The effect of drought on the moisture content of humectant-treated soilless substrate (Metromix 560) planted with one-year-old Jiffy Plug red maple seedlingsz.
| Drought period (wks) | No humectant | Hydretain ES | EcoSential | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16 mL/L | 12 mL/L | 16 mL/L | 12 mL/L | ||
| 1 | 56.6 | 64.8 | 57.5 | 56.8 | 67.5 |
| 2 | 30.1 | 31.6 | 33.7 | 34.4 | 38.7 |
| 3 | 14.0 | 24.6 | 20.6 | 21.7 | 26.8 |
| 4 | 0 | 13.1 | 9.2 | 12.4 | 10.9 |
| 5 | 0 | 7.6 | 2.5 | 3.6 | 5.5 |
| 6 | 0 | 1.1 | 0.4 | 2.0 | 1.6 |
↵zMoisture content expressed as percent saturation. Humectants applied as a root drench (350 mL) prior to initiation of a progressive drought cycle. Seedlings grown in the greenhouse in 3.8 L plastic pots (2008 trials). Each value represents the mean of seven replications.