Has anyone used silicone plumber's tape to
prevent nodes from desiccating?  I like the elasticity
of the product and buds will pop right through it!

I was actually referring to white Teflon (not silicone) tape
to keep the buds from drying out.

There are several members who use that teflon tape with good success(I think they posted about it last winter)...I use Parafilm, which is more expensive, but it is transparent so I can see more clearly what the buds are doing...when they begin to swell, they burst right through the film...the sun and elements break down the Parafilm and it eventually falls off.