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Growing community-

I am looking for an Organosilicone Surfactant. If possible I am most interested in 'Lesco Hawkeye Non-ionic Organosilicone Surfactant' (with masking fragrance;-) since I have heard a good review from another grower.

Link to label: http://www.trussvillesoftball.org/Fields/Labels/Hawkeye.pdf

If anyone knows where to get this please let me know and/or post it here.

Thank you.

1/26/2009 5:24:43 PM

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I know way too much about this subject having been involved from the start. In fact the least time I told this story on a public website word got back to the manufacturer & I had to have a retraction issued. LOL I doubt they cruise Pumpkin websites so....

I used to sell Hawkeye to Seed-Outlet back when Brent first started it. Hawkeye is made by Exacto. Exacto was hiring when I started at Valley Green. One of my former associates (from Lesco) was also interviewing for that job but a Valley Green guy was hired. It was an awkward time since none of us was supposed to know what was going on but we all did.

Hawkeye is one of several identical organosilicones that Exacto makes but they will not sell it in their own bottle. Indeed they don't even have their own label. In order for a merchant to get a private label requires a minimum order, art work & lawyers to approve the labels & everything. It takes about a year.

I know of only three companies who private brand it around here.

At Valley Green we call it (real creative) Valley Green Organosilicone.
Helena calls theirs Silwet 77.
Lesco calls theirs Hawkeye.

We didn't waste money on the wintergreen scent. Exacto also uses bubblegum scent which is very popular with the forestry & paper companies. Bubble gum in a forest??? Go figure.

Miller Chemical makes an OS surfactant of their own.
Quest buys one that is used as a bark penetrant (Pentra Bark). I used to work with the Quest people too.

1/27/2009 10:54:29 PM

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Organosilicone surfactants are absolutely the BEST of the multitude of surfactants,

Most spreader-stickers contain a non-ionic surfactant (detergent) & a drying agent. This is good if the applicator is worried about rain but who sprays with rain in the same day forecast?

What makes OS work so well is the fact it takes forever to dry BY DESIGN. The molecular angular of deflection causes the chemical penetrant to "wiggle" into the leaf cuticle. Hence the longer it stays we the better the penetration. OS makes poor penetrants good. It makes good penetrants great.

Methylated crop & seed oils work much the same way bur are primarily used for herbicides.

Back when I had the greenhouse I did a lot of high temperature & low moisture efficacy & phytotoxicity tests. Organosilicone was the least injurious surfactant I used even at 8X the labeled rate. The test subjects were tomato, bean, marigold & Atlantic Giant seedlings.

Give me a call if you need some. Last time I checked it was about $40/gallon.

1/27/2009 10:54:35 PM