Protective wrap for preventing damage to girdled trees and other plants and method
US5224967A · kind A · utility
Assignee
Inventors
Key dates
| Filing date | Aug 12, 1992 |
| Grant date | Jul 6, 1993 |
| Priority date | — |
| Expiry date | Aug 12, 2012 |
Classification
- Technology area (CPC A)Human Necessities
- CPC primaryA01G17/18
- WIPO fieldOther special machines
- WIPO sectorMechanical engineering
Abstract
The invention provides a method of preserving the life of girdled plants, such as trees, shrubs or flowering plants, comprising applying to the girdled area a wrap composed of a flexible tape backing formed from a water insoluble polymeric sheet, e.g., nonwoven fabric, suited for being wound into a roll or dispensed as cut sheets. To the backing is applied a homogeneous, hydrophilic, stable matrix. The matrix is hydratable by atmospheric moisture, has a bonding surface which conforms to the contours of the plant, and is sufficiently tacky to hold the tape in place after being wrapped around the plant. The matrix includes (a) a liquid phase comprising a hydrophilic, polar, water-miscible liquid for plasticizing the matrix and (b) a water soluble or water swellable hydrophilic film-forming polymer uniformly admixed with said liquid to form a flexible matrix. The matrix serves as a reservoir which is easily hydrated and will swell in a humid environment to assist in carrying plant fluids through the girdled area to thereby preserve the life of the plant.
Source: USPTO / EPO open patent data. Objective bibliographic and citation counts.