Proper care for fruit trees is the key to their health, longevity, abundant and high-quality harvest. Our website has already posted an article on how to whitewash trees in the fall, where we substantiated the need for this procedure. Autumn whitewashing of garden trees is a very important item in the list of garden care activities, but whitewashing trees and shrubs in the spring is no less important.
If autumn whitewashing is carried out in order to prevent the formation of cracks and frost holes in the bark of trees and shrubs in winter and to destroy pathogenic microorganisms and pests that have gathered to overwinter in the bark, then whitewashing of trees in the spring is carried out to protect their trunks and skeletal branches from burns, since at this time the sun is very active, and the plants do not yet have foliage that could protect the bark from overheating.
In addition, whitewashing in spring is preventive measure from pathogens and pests that still managed to survive the winter in cracks in the bark and top layer soil.
That is why trees are whitened at least twice a year - in autumn and spring.
The most important is the autumn whitewashing of apple, cherry, plum and pear trees - without this procedure, the fruit bearings may not only lose their decorative appearance, but also die, since sudden temperature changes in the autumn-winter period can lead to severe damage to the bark. Fruit trees need to be whitened in October or November, just before the onset of frost. If the process will be successful, your garden will be protected from frost, the formation of ice on the trunks and from hungry hares eating the bark.
Spring whitewashing is carried out in February or early March: at this time, tree trunks can heat up to 11 ºC during the day, and this provokes the start of sap flow too early. And night temperatures at the end of winter and beginning of spring can drop to -10 ºC, and this leads to freezing of the sap, rupture of tissues and the formation of frost holes. White paint on trunks and skeletal branches is off-putting Sun rays, protects the bark from overheating and prevents trees from waking up at the wrong time.
Garden whitewash can be produced in three compositions: lime mortar, water-based or water-dispersion paint. The composition of whitewash for trees must include three components:
In the photo: Whitened apple trees
The easiest way to protect trees – lime or chalk mortar, which gardeners have been using for a long time. There are several recipes in which the ingredients differ, but in any case the base remains chalk or lime. For example:
Lime whitewashing has the disadvantage that its coating quickly washes off or crumbles. That is why, after whitewashing trees with lime or chalk in the fall, you will have to whitewash them again in the spring. If you use water-based or water-dispersion paints, then one whitewash a year, or even two, will be enough.
The main advantage of water-based paint is its durability: it forms on the surface of the trunk a durable, but vapor-permeable, breathable coating that is resistant to washing off and sunlight.
In the photo: Whitewashed trees in the park
The composition of water-dispersion paint, in addition to pigment, includes latex and antiseptic. The paint forms a breathable coating on tree trunks, but does not allow ultra-violet rays, which can cause damage to trees in the spring great harm. The water-dispersion coating lasts on the trunks for up to two years, which greatly facilitates the gardener’s work. Painting of trees with a water-dispersion composition is carried out at an air temperature of at least 3 ºC.
How to prune trees in spring - tested from personal experience
Both water-based and water-dispersion paint sold in garden pavilions. But you can also prepare durable paint yourself by mixing two parts bustylate or PVA glue, one part pigment (chalk or kaolin) and adding a fungicidal preparation to the mixture.
How to dilute whitewash? Once you have mixed all the ingredients well, add to the mixture. in small portions water, continuing to mix the composition so that the resulting consistency is as thick as oil paint.
Most often, sponge brushes are used to whitewash trees, but this is not the most handy tool. It is easier and more convenient to use a swing paint brush made of artificial material, as well as a flute brush, or maklovitsa, which allows one movement to cover a significant area of the surface of the bark, both smooth and fissured. If there are few trees in your garden, then you can quickly handle it with a brush or a paint roller, but if the garden is large and the trees are tall, then it is better to use a spray gun to whitewash them.
If for some reason you did not whiten the trees for the winter, then in the spring you will need to not only coat them with the composition, but also carry out preliminary preparation of the trunks and skeletal branches of your fruit trees before whitewashing. You need to clear them of old dead bark: spread oilcloth or fabric under the tree and remove loose pieces and pieces of bark with a wooden (but in no case metal!) scraper. The entire trunk and the lower third of the skeletal branches need to be processed. It is better to do this on a damp, cloudy day. To work, put on old leather gloves, and be sure to burn the bark fragments that have fallen onto the litter.
In the photo: Whitewashing a fruit tree
The peeled bark should be disinfected: on a dry and clear warm day, treat the trunk and the base of the skeletal branches with a five percent solution of copper sulfate or the preparations Abiga-pik, HOM or Oxyx. Spraying is carried out from a fine sprayer at a close distance so that the moisture forms a mist that slowly settles on the bark, rather than flowing over it in streams.
Please note that this manipulation should be carried out in the morning, so that by the evening the bark has time to dry.
In addition, it is not advisable to carry out disinfection with copper-containing preparations every year, since the metal tends to accumulate in the bark, and eventually its concentration will become toxic to the tree. To prevent this from happening, you need to alternate treatment with fungicides with spraying the bark with a soap-ash solution, which is not so harmful to the tree, but at the same time perfectly cleans the bark. To prepare the solution you need 2.5-3 kg of ash and 50 g liquid soap or dishwashing detergent diluted in water at a temperature of about 80 ºC.
The wounds and cracks formed during the cleaning of the bark must be repaired with one of the following compounds:
To seal injuries, you can use RanNet garden paste, which contains copper sulfate and humate. The procedure is carried out in dry weather, since the composition is not moisture resistant.
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Whiten apple trees and other fruit trees with the beginning or end of the agricultural season has become a tradition for many gardeners. But at the same time, no less number of summer residents are not sure of the need for such an event.
Essentially, tree whitening has two functions:
Regarding the first point, one cannot but agree that whitewashed trees look elegant and even festive. But the practical role of whitewashing is to protect the garden from rodents, pests and microbes, as well as adverse environmental influences:
Apple trees, pear trees and other garden trees are usually whitened twice a year:
Autumn whitewashing – this is the main job, which takes place at the end of the season. It saves fruit trees from damage during winter temperature changes and icing, and the bright spring sun. In addition, whitewashing in the fall kills ticks, leaf rollers, codling moths, aphids and other pests that have settled under the bark for the winter, and reduces the number of harmful microorganisms and bacteria that can damage trees. Whitewashing apple trees in the fall, as well as other fruit-bearing plantings, prevents spring damage to the trunks, when rodents wake up, and insects and other food lovers come to the surface tree bark and sap. As a result, a healthy tree grows safely and bears fruit.
When to whiten trees in the fall, you should look at the weather. Best time for this - the end of October - the beginning of November (depending on the natural zone): the leaves have already fallen, the rains have passed, the snow has not yet fallen, and you can choose a suitable day– cloudy (but dry, not rainy), with a temperature of 2-5 ⁰С (that is, above zero temperature).
Whitewash garden trees in the fall it requires compliance with the painting conditions, otherwise all your work may go down the drain:
It is also necessary to monitor the concentration of lime in the solution so as not to damage the bark.
Spring whitewashing is carried out from the end of February to the beginning of April, before foliage appears and wintered pests emerge. Essentially, in the spring the protective layer applied in the fall is renewed. In summer it is also advisable to renew the paint job. In spring and summer, branches are not pruned, bark is not disinfected, and other preparatory activities , which are mandatory when whitewashing trees in the fall. The same composition can be used for painting in any season.
There are a lot of compositions for whitewashing fruit-bearing trees; each gardener chooses his own due to personal preferences. The best remedy considered special water-based paint with bactericidal properties. She reliably protects the tree bark and at the same time does not interfere with her breathing. However, this method is not cheap, especially if you need to whiten a large number of trunks. The fact is that trees are whitened with a depth of several centimeters (about 3–4) into the ground and up to the skeletal branches. Another disadvantage of this paint is its thick consistency, which makes the paint difficult to apply and whitewashing takes a lot of effort and time.
But there are also solutions that you can make yourself. They are time-tested and in general are almost as good as industrially produced paint.
Lime gives the solution the desired white color, glue fixes the composition, preventing it from being washed off the trunk ahead of time, vitriol has disinfecting properties. For 2.5 kg of lime you need 10 liters of water and 0.5 kg of vitriol. The components are mixed and infused for several hours until completely dissolved.
There are other compositions, which usually include, except lime, chalk, clay, manure (mullein), milk. However, experienced gardeners do not recommend clay and mullein, since solutions based on them are washed off very quickly, before spring.
Before whitewashing fruit trees In the fall, it is necessary to carry out a number of preparatory work:
After that you can start directly to whitewashing trees. The composition is applied with a roller, spray or brush. Whitewashing should be done deep into the ground and to a height of at least 1.6–1.7 m from the soil.
Many are wary of whitewashing seedlings and fresh plantings. They are partly right, because their thin bark is very vulnerable. But it is also very dangerous from frost, overheating and pests, so it is still worth whitewashing such plantings. You need to find a middle ground - for example, reduce the amount of lime in the solution or resort to special garden paint for trees. For plantings older than five years, the solution should be applied in two layers - from the ground to the skeletal branches.
Even if you doubt the need to whitewash your garden plantings Twice a year, it’s still worth carrying out. Do not neglect plant protection before winter and at the beginning gardening work. In addition, autumn whitewashing of garden trees is good opportunity inspect your garden before the end of the season, put it in order and make sure that next year your apple trees, plums, pears and other fruit-bearing trees will delight you with beauty and harvest.
Twice a year, gardeners improve their property by whitewashing the trunks. Painting a pillar performs a lot of positive functions:
Before whitening trees, it is important to decide when to do it, why and what composition the whitening agent should have.
The dark color of the pillars is excellent for absorbing bright sunlight and the pillars overheat greatly. The main function of spring whitewashing– protecting the garden from burns. Having decided on the goal - to “mirror” as many sun rays as possible - you can determine what to whiten trees with in the spring.
The composition must meet three mandatory requirements:
Now let’s decide when and with what to whiten the trees in the garden. The best time for whitewashing– from mid-March to mid-April. The main thing is to do it before the insects wake up. When the insects wake up from hibernation, they will immediately rush to the plants in search of food. So let them have an unpleasant surprise in the form of a white protective color :)
Now a few words about how to whiten trees in spring. The main part of the coloring composition is slaked lime or chalk - they do an excellent job of beating off sunbeams :) For good adhesion, use wood or casein glue. You can also add a little clay, then the thickness of one layer will be sufficient for the whitewash to last for six months. Otherwise you will have to whiten 2-3 times. Copper sulfate can be used as a disinfectant.
Recipe for paint for the stamp: slaked lime or chalk – 2.5-3 kg, copper sulfate – 0.5 kg, adhesive base – 200-300 g, water – 10 l. Before whitening trees with this solution, think about whether you want to do this several times? If there is no time for a second painting, partially replace the water with clay so that the consistency is similar to sour cream. The easiest way is to first mix the dry ingredients, add 2-3 kg of clay to the mixture and dilute with water to the desired state.
Prepare correct solution and ours will help you paint the stamps experienced gardeners. They know very well what to whitewash trees with (depending on the season), when and how to do it. In addition, during the sanitary measures, professionals will inspect every branch of all plants and point out all the problem areas in the garden, and also tell you what to do with them. We will do everything to keep your garden healthy.
Now let’s figure out what is the best way to whiten trees in the fall. When preparing the garden for winter hibernation, we try in the best possible way provide him with protection from very cold air to avoid frostbite. Insulation materials often serve as “fur coats” made of roofing felt or similar material. However, thermal insulation can be improved by whitewashing.
Before whitening trees for the winter, you must prepare the correct solution. Clay-based compositions show effectiveness. Not only will you have to paint the trunk only once (they bleach it with ordinary lime at least 2-3 times), but it will also form additional protection from low temperatures.
So let’s look at how to whiten trees in the country in the fall. The recipe is simple: Mix freshly slaked lime and clay in equal proportions. Add a little carpenter's (casein) glue. Dilute the resulting mixture with water to the consistency of thick sour cream. The coloring composition is ready, brush in hand - and go! :)
Fruit plants are the favorite food of many beetles and rodents. Let's consider how to whiten fruit trees to protect them from pests. Essentially, everything " protective equipment"consist of the same components as solutions intended for the prevention of burns or frostbite. The difference is that they contain substances that kill or repel pests. Supplements are selected depending on the time of year.
The bark of young animals is very thin. It is easy to injure it even at the cleaning stage. What can we say about whitewashing? Before whitewashing young trees, carefully select the base for the future “paint”. Regular lime can severely burn wood. Therefore, you will have to go one of two ways: check how the solution acts on wood leather on small area plants (apply and wait 2-3 days); replace lime with chalk.
Please note that in young plants, not only the trunk must be painted. It is best to whitewash the entire post down to the skeletal branches, and also apply the composition to the branches themselves.
We figured out how to whiten trees depending on the time of year. In conclusion, it remains to wish you pleasant work in the garden, and may your trees grow healthy and strong!
Whitewashing trees in spring and autumn is exactly the procedure that helps protect all the green spaces on the site and make the garden your pride. But really get good result and healthy plants are only possible if everything is done clearly in accordance with the technology.
There are a lot of recipes for whitewashing trees with lime, vitriol and other solutions. Which one is better and the rest useful information You will find information about carrying out work on processing fruit trees in this article.
Whitewashing trees with lime provides the following benefits:
A properly thought-out plan is the key to quickly completing the job, taking into account all the important nuances.
Here's what you need to take care of if you're going to whitewash trees yourself with lime and copper sulfate:
With classic garden care, whitewashing is carried out 2 times a year.
Typically, the time for this is selected according to the following principles:
Of course, take into account the availability of free time.
Important! There are still nuances associated with the change climatic conditions in the last few years.
Consider these observations and tips:
Disinfecting solutions and directly for whitewashing have various functions, which is why they are used on different stages Carrying out work to care for fruit trees on the site.
Solutions of this group help restore damaged areas and heal trees. If this is not done, then the whitewash itself may not be as effective or even harm the plants.
There are several options, and which one to choose - decide for yourself, based on your financial capabilities and gardening experience.
Their use will not cause you any difficulties - you just need to prepare the solution in accordance with the manufacturer’s recommendations indicated on the packaging for the drug.
The proportions for preparing this composition will be as follows:
The components must be mixed before use until smooth.
The proportions of ingredients for this solution will be as follows:
To prepare, water is first heated, but not boiled, and laundry soap is dissolved in it. Next, sift the ash and add it to the soap solution, thoroughly kneading everything until smooth.
Important! This solution is used in a warm state.
Component proportions:
The preparation principle is the same as when preparing the two-component solutions described above.
Important! Please note that it is advisable not to use the same product from season to season, but to alternate different recipes. Otherwise, excess iron or copper will accumulate in the wood and lead to plant diseases. And the ecological purity of the fruits in this case will be in doubt.
There are 2 types of lime:
Important! It is better to take lump lime and make the mixture 2 hours before the whitewashing procedure. A freshly prepared solution is more effective in the prevention and control of fungi, lichens and other pests. The extinguishing process itself usually takes about 1-1.5 hours.
Slaked lime can be of different consistencies:
Important! Please note that during the process of slaking lime, a violent reaction of the components with splashes occurs, which releases a large amount of heat - the temperature of the mixture can reach 150°C. If you do not take precautions, you can get burns. Therefore, carry out work only with gloves and a protective mask and goggles.
Beginning gardeners who have just begun to arrange their plots very often make one big mistake - they immediately choose the most concentrated solutions, counting on maximum protection of the trees. As a result, young, not yet fully mature, trunks and shoots are damaged, and the plants die. Therefore, be sure to focus on the age of the crops to avoid this fate.
Important! For young trees, especially if they are non-fruit crops, it is best to use ready-made white acrylic paint. In this case, the treatment is carried out only once a year, since the coating will be durable. But don't forget that acrylic paint- it's still a product chemical industry based on synthetic components.
Let's consider how much copper sulfate to add to whitewash for trees and how much lime to use for specific recipes.
Recipe 1:
Recipe 2:
Recipe 3:
So, all solutions have been selected. Now we proceed directly to whitewashing the trees with lime and copper sulfate.
The work will have to be divided into several stages, but all of them are performed sequentially one by one without long breaks:
Important! The processing height is 1.5-2 meters, but it is advisable to also capture that part of the tree that is in the ground (not very deep).
Carefully cover all cracks and holes in the wood with the selected mixture. You can use the following options for this:
Important! The finished wound remedy should have the consistency of a moderately elastic dough, not too liquid and not very strong, without lumps. Before application, the mixture is usually infused for about 2-3 hours.
The entire whitewashing process itself is essentially familiar to all dyeing, only in in this case we paint the trees.
To ensure everything goes well the first time, take note of these tips:
In this article we have covered all the main points and most FAQ, which arise on the topic of whitewashing trees in the spring with lime and copper sulfate. We hope you have no additional uncertainties and are ready to properly care for your garden and maintain the healthy condition of all the trees on your site!
A mandatory event for a gardener is whitewashing fruit trees in the spring, and the timing is dictated by the climate. Important in early spring choose dry weather and carry out protective and preventive treatment of fruit trees. Spring whitewashing of plants is a sign of the beginning of the struggle for the beauty and health of the garden, the battle for the harvest.
A sign of a healthy tree is the bark of a characteristic color for the species, without cracks or burrs. But only a young tree can boast of an absolutely clean trunk. Later, roughness and microcracks appear in which pests can lay eggs, fungi and lichens can introduce spores.
Whitewashing fruit tree trunks with a special composition:
The March sun heats up the dark trunks very well, disrupting the biological rhythm. There is still snow on the ground, but the first spider has already crawled out of the crack and is busily climbing down on a rope. It is necessary to wall up the pests under a dense layer of whitewash, to which protective drugs have been added. That is why the timing of whitewashing fruit trees in the spring should be early.
If the tree has not been cleared of bark pests since the fall, cracks and hollows remain, before whitewashing in cloudy weather, the bark is washed off from dirt and dubious places are cleaned. After the hygienic procedure, the bark should dry.
The snow-white color of the bark reflects the sun's rays and the wood heats up much less. Changes in night and day temperatures in spring are significant and can lead to cracking of the bark. A durable layer of whitewash on fruit trees in the spring - from overheating of the trunk until autumn.
A necessary condition for any composition - its maximum reflectivity is whiteness! The best foundation For whitewashing mature trees, use freshly slaked lime. Its disinfecting properties are associated with the production of an alkaline suspension. After drying, a strong CaCO 3 crust forms on the trunk, which does not dissolve in water. The whitewash will remain throughout the summer.
If it is difficult to find lump lime, you can use acrylic white paint, popularly called an emulsion. These components are the basis for the composition of whitewash for fruit trees. For better adhesion, you can add pre-dissolved tar or laundry soap 5 g per 1 liter of suspension to the bucket.
The remaining components can be added as needed per 10 liters of solution:
You can add 100 g of karbofos or urea to the solution.
Don't mix everything in one bucket. You need to focus on the pest infestation of the tree.
For young trees with thin bark without damage, the solution should be prepared using chalk. If you purchased fluff, its disinfecting properties are weak, it has already decomposed in the air, you will need copper sulfate, karbofos,.
Spring whitewashing consists of the following mandatory actions:
A cloth is spread around the tree, onto which the dead bark removed with a scraper, shavings and dust from stripping with a metal mesh fall. If the tree is damaged to the cambium and deeper, the wound must be closed with garden varnish.
It is best to paint with a thick suspension using a brush, evenly covering the cracks and exits of the lower skeletal branches. If the tree is young, only the stem up to the first branches is painted.
After this, the litter is collected and burned along with the contents. This is important to prevent the spread of insects and diseases.
Not all farmers consider it correct to mix chemical ingredients in one container. Some are sure that whitewashing fruit trees in the spring early dates performs only aesthetic functions, and its benefit for the development of the tree is negligible. As an alternative, they suggest, after stripping the wood, spraying it with Bordeaux mixture or copper sulfate. It is important to prevent liquid from flowing into the tree trunk circle.
Instead of whitewashing, it is proposed to protect the trunks with a coating of straw, fresh manure and clay. Experienced gardeners use an infusion of 3 kg of ash in 10 liters of water for several hours. For adhesion, laundry soap shavings are added to the composition. It is believed that trace elements found in stove ash nourish the tree bark.
With experience comes an understanding of which agrotechnical measures in a particular climatic zone are more suitable for protective measures. The main thing is that the garden is healthy and fruitful.
