Whitewashing trees. Why, when and how to whiten trees

There is a lot of controversy over whether it is necessary to whitewash trees at all, but experts say that it is actually beneficial for plants. Why else do you need whitewashing? It protects trees and shrubs in a comprehensive manner - at the same time protecting them from uninvited pests, unacceptable temperatures and sometimes from animals!

Many people think that whitewashing is a rather complicated procedure: you need to find the right time, prepare the mixture, tools, and so on.

But as practice shows, everything is really easy. In this article, we will quickly and easily describe the entire process of whitewashing trees and shrubs to improve plant health and increase yields.

Why trees are whitened

Each tree is a complex organism, very vulnerable and vulnerable. In order to protect the internal "organs" of the plant, nature has awarded the branched greens with an outer shell - the bark. And in order for this shell to be a reliable shield, it needs a little help, for these purposes they use such a method as whitewashing of trees... What is such a barrier able to protect from?

• Heat. Here is one of the most dangerous exposures to these perennials. Moreover, we are not only talking about hot summer days, the sun beats down in the winter months as well. The result is dehydration of the top layer. And when the water balance in the crust is disturbed, it begins to crack. To reflect this destructive light, external protection is needed, and its white color serves this purpose.
• Salvation from the cold. Almost the same as hot air and bright rays, frost affects the "skin" of a tree. The consequences are the same as the remedies. So that whitewashing trees with lime - solves several problems at once.
• Such treatment is a barrier for various types of pests. This includes fungi, which like to fill areas already weakened by the vagaries of the weather, and all sorts of beetles, caterpillars, and also rodents.

When to start processing

Experienced gardeners advise to whitewash horticultural crops 2-3 times per season:

• the main procedure occurs in October and November;
• the second whitewashing should be carried out in the spring, it is renewing and is carried out from the second half of February to mid-March;
• the third treatment is to be carried out in July.

Experienced gardeners advise to whitewash horticultural crops 2-3 times per season

Remember, the most important whitewashing should be done in the fall. If you leave the initial treatment in early spring, then it will not be effective.

The action of the sun directly in February and March frosts is very harmful to vegetation. During the day, the tree can heat up from +9 to + 11ᵒC, and this is quite enough to awaken and activate the movement of sap inside the tree. Night frost from -10ᵒC and below will freeze the circulating fluid. As a result, a rupture of tissue appears, and more specifically a frost crack, which is a long crack.

What trees need this kind of care?

These are both young and mature plants. This is the opinion of the majority, but not all. Some gardeners believe that such camouflage will damage the young plant. After all, the calcareous shell can burn its thin bark.

And there is some truth in this. Therefore, for young specimens, it is best to use other types of compositions, including paint. This is especially true for those branched that are grown in nurseries.

As a rule, they are so cramped, because of this, they do not receive so much light, therefore they do not have immunity to the effects of rays. I suddenly find myself in an aggressive environment in the open air, the tree may not withstand the heat.

Another argument in favor of abandoning such a coating is that it can impede growth, because the created layer will not allow the trunk to increase in diameter, or rather, it will restrain its growth.

Young trees should be whitened using the most gentle compounds or paint.

To what height should you whiten?

Particularly cracked are the southwestern parts of the trunks, which are more exposed to sunlight, so if there is no time or opportunity to paint entire trunks, at least this part should be protected.

The trunks are covered with a layer of milk of lime up to the height of the first thick branches, including the base of the lower skeletal branches.

How to whiten trees?

Contrary to the assumptions of many, several types of solutions are used for these purposes at once. Such as the:

• Lime-based mixture. In addition to the calcium oxide itself, glue is kneaded there. Not just any binder will work. Apply one that is on a natural basis. For example, the one made from milk protein is casein protein. The third component is copper sulfate. Able to endow the composition with disinfecting properties.

• Water emulsion. (Attention! Not one that is intended for painting work!) This dye composition is able to cope with such a task as serving as a coating for the bark. The tree will not suffocate in such "clothes", the layer is vapor-permeable. In addition, water procedures and sunbathing will not destroy it. However, the previous option, in the opinion of many older generation gardeners, is much more acceptable and effective in such a matter as whitewashing of tree trunks.

• Acrylic paint. She has a lot of merits. First, it is very easy to apply. Secondly, it will hold out better than its competitors, on adult plants - up to two years. Of the advantages and the fact that you can do without antiseptics, because they are already part of the coating. But, get ready to pay more for it than for other composition options.

Each type of mixture has its own tools. Something will be more convenient to apply with a brush, for something a roller is much better suited. If the composition is liquid, then you can not do without a spray.

What tools to use

It is very important to start whitewashing immediately after preparing the trees. Whitewashing tools depend on the age and size of the tree. But in fact, there are no exact indications.

You can use absolutely any brush that you like the most or that will be the most comfortable for you!

Advice:

• If the tree is young, try using a sponge, especially if you have a very thin mixture.
• When working with bushes, it is advisable to use brushes with a long handle.

Gardeners with a large number of trees prefer to use a sprayer. But this decision is not always considered correct, because:

1. The mixture should be fairly homogeneous, and this does not always work.
2. A certain percentage of the mixture will simply be wasted.
3. It is difficult to fill cracks and lesions in the bark with the mixture.

When to whiten

It is very important to choose the right time of year for such a procedure. If we talk about the most ideal period for such work, then this is whitewashing trees in autumn... Indeed, contrary to popular belief, the most scorching rays of the heavenly body are precisely in winter.

So we advise you to start work in October, the edge - in November. Then the plant will endure frost without difficulty. But if you neglect this procedure, then by the end of winter, the beginning of spring, the situation can become catastrophic.

When the sun becomes more active, the movement through the "blood vessels" of the tree will resume again in the daytime, and at night this sap will freeze due to the drop in temperature. Such processes inevitably lead to cracking of the barrel surface.

The main thing is, do not be alarmed if you have processed the trunk, and at the usual time your tree is not covered with flowers, it will do it a little later. But this will save the nascent buds from frost.

It is very important to whitewash trees in the fall before the onset of cold weather.

What do we see after the cold weather? As a rule, the protective layer becomes unusable, it simply crumbles. because whitewashing trees in spring is also necessary. It is imperative to update the layer. By the way, timing of whitewashing trees exist for the summer season. This is usually the high season, mid-July.

In order for the process of applying the composition to proceed correctly, the plant must be prepared. To begin with, you will have to walk along the trunk with a brush, but not a metal one, this is too much. The same can be done with a regular household glove.

As a result, the already dead, dried bark will fall off. If there are deep cracks in which dirt has stuck, take an ordinary chip, or a wooden spatula, and try to use them to scrape out all unnecessary from the grooves.

Everything that was removed from the tree is not at all safe garbage that can be left right next to the plant. This breeding ground for harmful organisms can be detrimental to the garden dweller.

Therefore, we must either collect all the waste, or lay a bag on the ground in advance, onto which all cleanings will fall, and then we fold it and take it to the trash. Then the time for disinfection will come. “For what,” you ask?

So after all, the very harmful organisms that huddled in the bark could easily penetrate deeper. Plus, severe "injuries" during the cleaning process are not excluded, by pressing a little harder on the instrument, you can damage the tissues of a living organism. Therefore, disinfection of such areas is a mandatory process.

Regardless of the whitewash option chosen, do not forget about personal protective measures (gloves, mask, etc.)

Why whitewash trees

Whitewashing is the process of staining the underside of a tree. Sometimes the lower branches are also painted. But have you ever wondered why? Here are some reasons:

1. Due to the fact that there are no leaves on the trees in winter and at the beginning of spring, they can be injured, simply from the fact that they will be in the sun for a long time.
2. Since the bark of trees in winter is very dark in color, it warms up very quickly in the sun! As a result, the tree can "wake up" earlier. In the daytime, the juice begins to move along the trunk, and at night it freezes. This can severely damage the bark of the tree.
3. The most frequent damage to plants in winter occurs due to very rapid temperature changes. As a result, the bark cracks.
4. Another reason for protecting trees by whitewashing is pests, which often hide in the bark of trees for the winter.
5. In Russia, there is a risk that hungry hares and mice will reach the bark in winter.

Whitewashing is useful for plants of any age.

Means for disinfecting damaged areas

Chemical (Their supporters assure that they cannot achieve a good effect in other ways. Opponents say that if such mixtures are constantly used, they accumulate both in the composition of the soil and in the plant itself, as a result they have a detrimental effect on it):

• Iron vitriol, or rather its solution. To prepare the correct composition, you need to take the following proportion as a basis: for ten liters of water we take half a kilogram of the substance.
• Compositions with copper. If you are interested in preliminary whitewashing trees with copper sulfate, then, when diluting the mixture, use the same scheme as in the previous case.
• Powdered fungicides, quite potent, such as hom, phytosporin. When diluting, take quite a bit, 30-40 grams for the same 10 liters of water will be quite enough.
• Oxyhom. Has broader abilities, unlike its counterpart. Therefore, it is worthwhile to halve the dose of the substance, i.e. we take only 20 grams.

Natural:

• Ash infusion.In order to knead it, you need ten liters of boiling water, into which you need to pour about 3 kilograms of ash, but do not forget to sift it first. All of this mixture will not stick to the surface of the wood unless a binder is added there. Ordinary laundry soap acts as a glue. You will need about a quarter of a standard briquette of 200 grams. After everything is ready, do not postpone the work on the back burner, you need to apply the mixture even before it cools down.
• If you do not want to mess around with the application of drugs, then you can use a sprayer. For this, ash liquor should be made. We take water and ash in the same proportions as described above, combine and put on fire. When all this boils, the liquid we need is formed, and we use it for irrigation.

After such processing, on large open areas of plant tissue, you need to make a kind of patches. This is protection from all sorts of dangers, and from premature and too rapid loss of moisture.

Garden var is the most favorite putty for gardeners. You can buy it in a store or make it yourself. If there are different alternatives. Garden stores offer various pastes, they are ready-made, nothing needs to be mixed and added.

How to properly carry out a process such as whitewashing of garden trees, we will describe below:

• Do not try to smear the mixture with lime too much, a thin layer does not mean good at all. It should be tight enough, but not thick. If you use paint, then you can apply the composition and thinner.
• No precipitation. Follow the weather forecast, apply the solution on a dry, day without rain. When it comes to applying paint, the temperature is also important, at least +3.
• In no case, do not use for such a business what you could find in your own basement. Whatever paint does not work, it can be more harm than good. Go to the store and look for goods on the shelf marked “paint for whitewashing trees».

Now one more important point - to what height should the whitewash layer reach? You've probably already noticed that plants on city streets have very low "white skirts". According to the standard, they are whitewashed about a meter in height. The maximum is 1.20 m. And this is fundamentally wrong. Such a modest "outfit" is not able to protect from frost.

If possible, apply the composition as high as possible. For an already matured plant, this is at least one and a half meters. Those. You must capture the entire trunk and a third of the thick branches, they are also called skeletal.

By the way, do not forget that you need to whiten not only as high as possible, but also as low as possible. Within reasonable limits. Before starting work, scoop up a little dirt around the base of the trunk so that you can brush over it with your brush. And then return the soil to its place. The main thing is not to overdo it with depth. Otherwise, instead of doing good, cause harm.

Trees should be painted as close to the ground as possible and at least to skeletal branches

The main stages of the procedure

A properly thought-out plan is the key to quickly completing the work, taking into account all important nuances.

Here's what you need to take care of if you are going to independently whitewash trees with lime and copper sulfate compounds:

1. Determine the most appropriate time for the procedure.
2. Select the type of solution and the base of the composition.
3. Prepare the trunks and make the mortar.
4. Apply whitewash using the correct technology.

Next, we will consider in detail each of these stages and answer the most frequent questions of novice gardeners.

How to prepare a whitewash solution

Now let's talk about how it should be composition of whitewash for trees, cooked at home:

• White component. It is needed to reflect light. Either lime or chalk acts as such.
• An adhesive substance (clay, milk, soap, as already mentioned, or, in fact, glue).Keep in mind that if you take PVA glue, the plant simply will not be able to breathe, so you should pay a little extra for a product made from natural ingredients. And in order not to rush away, cutting the soap into small pieces, take a grater and just grate it.
• Something to decontaminate.
• Manure. Not necessary, but still a common component in this kind of mixtures. In addition to viscous properties and even disinfecting, such an inclusion can serve as a top dressing for a garden resident. So it will definitely not be superfluous.

Here are some examples with specific components and their quantity:

• We take 10 liters of water. We knead lime in an amount of 2.5 kilograms into it, add a pound of copper sulfate. And finally, the final touch - casein glue, it should be 200 grams.
• For this amount of liquid, take two and a half kilograms of chalk. Plus ten spoons of regular flour paste.

The paste should be smooth and not very thick, like sour cream. And when you apply it, make sure that the layer is not more than 3 millimeters. If suddenly you are worried not only by small pests, but also by hares encroaching on the health of your garden, then you can include another component in the batch that will scare off annoying eared ones.

We are talking about carbolic acid, you need it with just a tablespoon. If you want water-based paint to protect not only from the vagaries of nature, but also from various beetles, then you need to include a copper component in the mixture.

PREPARING MIXTURES FOR WHITENING WITH YOUR OWN HANDS - TIPS FROM READERS

WHAT IS BETTER TO WHITE TREES? WITH DIY MIXTURES!

Experienced gardeners begin work on the site in early spring. And I am no exception. As soon as the snow melts, I tidy up the area. I pay special attention to the processing of fruit trees and shrubs. I prepare the mixture for this myself, according to my grandfather's proven recipes. I will gladly share them with you.

For trees

Recipe number 1

I add 2 kg of freshly slaked lime to 10 liters of water. 1 tbsp carbolic acid and 300 g of copper sulfate. I mix the mixture thoroughly and immediately apply it to the barrel, stirring constantly in the process.

Recipe number 2

You will need: Slaked lime, fungicide, clay and wood casein glue.

In a 10-liter bucket, I soak one part of the clay until the lumps dissolve. I add two parts of lime, 300 g of any fungicide and 100 ml of glue. I mix everything thoroughly, add water if necessary to get a solution of the consistency of thick sour cream. I apply the mixture to tree trunks, layer thickness - 2-3 mm

Universal mixes for whitewashing

"Dairy"

In a bucket I mix two parts of chalk, part of clay, a glass of fungicide and a glass of milk. The mixture needs to be diluted with water, but since it is suitable for mature trees, and for seedlings, and for shrubs, the consistency can be both thick and liquid.

Long lasting whitewash

I dilute 300 g of copper sulfate in 10 liters of hot water. I add 2 liters of slaked lime to 7 liters of water. I mix both liquids and add 100 ml of casein glue to the solution. I mix it thoroughly again.

From sunburn

I quench 1 kg of lime in 6 liters of water. After the completion of the reaction, I'm waiting. until it cools down, and add 1 liter of fresh white emulsion paint, 2 kg of clean coarse river sand. I stir it. The mixture is ready.

Important!

For young trees, the water consumption must be increased to 20 liters to avoid burns.

Garlic MIX

It is quite effective against insect pests and diseases - copperhead, aphids, ticks, rust. I spray trees, shrubs and seedlings with this mixture, chop 0.5 kg of garlic and pour 3-5 liters of water into it. I filter the solution through cheesecloth and squeeze out the thick. Once again I soak the resulting cake in water, pass it through a sieve, mix both liquids and add water to 10 liters.

Fungicides are chemicals designed to fight fungal diseases of plants, as well as for seed dressing.

How to prepare your garden for whitewashing?

Choosing a whitewash mixture or preparing it yourself is half the battle.The main task is to properly prepare trees for processing. Here are some simple rules.

It is necessary to remove dead bark and lichens from the boles. Cleaning is best done with wood or plastic scrapers to avoid damaging healthy parts of the barrel. Carefully clean the grooves in the bark with a sharpened stick.

Small pests or pathogens may remain in the bark removed from the tree, so everything that remains after treatment must be burned or removed from the site.

Bark disinfection. This procedure should only be carried out in dry weather. For the treatment of trunks, a 3-5% solution of copper sulfate is used (300-500 g per 10 liters of water).

CONSULTATION OF A SPECIALIST

Before whitewashing, all wounds and injuries on the trunk must be repaired. The putty can be bought at a specialty store or boiled by melting rosin, beeswax and lard over a fire (4: 2: 1). Boil for 30 minutes, cool and knead with your hands.

By the way

There are two types of tree whitewashing - autumn (main, carried out in October-November) and spring (repeated, renewing - in late February-early March).

Vladimir Ushakov, arborist (tree grower), Moscow Oleg Pisarchuk

Get ahead of pests

During the winter thaws, I had to repeat the whitewashing several times, especially on the south side (the sun and rains just lick the chalk down to the very bark). Spring is coming, and in late March - early April I will have another whitewash. Here it is important to have time in time, so that the earth does not warm up too much, and the leaves are not the first to bloom. The fact is that harmful insects could hibernate in the bark (they were also at ease under a layer of whitewash), and with the arrival of heat, all sorts of insects also strive to get to the tree from the ground. We need to get ahead of them. Therefore, for spring whitewashing, I must add copper sulfate to the solution for disinfection. The proportion of the composition is as follows: for 10 liters of ready-made clay-lime mortar, I take 300 g of copper sulfate. In addition to pests, this mixture also protects trees from diseases. I want to say that whitewashing was good for my trees. They endured the winter well, bloomed profusely and rewarded me with a splendid harvest. And I really liked how my little garden now looks.

How to spray trees in spring

Before spraying, the bark of the tree is cleaned from exfoliated areas, lichens, adhering dirt. It is convenient to do this with a stiff brush. You can put a tarp on the ground to make it easier to clean up the poured debris.

After that, it is worth inspecting the barrel for damage. If there are open areas without bark, it is advisable to cover them with garden pitch.

Then you need to wear a protective suit or old tight clothing with long sleeves, gloves and a mask. Be sure to have a hat.

Prepare a solution of the drug, according to the instructions, and pour it into the spray bottle. Spray branches, trunk and trunk circle, trying not to miss anything.

Note! It is advisable to notify the neighbors about the work being carried out so that they too hasten to spray the trees. Joint protection will prevent disease from spreading from site to site.

Preparation for whitewashing

Before starting whitewashing, the trunks must be prepared. This is a very important stage, it depends on how long the protective layer on the bark will last. If done correctly, it will take a long time to update. Preparation begins with cleaning the trunks from dirt and accumulated dust, from overgrown lichens and moss.

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Cleaning should not damage the bark, so the tools for it are chosen carefully. A soft washcloth or a special soft washing glove is suitable. If the tree is very old, with bark that has already begun to flake off in places, some gardeners use metal brushes, carefully removing the top dried layer and taking care not to damage the living tissue of the trunk under it.

Disinfection of the trunk

Before starting cleaning, you need to spread the film in the near-trunk circles so that nothing falls on the ground. Then all the cleaned particles are collected and burned, since there are likely to be fungi and larvae of insect pests. Having got rid of the debris, they proceed to disinfection. The point of the operation is to protect the bare layers and close the microcracks that have appeared.

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A solution of ash or laundry soap can be used as a disinfectant. Ash liquor can be used by boiling water together with ash and taking the liquid part after settling the sediment. Iron sulfate can be an excellent disinfectant, but it can accumulate in the bark, poisoning the tree. Therefore, you cannot use it every year.

Disinfection ends with the treatment of wounds left under the removed old bark. Each is covered with garden varnish, putties or garden pastes. And finally, you can start whitewashing, keeping the tree healthy.

Preparations for spraying trees

There are many medications available to help rid your garden of pests.

How to spray trees in spring, the most effective drugs:

• Copper sulfate. It can not only be added to whitewashing, but also used for spraying. Vitriol copes well with various types of rot, scab, spotting. Iron vitriol has the same properties;
• Urea (urea). It is often used as a fertilizer, but it also brings considerable benefits in pest control. Fights coccomycosis, moniliosis, rot;
• Bordeaux liquid. An irreplaceable assistant to the gardener, who can handle trees and shrubs before flowering.

Knowing how and when to whitewash trees in spring, you can save the crop from many troubles. Lime copes well with pests, diseases and destruction of the bark. No less effective chalk and acrylic-based paints. A solution with additional components will hold for a long time, preventing the trees from getting sick.

Painting works

For whitewashing, I prepare such a solution. I took six liters of water for two kilograms of quicklime and one kilogram of greasy clay. Stir everything well and add skim milk (obtained from a dairy farm).

Milk is needed so that the mixture adheres well to the bark of trees. Autumn whitewashing, as a rule, is carried out in November, after all the trees have shed their leaves. It is important that the weather is dry at this time, and the air temperature does not exceed 3 ° C.

Before whitewashing, I covered the trunk circles with plastic wrap, well cleaned the trunks and branches from old dead bark, foreign growths, moss and lichen. To do this, I use a construction trowel and a wire brush, I do this carefully so as not to scrape off the live bark with the old bark. But if the wounds do form, I immediately cover them with garden varnish. After the cleansing procedures, the main process begins. I whitewash with a paint brush in two layers, and paint the entire stem and the beginning of the skeletal branches. The size of the brush depends on the thickness of the barrel. But this is a matter of convenience, of course, thick trees are not easy, and it takes a long time to whiten with a small brush. But my neighbors generally use a spray gun. But they have a large garden, and in this way, much more white is required.

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Tree bark

The bark performs functions similar to human skin, that is, it protects the organs inside:

• from external unfavorable weather factors (winds, rains, frost breaks, bright sun);
• from rodents;
• from insects - pests;
• consequences of human action (surface cuts with a knife).

Over time, the bark grows old, cracks under the influence of frost, stratifies, becomes vulnerable to rodents and pests. If, due to inexperience, a novice - a gardener introduced nitrogen fertilizers in the country under fruit trees in the autumn, the problem with frost cracks increases several times.And injuries to the bark entail disease and death of plants. To prolong the life of apple and pear trees, they are covered with a white protective compound. Experienced gardeners do not have any questions about why to whitewash trees.

Attention! The main function of whitewashing is protection against diseases and adverse factors.

Whitewashing lime - which one to choose?

There are 2 types of lime:

1. Quicklime. It is used mainly in the preparation of building mixtures for plastering, paints, as well as in the production of some block materials. You cannot use it in the care of the garden, as it is very concentrated and toxic.
2. Slaked - this type is used to care for the garden. It is obtained by mixing lime powder with cold water in a certain proportion. In addition to whitewashing trees, lime is applied directly to the soil in order to reduce its acidity and increase fertility.

Important! It is better to take lumpy 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 quenching process itself usually takes about 1-1.5 hours.

Slaked lime can be of different consistencies:

1. Fluffy. The proportions of the components are 1: 1.
2. Lime dough. Here, 1 part of lime is taken 1.5 parts of water.
3. Lime milk. If you need such a base for a whitewash recipe, then for slaking 1 part of lime is diluted with 3 parts of water.

Important! Please note that in the process of slaking lime, a violent reaction of the components with splashes occurs, in which a large amount of heat is released - the temperature of the mixture can reach 150 ° C. Failure to take precautions can result in burns. Therefore, carry out work only with gloves and a protective mask, glasses.

Suitable whitewashing time - season and conditions

With classic garden care, whitewashing is carried out 2 times a year.

The standard time for this is selected according to the following principles:

• in the spring, it is advisable to complete all preventive work in March;
• in the autumn - it is better to hold them in November;
• barrels can be cleaned in wet weather - this will make it easier for you to remove all damaged areas;
• it is better to whitewash trees only in dry weather.

Of course, take into account the availability of free time.

Important! There are also nuances associated with changes in climatic conditions over the past few years.

Consider these observations and tips:

1. Fall. Here it is necessary to wait until the foliage falls completely, but so that the temperature does not drop below 4-5 ° C, and the snow has not yet fallen.
2. Spring. During this period, you need to wait until the snow has completely melted, and the temperature no longer drops below 5 ° C. At the same time, the leaves should not yet begin to bloom, and the soil is already well warmed up. Therefore, the procedure is often postponed to April. As soon as the pests woke up and a thorough thaw came, the whitewashing of the trees is no longer advisable.