Underhill UHTRPLPEL Tournament-Ready Plus Wetting Agent Pellets Soil Surfactant for Turf Grass, Golf Greens, with Actosol Micro-Nutrients, 1 Tablet

Highly recommended!

I started just hitting brown spots, which worked great, but then decided I could put the applicator in line before my sprinkler system. I now apply for 15 minutes once a month I have the best lawn in the neighborhood!

It’s difficult to tell how much this is contributing to overall turf health, but my lawn is still green and lush in August. Considering I don’t have in-ground sprinkers and maintain about an acre of turf, I’m very grateful for the extra support this product seems to provide. I started applying this proactively in April and have applied one pellet once every three weeks since.I also apply humic acid, liquid kelp, and yucca extract in between applications which is essentially the same concept as this product (DIY version). This combination along with selecting a high-quality grass seed has worked wonders for me.To save time, connect the applicator to an impulse sprinkler to apply this product instead of hand watering (unless it’s a very small space). Additionally, you’ll want to ensure you have high water pressure prior to using this or the application rate will change quite a bit and you may be dissatisfied with the results.

(I bought the "H2O Maximizer" version, which isn't quite the same, but the H2O Maximizer doesn't seem to be available. So I'll post the review for it here)Short review:I'm not a lawn guy. Or a plant guy.I'm pretty sure this improved some thin spots in a st augustine lawn.I think it's worth a try at $18Long review:The grass has a few patchy areas. Been that way for >5 years. Each about 2'x5'. total of maybe 40-80sqft over 1-1500sqft. Seems to be related to poor sprinkler coverage/overlap/layout. Maybe also shade. Not completely bald, but you can touch dirt through the stolons easily, and easily see the spots, and feel the difference walking over them.I believe I noticed an improvement in 1 growing season (3-5 months). I may have increased the sprinkler runtime from last year, and raised the lawnmower by 1 setting- I don't track that. I also spot fertilize a bit with NPK yearly, but pro soil tests say it's unnecessary - so I assume the thinness is related to something else.The spots don't currently look perfect. If they were a 4/10 before. Now I'd call them a 6/10. 1) They seem to be trending upwards. 2) this has been the most noticeable improvement I've seen over >5 years. Hopefully after 1-2 more growing seasons, they'll continue to thicken. Even if they don't, I'll probably still consider myself satisfied.I used 1.8g/100sqft. I cut a chunk off, dissolved it in warm water, and distributed it in a hose end sprayer. Like (Ortho Dial N Spray Hose-End Sprayer for Liquid Weed and Insect Killer, Fungicide, Fertilizer with 14 Dilution Settings). I believe you're supposed to water it in, afterwards.The product has the consistency of a bar of soap. I was able to drive a screw into it, and pull it out of the plastic canister, by grabbing the screw with some pliers. You could probably melt it in the sun, or a hot car. Seems to basically be bar soap.There are mild foaming issues. (if you pour it into a watering can, then fill the rest with a hose, you're going to make a lot of foam. Like diluting car washing soap in a 5 gallon bucket. Not a big deal, just something to avoid)I don't think it's rocket science or anything. Just weigh out 1.8g (looks like about 2 USA quarters). Dissolve it in 1-2 cups of water, in a container you don't eat out of. Pour that into a watering can, or hose end sprayer. Distribute it over @100sqft. Repeat for other areas.Unfortunately I think you're supposed to reapply it every 1-3 months. I am hoping that once the grass is established, the stolons will suck water from the wet areas farther away, and I won't have to tend to it. No idea. I think I applied it once, then a 2nd time @ 3 months later. I'll probably do it twice a year, or whenever I care enough to remember.I also tested it in some potted plants, and thought it improved water distribution/uptake/retention too. Soil in some areas of the property is visibly hydrophobic, but in other areas appears to be normal.I think I went with this one because 1) it was readily available in small quantities. 2) it was recommended. there's some youtube video comparing it against other water surfactants (think it's "Improving Water Retention in Hydrophobic Soil"), and supposedly this one tested out pretty well.I think I've seen people recommend.. tournament ready or something? and some other that's supposed to be cheaper. Again, this isn't my hobby, I don't know what I'm talking about. I'm not saying this is the #1 product to use. I'm saying I spent $20 on it, it seems to be at least a B-grade recommendation in the industry, I think it improved the patchy areas in a saint augustine lawn that have been there for >5 years, and don't seem to be fertilizer-related, I think it's worth trying out for a season if you know you have hydrophobic soil issues & $20 to spare, you can cut off @2 quarter-size pieces + dissolve them in a watering can + distribute over @100sqft.Anything beyond that gets into stuff like minutiae between water availability, and surface tension, and I assume the bottom line is if you were a professional groundskeeper you'd buy 5+ and use the one that produced the best results for you.I also saw "liquid dethatch" products discussed. I don't know anything about that, or care to get into it. I tried using this stuff (Underhill H20 maximizer) on a shaded area, with heavy traffic, that seemed compacted. It may have been slightly improved. It may have been placebo.I also used it in some potted plants. They seemed to retain water better (I didn't have to water as frequently). I didn't really track it.Supposedly, I guess, it's possible to overwater after using this. (Like, the soil holds too much water, and I guess the plant roots can't breathe or something). I have no idea. Might be worth looking into if you care about your plants/trees. I didn't notice a problem.Supposedly, according to some youtube video by one of these companies or researchers, the only permanent "cure" for hydrophobic soil, is to remove the hydrophobic soil, throw it away, and buy new sand, or some other soil. Something about the soil granules get coated in a waxy hydrophobic substance, which is either only removed by heat or abrasion or something. Not something you can reverse at home. Maybe you can add organic matter to cope? Or plug aerate + add sand. But I think the only solution was to remove & replace.No pics of the lawn, the difference probably wouldn't show up without a drone. It's not going to be amazing, just hopefully >20% better than before over a growing season.(oh, it looks like Underhill "Tournament Ready", and "Tournament Ready Plus" are also being sold for 23-27 bucks on amazon. So if I did it again, I'd watch that video, and make a choice between these three products. My gut tells me it's a wash. Or if I really cared about the lawn, I'd buy 2 and alternate use. Maybe the application rate & frequency would be the biggest influence aside from market availability)

I am disappointed with the results of this product. After buying the 120 dollar Applicator Gun that is meant to be used with this product I have not seen any improvement in the appearance or water needs of my Tall Fescue/Kentucky Bluegrass.