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mandatory measures for the grower is the whitewashing of fruit trees in the spring, and the timing of its implementation dictates climate. It is important to choose dry weather in early spring and carry out protective and prophylactic processing of fruit trees. Spring whitewashing plants - a sign of the beginning of the struggle for the beauty and health of the garden, the battle for the harvest.
Why the trunks of fruit trees are whitened
A healthy tree is a characteristic bark of the breed with no cracks or scoring. But only a young tree can boast of absolutely clean clothing trunk. Later, roughness, microcracks appear, in which pests can lay eggs, introduce fungi and lichen spores.
Whitewashing of trunks of fruit trees with a special compound:
- disinfects wounds on the trunks and bases of skeletal branches;
- protects against uneven heating of the wood during the day, prevents sunburn.
The March sun heats the dark trunks very well, disrupting the biological rhythm. Another snow lies on the ground, and the first spider has already crawled out of the cracks and is busily descending down the rope. It is necessary to wall up the pests under a dense layer of whitewash, to which protective preparations are added. That is why the dates of whitewashing of fruit trees in the spring should be early.
If, since autumn, the tree was not trimmed from the pests of the bark, cracks and hollows remained, before the whitewash in cloudy weather, the bark is washed from dirt, cleaned up of doubtful places. After a hygienic procedure, the bark should dry out.
The white color of the bark reflects the sun's rays and the wood heats up much less. Changes in night and daytime temperatures in spring are significant and can lead to cracking of the bark. A durable layer of whitewash of fruit trees in the spring - protection from diseases and pests, from overheating the trunk until autumn.
Composition of spring whitewashing
A necessary condition for any composition - its maximum reflectivity - whiteness! The best basis for the whitewashing of adult trees is fresh-lime. Its disinfecting properties are associated with obtaining an alkaline suspension. After drying, a strong crust of CaCO3 forms on the stem, which does not dissolve in water. Whitewashing will continue during the summer.
If it is difficult to find lumpy lime, you can use acrylic white paint, popularly called emulsion. These components - the basis of the composition of whitewash for fruit trees. For better adherence to the bucket, you can add a pre-dissolved tar or laundry soap 5 g per 1 liter of suspension.
The remaining components can be added as needed per 10 liters of solution:
- fresh manure 1 kg + copper sulphate 200 g;
- fat clay 1kg + fresh manure 1kg + copper sulfate 250 g.
100 g of karbofos or urea can be added to the solution.
Do not mix everything in one bucket. Need to focus on the population of the tree pests.
For young trees with thin bark without damage, the solution should be prepared on the basis of chalk. If you purchased the fluff, its disinfecting properties are weak, it has already decomposed in air, copper sulfate, karbofos, urea will be required.
Sequence of operation
Spring whitewashing of fruit trees consists of the following steps:
- preparing the trunk for dyeing;
- whitewash;
- cleaning.
A canvas is spread around the tree, on which the dead bark, removed with a scraper, shavings and dust from stripping with a metal bar, falls. If the tree is damaged to the cambium and deeper, the wound should be closed with a garden pitch.
Thick suspension is best painted using a brush, evenly closing the cracks and exits of the lower skeletal branches. If the tree is young, only the stem is painted to the first branches.
After that, litter is collected and burned with the contents. This is important to prevent the spread of insects and diseases.
Gardening Tips
Not all farmers consider it appropriate to mix chemical ingredients in the same container. Some believe that the whitewashing of fruit trees in the spring in the early stages performs only aesthetic functions, which is negligible for the development of the tree. As an alternative, they propose, after stripping the wood, to process it from the spray gun with a Bordeaux mixture or copper sulphate. It is important to prevent the fluid from flowing into the barrel.
Instead of whitewashing, it is proposed to protect the trunks with a coat of straw, fresh manure and clay. Experienced gardeners use an infusion of 3 kg of ash in 10 liters of water for several hours. For adherence to the composition add shavings soap. It is believed that trace elements in the furnace ash feed the bark of the tree.
With experience comes an understanding of which agrotechnical measures in a particular climate zone are more suitable for protective measures. The main thing is that the garden is healthy and fruitful.
