EnviroMax™ is a proprietary blend of water soluble polymeric polyelectrolytes with a strong anionic charge. The molecule has a molecular weight of over 12,000 and expands rapidly when mixed with water. Water is the carrier that allows the polymer to expand deeply into the soil.

Dr. Albert Trouse of the USDA's National Tillage Machinery Lab. makes the analogy of soil compaction to racehorses. He said "we have bred specialized varieties of plants for higher yields, offer optimum fertilizer programs, then grow them in compacted soil. That's like running a thoroughbred racehorse on a pony ride". Dr. Trouse is referring to the adverse effect compaction has on a plant's root system.

What causes compaction?
Soil compaction is caused by the compaction of finely pulverized soil particles in a thin layer that can eventually become impervious to all things. This stratum, often called a plow pan, is a most effective barrier to the root growth, air and moisture that travel in the soil.

What is pore space?
Pore space, or porosity, is associated with both texture and structure of soils. Pore spaces are large in course, sandy soils or in those with well developed granulation. In heavy soils containing mostly fine clay particles, the pore spaces may be too small for plant roots or soil water to penetrate readily.  Good soils have 40 to 60% of their bulk occupied with pore space, which may be filled with either water or air, both of which are important.

What's the Air/Water relationship?
As in all other soil relationships, a satisfactory balance between water and air is important for productivity. Too much water slows the release of soil nitrogen, depletes mineral nutrients, and otherwise hinders proper plant growth. Too much air speeds nitrogen release beyond the capacity of plants to utilize it, so that much of it is lost. The stored water in an overly aerated soil evaporates into the atmosphere and is lost to the plants.

How does water get into the soil?
Soil water occurs in three forms, designated as hygroscopic, gravitational and capillary The hygroscopic soil water is chemically bound in the soil constituents and is unavailable to plants. Gravitational water is that which normally drains out of the pore spaces of the soil after a rain. If drainage is poor, it is this water that causes the soil to be soggy and unproductive. Excessive drainage speeds the time when capillary water runs short and plants suffer from drought.

Why is capillary water important?
It is capillary water upon which plants depend very largely for their supply of moisture. Thus the capacity of a soil to hold water against the pull of gravity is of  tremendous importance in ordinary agriculture. Organic matter and good soil  structure add to the supply of water in soils. Water that has been treated with  wetting agents (surfactants) often have a detrimental effect on the capillary action  because they destroy surface tension.

What is the Wilting Coefficient?
Plants cannot extract the last drop of water from a soil, since soil moisture tends to resist the pull exerted by the plant roots. The point at which the attraction of soil  materials and the pull of plant roots are just equal is called the "wilting coefficient" of  a soil. This represents the percentage of water in a soil at the time the loss from  transpiration exceeds the renewal of the water by capillary means.

How deep will plants feed?
Plant roots can grow as much as 2.5 inches a day, and most vegetables will send roots down as deep as 6 feet in ideal soil that has good tilth. It's easy to calculate   adverse effects of a compacted layer at the 1 foot level. Somewhere between 0.5   and 1.5 inches of water will be available to the plant growing in compact soil or   about 3 to 7 days worth of moisture. But if there were no compaction barrier, and   the plant could make use of the soil to a depth of 6 feet, its roots would have access to a 15 to 45 day water supply.

Does the "wilting" show up quickly?
Dr. Trouse continues his explanation, noting "a plant will put out as many as 14,000 new feeder roots each day. It's up to these feeder roots to gather the water and  nutrients the plants need. If the feeder roots are getting enough water and nutrients  the plant will operate at 100% and make maximum use of the sunlight. If the roots  cannot get enough water or nutrients, the plant will slow down its rate of growth  long before there is any sign of visual wilting.

How does compaction occur?
Dr. Trouse estimates that soil compaction can reduce a plants operating efficiency anywhere from 25 to 50 percent. "And you don't need the classic rock-hard plow pan to stop this root growth either' he emphasizes. The more and better you cultivate your soil, the more vulnerable to compaction it will be. He estimates a   well-cultivated soil may take as little as 3.5 pounds of pressure per square inch to   form a pan. People walking flatfooted create about 5.5 pounds of pressure and   when they get up on their toes or heels that goes up to 15 pounds and you really have compaction.