Using some type of washing up liquid as wetting agent?

hillbill said:

My real interest is in wetting peat moss as I would eliminate any pre mixed media like Promix or Fafard.

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It's tedious, but not difficult and ends up being way cheaper than Promix, ~$30 to make ~10cf of essentially the same thing.

I do screen the peat moss to expand it and get rid of those 'knots' that never seem to break down or absorb water. I'll dry mix in a wheelbarrow, saving the perlite till last along with the water. Mix everything well and leave a depression in the middle. Pour in about 1/2 of the perlite and wet it down with hot soapy water. Keep adding perlite, water and mixing. I've found that it takes close to 7 gallons of the hot (tap), soapy water for a wheelbarrow full of mix, ~18 gallons.

Water is heavy and that's why it and the perlite are added last. I usually let it sit in the wheelbarrow overnight at least (under cover), and mix again the next day to catch any missed dry spots. I'll usually let it sit till the Santa's beard forms and then into whatever containers to finish cycling All the containers have drainage and no further mixing is done. Over the years I've found that to just be needless extra work. But, if you feel energetic ....

Let it cycle for at least 2 weeks and then, have at it.

HTH

I have/use RAW Yucca extract. It works great, and does 1000 gallons for 2 ounces of the extract. I works very well too.

Plain ass cheap dish soap, dawn works. Just nothing anti-bacterial or scented.

1/2 tsp per gallon is all you need.

Rasta Roy said:

Plain ass cheap dish soap, dawn works. Just nothing anti-bacterial or scented.

1/2 tsp per gallon is all you need.

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I do a "small squirt", but it's very close to 1/2 tsp. Works just fine.

My wife keeps stealing the Dawn but is a bit slower dipping into the Ivory when she runs out of dishsoap. Plus, I keep the Ivory in the garage with the organic 'stuff'.

I get the Dawn with the seabird on the label, from it's use in the oil spill to de-oil wildlife.

Good stuff.

Wetdog said:

I do a "small squirt", but it's very close to 1/2 tsp. Works just fine.

My wife keeps stealing the Dawn but is a bit slower dipping into the Ivory when she runs out of dishsoap. Plus, I keep the Ivory in the garage with the organic 'stuff'.

I get the Dawn with the seabird on the label, from it's use in the oil spill to de-oil wildlife.

Good stuff.

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My wife kept yelling at me for taking the dish soap into my room and then she could never find it when she was trying to actually wash dishes lol. Now I keep a separate bottle. Not something I break out that often though anymore. Usually only need it with fresh soil.

Wetdog said:

Ivory liquid dishwashing detergent is the old school standby and have been using it since 1972 or so. Dawn will also work. Get the one with the duck on the label (It was used to remove oil from waterfowl caught in an oil spill).

Try for unscented, but certainly no anti bacterial type stuff. Detergent, not soap. Soap is caustic, made with lye. Detergent just breaks the surface tension of water.

Ivory and Dawn both are higher end, but still less than $4 US/bottle. Dr Bonners is next to impossible to find locally and pretty pricey.

You can spend big bucks if you wish, to feel good or name drop esoteric wetting agents, but why? $60 goes beyond silly well into stupid territory for a $3 product.

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Thank You!
I learn something new everyday on this site. I haven't used anti-bacterial soap that I know of, but it never crossed my mind to be aware of it.