Antidessicants are compounds applied to plants to reduce dehydration and prevent drying. Antidessicants are used on Christmas trees, cut flowers, newly transplanted shrubs, and in other applications to preserve and protect plants from drying out too quickly. Antidessicantshave also been used to protect leaves from salt burn and fungal diseases.
Antitranspirants vs. Antidessicants
Some growers call them antitranspirants. Some call them antidessicants. By definition they have two different meanings, yet in reality you are correct if you use either the word “antitranspirant” or “antidesiccant.”
The dictionary says the following:
Transpiration: to pass through pores or a membrane
So to stop this from happening you would use an antitranspirant.
Desiccation: to dry or dehydrate
So to stop this from happening you would use an antidesiccant.
Even though it still seems a little complicated, if you can stop water from escaping by using a compound (antitranspirant) then you will also be stopping desiccation (antidesiccant).
Historically most growers use these compounds during the winter months when cold winds can seriously dehydrate and damage plants. It would seem logical to use an antidesiccant for protection, yet to most the term more widely used is “antitranspirant.”
Does it really make any difference? Probably not. “Antitranspirant” and “antidesiccant” are both widely accepted as the same thing when it pertains to the compound or product itself, even though the dictionary gives different definitions of “transpiration” and “desiccation.”
