The whitewashing of fruit trees in autumn should become an integral part of the care before the onset of winter cold. Let's see why it is so necessary and how to properly conduct it.
Why do I need a whitewash in the autumn?
There are many reasons for carrying out this operation before the winter:
- Elimination of pathogenic fungi and bacteria.
- Protection of the trunk from low temperatures and frost.
- Protection from the rays of the winter sun.
Fruit trees in autumn
Such preventive treatment is recommended to be performed on a light and dry day, at least two weeks before the onset of frost. When the temperature drops below zero and the precipitation whitewash can become an attenuating factor, and therefore undesirable.
The best whitewash for trees in autumn
Before processing, the tree trunk is cleaned of lichens, mosses or exfoliated bark. If there are wounds or stains on the tree, they are peeled off and treated with a solution of copper sulfate 3%. After these procedures, you can proceed to the most important. The composition of whitewash of fruit trees in autumn is a mixture of 2 kg of lime, 1 kg of clay and 250 g of copper sulfate. All the ingredients are thoroughly mixed with water until the sour cream is thick and used for the intended purpose. It is convenient to use ready-made products with acrylic paint.
Gently and densely with a broad brush cover the trunk of the fruit tree from top to bottom to the very surface of the ground near the bar. Experienced gardeners recommend to capture and lower skeletal leaves at least a third of the length.
It is believed that young trees do not need to whiten, as thin stems are not able to absorb the rays of the winter sun because of the small area. However, in order to protect against pests and frost, we recommend using slaked lime (2 kg), mixed to a consistency of sour cream with water, clay (1.5 kg) and manure (1 kg) for whitewashing of young trees in autumn.