With the cold weather we’ve been having lately, I was wondering
if those anti-transpirant products like Wilt-Pruf and Cloud Cover
really do any good. Do these products provide frost protection?
It’s garden question and answer time again! You may e-mail me questions at: ga*******@*ps.net or you can mail me questions in care of this newspaper. For a faster, personal response, please include a self-addressed, stamped envelope.
Q: With the cold weather we’ve been having lately, I was wondering if those anti-transpirant products like Wilt-Pruf and Cloud Cover really do any good. Do these products provide frost protection?
– B.Z., Gilroy, via e-mail.
A: The short answer is, yes, these products do help. Anti-transpirant products are liquid sprays that provide a glossy, almost plastic-like glaze on plants to prevent water loss and protect from frost. I always spray Wilt-Pruf or Cloud Cover on my just-cut Christmas tree and wreaths. However, this time of year, you can also use anti-transpirant sprays to protect frost-sensitive outdoor plants.
Some of the most common local specimens that may need frost protection include tropical plants like bougainvillea, hibiscus, lantana and ferns, as well as some types of citrus, notably, limes and lemons. The best protection is covering frost-sensitive plants with a sheet on extra cold nights. Or, if the plants are in containers, move the container against a south-facing wall of the house.
It’s best not to lay the sheet directly over the plant. Instead, hammer a few stakes around the plant in which to drape the covering over. However, I’ve been known to just throw a covering over plants. Any protection is better than nothing.
If plants do suffer frost damage, it’s best not to cut the damaged parts off this time of year. Even though the damage may look bad, it’s still providing protection to the rest of the plant. Wait until spring to prune away the damaged portions.
Q: I know you get this same question around this time of year every year, but I can’t remember the answer. Is it possible to get my Christmas poinsettias to bloom again next year? I always hate throwing away my beautiful poinsettias even though I can usually keep them looking good well into January or even February.
– K.W, Hollister, via e-mail.
A: Not to sound like a broken record, but the short answer is, yes, you can get poinsettias to re-bloom the following year. However, getting them to re-bloom is not a simple procedure. Poinsettias are “short day” plants that are triggered by waning daylight. Growers of poinsettias “black cloth” greenhouses in order to have them in full color by the holidays. For you, this means putting the plants in a dark closet in the fall for several hours a day to trigger flowering. Realistically, poinsettias are inexpensive enough to skip the hassle of re-blooming unless there is some kind of sentimental attachment. Keep a grower in business. Throw your poinsettias away and buy new ones every year.
Keith Muraoka lives and works in Gilroy. He has written his award-winning column since 1984. E-mail him at ga*******@*ps.net, or write him at P.O. Box 22365, Gilroy, Calif. 95021.
