Why are tree trunks whitewashed and how to do it?

Twice a year you can observe how the parks, alleys and some household plots are becoming prettier. This occurs as a result of whitewashing, which gives the trees a visual neatness and neatness. But whitewashing is applied not only for beauty, but because trees are necessary for proper development.

Trees are whitewashed in autumn and spring. This event has several goals at the same time.

1. In order to eliminate parasites that attack the tree, rising from the ground. Most of the harmful insects die under the influence of the active ingredients contained in the whitewash mixture.
2. The bark after whitewashing does not attract rodents in winter.
3. If the bark cracks, the whitewash will prevent harmful bacteria from entering the inside of the trunk.
4. Whitewashing protects the trunk from sunburn, frostbite and other negative environmental factors.

In order for the procedure to have an effect, it must be carried out in accordance with certain rules.

Both adults and young trees need to be whitened. The latter are especially in need of such treatment, since their bark is still very thin and cannot fully perform protective functions. It is allowed to whitewash the trunk in the first year after planting.

This procedure is necessary for almost all fruit trees, conifers and deciduous trees. Some biologists argue that city trees do not need to be whitened, but this is almost always done in order to protect vegetation from diseases and subsequent death.

There are no exact dates for whitewashing the trees. It all depends on the gardener's free time, as well as the weather conditions and the region in which the treated trees grow.

First you need to deal with the autumn whitewash. For this purpose, experts recommend choosing a cloudy, but not cold day. It is better if the leaves from the trees have already flown around, and the air temperature has not yet dropped below +5 degrees Celsius. In the northern regions, as well as in central Russia, it is recommended to be in time before mid-October. In the southern regions, you can wait until November, subject to good weather.

During the spring processing period, you should also be guided by the weather conditions. It is better to do this in late February or early March, when the snow has already melted, but the pests have not yet entered the active phase.

These terms are suitable for processing both in the country and on the streets of the city. It is not recommended to paint the trunks in summer due to the heat. June and July are considered especially inappropriate.

If in the fall the whitewashing did not go well enough, then in this state the trees should be left already until the spring days. In winter, trees are also not whitened, even in the presence of relatively warm weather. Firstly, the paint will take a long time to dry due to high humidity and lack of warm sunlight. Secondly, applying the coloring composition will also be problematic on the swollen surface of the trunks. Of course, such protection does not particularly help, therefore, it is better to whitewash in a timely manner.

Whitewash can be purchased at the store or you can prepare an equally high-quality composition at home. Acrylic paint is the most popular and widely used commercial paint. This solution will easily cope with the light-repelling task, is resistant to rainfall, and also protects the tree from various types of pests. In addition, paint applied in the fall will last well over the winter, so a spring renewal will only be required in rare cases.

Of natural remedies, lime mortar is optimal in terms of quality and cost. Whitewashing with slaked lime is also common. A ready-made mixture of this type is not sold in stores, so you can prepare it yourself. To do this, prepare a container with a lid, for example, a bucket. Pour dry lime into it and fill it with water. During the extinguishing process, it hisses and splashes, so the mixture must be carefully covered with a lid. This composition is more suitable for young trees.

The advantage of lime whitewashing is the absence of chemical elements in the composition. The disadvantage is a short exposure, since the composition is easily and quickly washed off by precipitation.

You can whitewash with a special solution. To prepare it, you will also need to extinguish lime, and then improve its quality. Copper sulfate and casein glue are used as additional components. They are added so that the whitewash becomes indelible by the rain. The proportions are as follows: 80 g of glue, 450 g of copper sulfate and 3 kg of dry lime are added to 10 liters of water.

If you don't want to cook yourself, but there is no acrylic paint, water-based paint, as well as aerosol, will do.

The main task of whitewashing is to prevent diseases, as well as to prevent damage to the inner part of the trunk. If there are unhealthy areas on the trees, then they must be removed: they drank themselves or cut off diseased and dried branches with a pruner. Also, preparatory activities consist of the following steps:

• two weeks before the proposed whitewashing, it is necessary to choose a rainy day, spread burlap or polyethylene under the trunk of the tree being treated;
• armed with a knife or any other sharp instrument, moss, dead bark, lichens and other growths should be removed from the trunk;
• it is recommended to lubricate the bare areas with garden pitch;
• polyethylene with remnants of bark and other debris must be carefully wrapped and burned.

After the cleaning procedure, it will be useful to carry out disinfection. For this, it is recommended to prepare a special disinfecting solution. The recipe is simple: a little wood ash and laundry soap, previously grated on a coarse grater, are stirred in hot water. So, for 1 liter of water, you need to add a glass of ash and 5 g of grated soap.

To reduce the time spent on the procedure, it is recommended to prepare the necessary equipment. As protective equipment you need to use:

• gloves:
• glasses;
• any headdress;
• dressing gown or special clothing;
• rubber shoes.

The most versatile tool is a regular brush made from a washcloth. Such a tool does not injure the tree, and also has a relatively low cost. The disadvantage is that such a brush cannot apply a thick layer of whitewash at one time. You will have to walk over the same section of the tree several times.

The best option is a flat flute brush. Of course, you can use a round one, but with a flat one, the consumption of the coloring composition will be much less. The brush is recommended for use on trees with a smooth trunk.

Large trees with thick, cracked bark are very easy to handle with a paint roller. The advantage of the tool is that its pile is able to penetrate into almost all depressions in the bark. It applies a good coat of whitewash one time.

Some gardeners prefer to use a relatively modern tool - a spray gun. Emulsion and acrylic paints are applied perfectly, but for whitewashing, where clots are present, you will need to use additional nozzles.

It is necessary to start processing the trunk in dry, but not hot weather. First you need to spread the covering material, and then process it with the selected composition and method. It is advisable to whitewash the trunks in the morning so that the coloring composition can dry well during the day.

After everything you need is ready, you can proceed directly to whitewashing the trunks. It is impossible to whiten from below, it is better to start from above, gradually going down. The step-by-step process of blanking consists of the following steps.

1. Apply a mark on top along which the barrel will be whitewashed.
2. Apply the first coat of paint, making sure that it penetrates into all existing breaks and cracks in the bark.
3. Apply the paint a second and third time if necessary. The layer should be full, but not particularly thick. If paint drips to the ground, then there is already too much of it.

After whitewashing, you need to wait for the paint to dry. If gaps have formed, then they should be tinted only in certain places, avoiding re-processing of the entire processed part of the trunk.

In the process of whitewashing, you can use two different types of brushes at once. For example, experienced summer residents use a sponge or soft brush for hard-to-reach areas. First, these areas are treated on all trees and allowed to dry out a little. For this, 60-120 minutes is enough. Then, using an ordinary flat brush or roller, they are passed over the rest of the trunk area.

There is another processing option. The entire trunk is painted over in one go. If there are gaps, you can ignore them, as they will be processed during the subsequent painting. After the first layer is applied, you need to wait about an hour, and then re-paint.

In order for the whitewashing process to be simpler and more understandable, and the result of the work effective, it is recommended to use the useful advice of experienced summer residents and owners of household plots. They are based on experience and, perhaps, will help someone to cope with the task quickly and correctly. The recommendations are as follows.

1. A flat, wide and soft brush should be used as the most common and convenient tool. With its help, it will be convenient to apply whitewash on the trunk of any tree. Soft pile is not capable of damaging the bark, but at the same time it will penetrate into all hard-to-reach areas.
2. Each summer resident determines the processing height individually. Most often, this indicator is determined by the age and variety of the culture itself, as well as the individual preferences of the person who carries out the processing. Experts recommend not to exceed the 2-meter mark on mature trees, and to reach the lower branches on young ones.
3. The whitewash layer should ideally not be thicker than 3 mm.If you do less, the protective layer may not be sufficient. Too thick after drying can crack, after which shedding will occur. As a result, the tree will be left unprotected.

There is one more important point about color. The fact is that regardless of the composition, the color of the dye should be exactly white. Gray or beige, and even more so dark shades are not suitable. If you do not carry out the whitewashing procedure, the tree will be vulnerable to frost, as well as sunburn.

Back in late February or early March, the sun begins to move into an active phase: rays fall on tree trunks, as a result of which the sap moves. If the temperature at this time still falls below 0 degrees, then the rising juice freezes. As a result of this process, specific cracks form on the tree trunks, which are commonly called frost breakers.

And if white paint is present on the trunks, then it will automatically begin to reflect the incoming sun rays. Trees will not overheat early. Of course, the process of sap flow will still begin, but this will happen in April-May, when the temperature does not drop below 0 degrees Celsius.

Without treatment, the bark of trees and shrubs becomes rough, rough, and cracks form on its surface. They, like wounds on the human body, become an open focus that attracts all kinds of infections. If pathogenic bacteria get in, the tree starts to ache. Some infections are fatal.

Whitewashing of trees is a mandatory procedure, which is recommended to be carried out annually in the autumn-spring period. It performs primarily a protective function. It also makes the trees more visually appealing. As coloring compositions, you can use both purchased and those that were prepared at home. In terms of efficiency and protective properties, they are not inferior to each other.