Whitewashing of trees
Spring care of the garden: whitewashing of trees. One of the most important agrotechnical methods for caring for the garden is the whitewashing of fruit trees. It allows you to protect trunks and branches from all sorts of damages: sudden changes in temperature, sunburn, pests, etc. In addition, it helps to slow the spreading of the kidneys, which protects them from suddenly returning early spring frosts.
Temperature changes can lead to cracking of the bark. Through deep wounds the tree becomes susceptible to various infections. Timely whitening reduces the sensitivity of the bricks to external conditions, besides it has a bactericidal effect on the damaged areas.
White color reflects up to 90% of the rays. Due to this property, whitewash protects trunks and skeletal branches from overheating of the cortex, which can cause sunburn. Such a negative influence of the Light is not only exposed to the trees in summer, but also in spring and winter. Particularly sensitive to radiation are young seedlings. They primarily need whitewashing.
Terms of whitewashing
It is recommended that the fruit trees be flown twice a year: in spring and in autumn. It is one of the main stages of the early spring preparation of the garden. It is advisable to whiten the trees before budding. When deferred, the risk of pests and diseases is increased. And this will significantly affect the fruit's fruit and yield.
Repeated whitewashing is performed in the process of preparing the garden for the upcoming winter. The recommended deadline is late autumn, after the fall of the fall. In winter, with frequent thaws, a whitewash adjustment is necessary. You can only update the layer on the south side.
Whitewash technology
For the efficiency of whitewashing, it is necessary to carry out a set of preparatory works, including cleaning and disinfection of the surface of the trunks, as well as the processing of damaged areas.
The 1st stage - cleaning of the trunk, branches
In wet weather, it is necessary to clear the trunk, as well as the base of skeletal branches from lichens, mosses, exfoliated fragments of the cortex. For the cleaning of cracks and grooves recommended the use of wooden knives. From improvised means, you can use simply a pointed piece of wood. Plastic and metal scrapers should not be used. they can severely injure the bark. As a result, instead of using the tree, even more damage will be done.
When cleaning the bark, some of the overwintered pests, infectious pathogens, etc. are removed. Therefore, all removed fragments of the cortex are subject to collection and disposal.
2nd stage - bark disinfection
It is better to disinfect cleaned trunks in dry, clear weather. Sudden rain will wash away all efforts, and disinfection will have to be done repeatedly.
For this purpose, it is permissible to use 5% of copper sulphate (0.5 kg per 10 l), as well as other preparations containing copper - "HOM", "Oxychium", Bordeaux mixture, "Abiga-peak", etc.
To distribute the solution evenly, it is applied by spraying. Using a spray gun, they cover the trunk and the bases of the branches. Try to avoid the formation of streaks and untreated areas. Spraying should be finely dispersed, so that a dense fog from the smallest droplets, enveloping the bark, smoothly settles on its surface.
Also for these purposes, iron sulfate can be used, increasing its concentration to 8%. However, the annual use of both these drugs is undesirable. Iron and copper do not disintegrate, accumulating in the soil. As a result, their deposits become toxic to plants. Trees gradually weaken, becoming susceptible to diseases and pests. It turns out the opposite effect with negative consequences.
A safe and even useful means, not inferior in efficiency to iron and copper sulfate, is an ash-soap solution. For its preparation, it is necessary to soak in 10 liters of water (but not boiling water) 300 g of ash and 50 g of laundry soap. Allow to stand until completely cooled. The ashes simultaneously serve both a septic tank and a fertilizer, and the addition of soap provides good adhesion. The application of this infusion can be done with a homemade broom from grass and rags.
Another means for disinfection is ash lye. To obtain it, it is necessary to dissolve 3 kg of sifted wood ash in 10 liters of water. Next, the container with the resulting solution is put on the fire, bringing to a boil with thorough stirring. And then, they cool and insist for 24 hours. After the settling of large ash particles, a transparent or slightly cloudy layer of water forms on the surface - this is called "ash liquor". For convenience of use it is drained or filtered, after which they are washed by tree trunks.
3rd stage - wound repair
Another important stage, preceding the whitewashing of the trees, is the treatment and healing of wounds. There is a whole lot of garden putties: both purchased and self-cooking. The most common types are:
- Clay talker. A traditional means for sealing wounds on trees is clay: in pure form or with impurities (manure, lime, copper vitriol, etc.). It must be diluted to a consistency of cream. It is good to add ½ of the manure. Minor introduction of chopped straw will prevent later cracking of the layer on the bark.
- Garden var. It can be purchased in a ready-made version or prepared with your own hands. This will require rosin, beeswax and animal fat (1: 2: 1). They are separately melted, and then combined. After thorough mixing, the mixture poured into cold water at once. Instantly hardening, the lumps float to the surface. They are collected, rolled into a large lump and placed in a container.
The resulting garden var can be stored for a long time. Before use, it is slightly heated, giving plasticity. This will need to be done with the purchase option. - Garden paste "RunNet". Excellent tool for healing wounds, cracks, slices. As active components in its composition are copper sulfate and humate. Due to the lack of moisture resistance properties, the use of paste is recommended in dry weather.
4th stage - whitewash
Finally, after the completion of the above preparatory stages, you can proceed directly to the whitewashing of the trees. It is necessary to whitewash trunks, the bases of skeletal branches, taking up to half their length. It should be buried in the soil a few centimeters. To this end, the earth around the bays rake, and after drying, whitewash is returned to its original place.
There is an opinion that whitewashing annual saplings can lead to a burn of their tender bark, and also will prevent the thickening of the trunk. This is a very controversial issue. The optimal solution is to use a less concentrated lime solution. Otherwise, the absence of whitewash will allow more significant damage to the trees from sunburn, frost and pests.
Most of the seedlings are grown in nurseries. For the rational use of limited space there they are planted quite tightly. As a consequence, seedlings do not have the proper light hardening. When moving under direct sunlight, they are extremely prone to burns. Therefore whitewashing is still necessary for them.
The layer of whitewash applied to the trunk must be uniform, of moderate thickness (up to 3 mm). Disturbance of air exchange due to a dense layer will negatively affect the development of the tree. Probably, such areas will soon peel off, and whitewashing will have to be done anew.
Whitewash Solutions
To prevent an unsuccessful outcome, you need to take care of the quality of the whitening material. The mixture should be of a suitable consistency, homogeneous, without lumps. You can buy it or make it yourself.
Please note that whitewashing on trees should be white. The presence of a gray tint will affect the effectiveness. When hand-making it, do not forget the adhesive backing to prevent rain from washing away.
Water-dispersion paint. If possible, it is recommended to use a special water-dispersion paint for whitewashing. This is the most reliable and convenient tool. It is widely distributed in garden stores and centers. However, it is a relatively inexpensive option.
The garden is protected by autumn whitewashing in autumn, while the temperature remains positive. The coating created to it is breathable, but, at the same time, effectively prevents the negative impact on the cortex of ultraviolet rays. This kind of paint is an ideal protection of trees against sunburn.
Bustilat. A more economical way to whitewash trees is to prepare solutions themselves. One of the widely used substances was bustilate. When dried, it forms an air permeable, but water-resistant layer.
Lime. The traditional means was slaked lime. For its preparation, it is necessary to dilute in 10 liters of 2.5 kg of hydrated lime, 0.3 kg of copper sulfate and 1 kg of clay. Components must be mixed thoroughly, achieving a homogeneous mass, a consistency close to sour cream.
- General recommendations:
- the smooth surface of the cortex is whitened much more easily, rather than rough or hilly;
- at not carrying out of preparatory works mechanical influence of whitewash on the damaged sites leads to their stratification, a cracking that only strengthens negative influence of an environment;
- annual protection of trees by whitening significantly reduces their susceptibility to diseases and pest attacks, increasing decorability, yield and durability.
