With the onset of cold weather, when fruit trees have already given up their crops and dropped leafy outfits, the garden seems to freeze, plunging into a deep sleep until the first spring sunshine. This period is the most suitable time for the main activities for preparing the garden in winter. Whitewashing of fruit trees in the fall allows not only increasing yield for the next season, but also protecting the garden from many troubles in the cold season.
Autumn whitewashing of fruit tree trunks performs several functions at once:
- Reflection of the sun's rays. The winter sun is deceiving. Its rays, especially during the thaw, often cause burns on the bark of trees. Trunks covered with white lime are able to reflect the sun's rays, thereby acting as a prevention of overheating and cracking of the bark.
- Protection against temperature extremes. Whitewashing acts as a kind of thermal insulation "coat", thanks to which the tree trunk does not overheat on a winter day and does not freeze at night. Such a "fur coat", acting as an excellent tree protection against frost, prevents the occurrence of frost on the bark, which serve as an excellent environment for the development of pathogenic spores and other pathogens.
- Destruction of pathogens. Lime and fungicides included in the composition for whitewashing fruit trees, deeply penetrating under the bark of plants, can destructively affect colonies of harmful insects and destroy microorganisms and fungal spores.
Variety of choices for whitening compounds
Option # 1 - whitewash home-made
The simplest and cheapest option for making a whitening composition is a solution of slaked lime in simplest whitewash. The ratio of the components of such a solution is: 2 kg of freshly slaked lime, 300 g of copper or 500 g of iron sulfate per 10 liters of water. Adding to the solution 1 tbsp. a spoonful of carbolic acid can further protect trees from the encroachment of hares and mice.
A solution of lime whitewash is stirred in a bucket until it has a consistency of thick sour cream
Many gardeners have been using this solution since time immemorial. Although the degree of protection of such whitewash is not high enough, but due to its affordable price and ease of manufacture, it remains one of the most popular among most gardeners.
In the absence of the ability to treat the surface of the trunk with a whitening composition, you can always use another grandfathering method - to coat the mushrooms with a usual mixture of clay and mullein. For this, 2 kg of lime, 1 kg of clay, 1 kg of cow manure and 250 g of copper sulphate must be mixed in a container.
Option # 2 - ready-made garden mixes
Garden mixtures based on lime and clay allow the tree to "breathe".
If lime mortar can be applied only to mature trees, clay mixtures can be applied to young seedlings without compromising growth.
The only drawback of this solution is that it gradually rinses off the trunk during the winter. Therefore, in early spring, it is desirable to carry out the whitewashing of fruit trees again.
Option # 3 - acrylic and water based paints
Acrylic paint, which contains antifungal and bactericidal components, effectively protects tree trunks from any pathogens.
Such whitewashing is good if the owner does not have the ability to timely monitor the condition of the tree trunk: did the protective paint remain on them after winter
Tip. Acrylic whitewashing is not one of the "breathing" foundations and therefore it is undesirable to use it on young seedlings.
Water-based paint is effective in combating winter frosts, but it is not able to protect the tree from harmful insects. Therefore, before its use, copper-containing components are added to the paint.
Rules for whitewashing
You can start whitewashing trees in the second half of autumn, when the rainy season has already passed, and the air temperature has settled in the region of 2-3 ° C. For whitewashing it is better to choose a nice dry day.
Whitewashing can be carried out only on trees that have entered the fruiting season. Young seedlings purchased in the autumn season do not whiten for the winter, since the protective paint only clogs the pores of the tree and does not allow the plant to fully develop, leading to its death.
One or two year old seedlings are only tied with any covering material. Agrofibre is best suited for these purposes.
A plastic film is far from the best choice, since it retains moisture and provokes the development of mold and fungi in a sheltered area of the trunk.
Preparatory work
Before whitewashing, trees must be carefully inspected to eliminate seedlings of pathogens. Tree trunks and the lower bases of skeletal branches need to be cleaned of dried and diseased bark, old growths and moss. Although lichens do not harm the bark of trees, they clog them. Get rid of lichens allows "washing" the trunks with a solution consisting of 1 kg of salt, 2.5 kg of ash and 2 pieces of laundry soap. All components must be mixed and poured with 1 bucket of hot water, bring to a boil and cool.
The barrel can be cleaned with wooden spatulas, metal scrapers or brushes, use gear saws for this
You need to work with tools very carefully so as not to damage the bark of the plant. After cleaning, all wounds and damage must be treated with garden var.
If you don’t have a garden plow at hand, you can make the wound healing putty yourself. To do this, mix 2 parts of clay with 1 part of manure, adding copper sulfate and straw dust to the mixture. Putty should have a density like sour cream.
Carrying out whitewashing of boles
You can whiten trees with a regular brush or with a spray gun. However, when working with this convenient device, you should be prepared for the fact that the paint consumption will be an order of magnitude higher compared to the traditional whitewashing method. To facilitate painting, it is advisable to pre-prepare brushes corresponding to the size of the thickness of the trunk and skeletal branches.
Whitewashing must be performed starting from the bottom of the trunk and gradually rise to the skeletal branches. The height of the whitewashing of skeletal branches should be 20-30 cm from the branch point
A visual aid revealing the main secrets of competent whitewashing:
