a surfactant.
Clay soils won't allow moisture to penetrate, while sandy soils permit water to leach through.
Schaeffer says Aqua-Turf is biodegradable and environmentally safe. A liquid, it comes in a bottle to attach to your garden hose, and covers an area 100-by-80-feet.
I called a few local gardeners who've tried Aqua-Turf. Here's what they said:
Al Lutz, rosarian at Norfolk Botanical Garden and a resident of Virginia Beach, used Aqua-Turf on a lawn. ``It opened it up,'' he said. ``Water didn't stand as much on the surface.''
Jan Dool of Norfolk says: ``I had a really bad place in my lawn under a maple tree. Water rolled off it. Nothing would grow there. I used this stuff last year and again this year. For the first time, I have grass growing where I had none before. My grass is still green in spite of the hot, dry weather.''
Jeffrey Clark lives in the Kempsville area of Virginia Beach where soil has a poor reputation. Clark used Aqua-Turf on his flower beds and lawns. ``It performed as advertised,'' he said. ``We haven't watered as much this year. We've done better by watering once a week while before we had to water several times per week. It seems to make the clay softer.''
Aqua-Turf is sold at Virginia Beach Feed and Seed stores and most other garden outlets. If you can't find it, call 497-2151. by CNB