The most practical way to overcome plant wilt is by providing a sufficient amount of soil moisture. However, during the winter, when your trees and plants experience drying winds and a frozen ground, this is not always possible. Because of this, your plants and trees are put under water stress caused by excessive moisture loss. Often times this stress is visible in the form of wilting. Anti-wilting application can go a long way in preventing this stress, and the best time to apply Wilt-Pruf is (now) in late fall, before winter hits.
If your plant is wilting (usually seen in extreme cold, drought, or extreme heat), it means that it has run out of available water. In plants, water is continuously moving. It starts in the soil and travels into the roots up towards the stems, and finally out to the leaves. After entering the leaves, most of this water escapes into the air through tiny holes in the leaves.
Within all plants and trees, there are tube-like systems, called the xylem, that play a very important role in making sure that the entire tree gets the water it needs. In a very tall tree, the xylem is used to pull an adequate amount of water to the entire tree by pulling chains of water upward and outward towards the leaves. When the soil of a plant/tree runs too low on water, the chains of water in the xylem become thinner. Meaning, the plant is losing water faster than it can absorb it, and the effect will be visible wilting.
This is where Wilt-Pruf applications are beneficial. The spray will act as a protective coating to hold in moisture on plant foliage and its stems, reducing water loss in times of stress. For winter kill protection, it is best to spray your trees and plants in late fall with a diluted Wilt-Pruf formula. The use of Wilt-Pruf does not interfere with the plant’s growth or any other important cycles.
Wilt-Pruf applications can even help to protect trees that have a natural ability to survive the harsh winter months, like evergreens. While evergreens are made to survive when normal water intake is inhibited by storing moisture, in severe drying winds or severe drought, they may not have enough moisture buildup. Including your evergreens and boxwoods in your Wilt-Pruf fall application process can help eliminate the chances of this happening, and aid in giving them added protection they may need to make it through the harsh winter months.
Wilt-Pruf is a natural product derived from resin in pine trees. It is organic, biodegradable, non-hazardous, and non-toxic to eyes and skin. At Red Cedar, we make sure that any products or sprays we apply to a client’s property, is something that we would also be ok with using on our own properties, and around our own families. Using products that are safe for the environment, your families, and pets is very important to us.
Now is the time to “winterize” your backyard, and Wilt-Pruf is an important item on your winter checklist. As the temperatures steadily decrease and frost begins to form, now is the time to apply Wilt-Pruf to avoid damaging wilting from winter moisture loss. Contact Red Cedar today for your free consultation!