You care for your greens and other turf areas meticulously all-season long – but come springtime of next year will your turf enter out of dormancy in optimum condition? The use of anti-transpirants can give your turfgrass that extra help it needs to get through a long, hard winter with less damage.
What Are Anti-Transpirants?
Anti-Transpirants are chemicals that reduce the transpiration rate when applied to plant foliage. Water loss in plants normally occurs through the stomatal pores in the leaves; when used to coat the plant leaves, anti-transpirants restrict the amount of water that escapes though these pores. Preventing foliar water loss will improve the plant’s tolerance to stressful conditions.
How They’re Used
Anti-Transpirants are more commonly recognized for the treatment of transplantings and cut greenery but are frequently used throughout nursery and greenhouse markets. However, the same principles that apply to other plant types can also be applied to turfgrass.
Turfgrass damage due to desiccation occurs primarily in the winter months and is most prevalent in northern climates. Injury to turfgrass is most severe in areas with little or no snow and windy conditions. Other factors that contribute to winter desiccation include:
- Frozen soils
- Ground elevation
- Grass at higher points are more exposed to the elements and are offered less wind protection from surrounding landscape features.
- Low humidity
- Lower humidity causes faster evaporation of water from the plants’ stomatal pores.
For the best winter protection, anti-transpirants should be applied in early winter. In particularly cold areas, a second application may be necessary for complete protection after 6-8 weeks.
Protect Turf with LeafShield®
LeafShield® provides safe, effective and affordable protection against desiccation injury. When applied to turfgrass or landscape plants, it dries to a thin, flexible layer that will not discolor turf or plants.
LeafShield® is odorless, non-sticky, and mixes easily with water. It washes effortlessly out of spray equipment with soap and water so cleanup is a breeze. It can be applied in sunny or cloudy conditions, further increasing ease of use.
How to Use LeafShield®
Spray LeafShield® at 2 oz/1000 sq ft with a spray volume of 1 – 2 gal/1000 sq ft. LeafShield can be safely tank mixed with contact snow mold fungicides. Do not tank mix LeafShield with PCNB or localized, acropetal or systemic penetrant snow mold fungicides.
To learn more about how anti-transpirants can help your turf and plants all year long visit our product page here.
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