Remedies for Bruises on Plants

Causes

• Severe weather, such as heavy rain, hail, ice storms, wind storms and blowing dust, cause damage to crops, trees and flowers. Delicate leaves cannot withstand hail's impact. Wind storms rip branches from trees, leaving behind torn bark and bruised wood. Dust particles, when whipping at high velocities, tear foliage. Heavy rain washes protective earth from root systems opening them up to insects that bite and bruise tissue. Fruits, like bananas and eggplant, bruise easily when roughly harvested. The remedy for each of these bruise-causing scenarios differs slightly.

Trees

• Tree bark is a protective outer coat that keeps water and nutrients inside the tree and unwanted water and pests outside. Torn bark leaves open wounds and damaged, or bruised, tissue. Treat torn bark and bruised, wounded living wood by cutting back the edges to healthy wood. Make cuts with a sharp knife and keep wound edges clean. Leave a curved wound, not an angular one. Smooth curves allow water and nutrients to evenly distribute across the wound edge. Healthy tissue grows evenly around the wounded area. Removing bruised portions promotes healing by encouraging new, healthy wood growth.

Crops

• Crops, especially upright crops, like corn and wheat, are injured in windy conditions as well as during hail storms. Corn is especially prone to injury because of its leaves' large surface area. Bruised corn stalks must be examined to determine whether or not they can survive the injury. At the base of corn stalks, as well as at the base of other plants, is an area responsible for cell division and upward growth. The area, the meristematic area, will not be able to perform its duties if bruising has damaged its tissue. Plants with these injuries will not recover. Crops that exhibit bruised foliage have a better chance of regrowth but must be monitored for insect infestation, open wounds and fungal and bacterial growth.

Houseplants and Flowers

• Take care not to bruise your plants and flowers by handling them with care. If you cut flowers from a main plant then use a sharp knife or clippers. Clean cuts leave little to no bruising behind them. Cut back plants that exhibit heavily bruised leaves and stems to encourage healthy new growth. Always use sharp instruments for clean cuts and dip clippers into a sterile solution of 10 percent rubbing alcohol and water between cuts. Monitor your plant for insects and disease until the wounds heal.