When I moved from the city to the countryside several years ago, I became the owner of my backyard garden. There were already a dozen or sofruit treesSo I had to take care of them somehow. However, I had a vague idea about fruit-growing, so I had nothing else to do but educate myself in this field.
Why whitewash trees?
One of the things that surprised me as a novice gardener was the issue ofwhitewashing of treesLiving in the city, in spring I often saw city green services painting trees.So I thought March or April were the right months for this procedure. However, I was surprised when I found out that in the spring time this activity is only
aesthetic and, in fact, is no longer needed. Why? Because it is the freezing temperaturesthat occur in winterthat can destroy trees. Damage occurs most often in January and February, when during the day the sun heats up the thicker branches and the trunk, and at night the rapidly dropping temperature causes the cells that are awakened to life to freeze. Then,vertical cracks appear in the tree trunks ,scale woundsor the branchesfrostbite(visible in cross-section as brown cells). And precisely to prevent this damage from occurring,we whiten the trunksand the roots of the branches.
With what to paint?
For painting, it is best to usemilk of lime . I get them by mixing
- 2 kilograms of lime,
- 10 liters of water.
After mixing it thoroughlylime milkI apply with a brush. I cover the trunk especially carefully on the south side, because this is where the sun works the most.
When to whiten?
Treeswhitenessat the beginning of January at the latest, and if snow or rain is to wash away the lime, I repeat this even several times.
Stefan Tarnawski
Recipe for the Garden - Practical Tips for Bleaching Trees
- Let's also not forget aboutwhitewashingfruit bushes. They are less frost-resistant than pear, cherry and apple trees, which can withstand temperatures of minus 20-30 ° C.
- It is not true that late (spring)bleaching of fruit trees destroys pest larvae and spores of fungal diseases. Lime has no such properties.
- If we do not want or have no optionwhitewash trees , we can wrap the trunks and thick branches with whitepaperorstraw This will protect our plants not only from cracks, but also from wild animals. However, we should never use foil for wrapping!
- If we add a little clay, cow or flour tomilk of lime, we will limit its rinsing in the rain.
