How to whiten an apple tree in the fall: a step-by-step guide

What is it for?

Whitewashing of apple trees is carried out annually for the following purposes:

• strengthening the protective properties of the bark;
• preventing its damage and slowing down aging;
• protection from the effects of negative environmental factors, including sudden temperature changes;
• to prevent cracks and sunburn;
• serves as a barrier to eating rodents, ticks, codling moths, flower beetles, aphids, lacewings and leaf rollers.

In particular, whitewashing of apple trees in the fall is necessary for young trees. They have a very smooth bark, so due to temperature changes, cracks appear on it, later infections and pests penetrate into them and the plant crop becomes sick.

Age of wood for whitewashing

Not all apple trees are whitened. Very young people are not subjected to this procedure. They are only wrapped for wintering, but without plastic film. Sometimes whitewashing is still carried out, but with a weak, gentle chalk solution. Lime will burn the tender bark and should not be used on young animals. It is better to use woven materials, burlap. When the tree begins to bear fruit, it should be whitened. After this, whitewashing is carried out annually.

Deadlines

A widely used option by most gardeners is spring whitewashing of trunks. But, to ensure effectiveness, the lower part of the base should be covered with a protective layer in the fall. It is carried out from October to November, in the Urals and Siberia in September. In this case, you need to pay attention to several climatic features:

• the weather should be dry;
• the leaves have already fallen off or turned brown;
• There should be no more apples on the trees.

In the spring, you can re-whiten the trees if by this time the whitewash has already been washed off. The procedure must be repeated if immediately after applying the coloring composition it rained and washed it away.

On a note!

Whitewashing apple trees in the fall can be done for plants of any age, even for small seedlings, even for large oversized plants. Age does not matter in this case.

How to prepare wood for whitewashing?

In order for the treatment of apple trees to have an effect, it is important to properly prepare them for such a procedure. It includes three mandatory steps.

1. Cleaning. The trunks of apple trees are removed from old bark, which is especially generously covered with lichens. Large segments are removed with a spatula or wooden spatula. Final cleaning is carried out with a wire brush. This procedure is best done after rain or when there is high humidity. Then the bark will be easier to remove. Removed parts must be burned to prevent the spread of infections and garden pests. For convenience, you can spread an oilcloth around the tree before cleaning.
2. Disinfection. This stage of preparation for whitewashing is best done in dry weather so that rain does not wash away the disinfection solution. It can be done in several ways. You can spray the apple tree with a spray bottle of copper sulfate solution, paying special attention to the damaged areas. You can also wash the barrel with a solution of ash or ash with laundry soap. The main thing is to work with gloves. To do this, dissolve 2 kg of wood ash and a bar of laundry soap in a bucket of water.
3. Covering wounds. After removing the old bark, cracks, depressions, and wounds may remain on the trunk of the apple tree. They must not be left open. Such recesses should be covered with clay mortar or special garden putty. A good protective agent is a mixture of manure and clay diluted in water. Only after these three stages can you begin to whitewash the apple trees.

See also

Why can the leaves of an apple tree turn yellow and dry, what to do and how to treat itRead

Preparation of the solution

Another important question is how to whiten apple trees in the fall. The type of coloring solution can be different and vary depending on the purpose for which this procedure is being carried out. A popular option is to prepare a lime-based solution; to create it you need to mix in equal proportions:

• quicklime;
• clay;
• any glue, wood or casein is recommended.

Fill the entire contents with water so that it makes up 50% of the total volume. The solution should be viscous, similar in consistency to sour cream. This whitewashing is needed to prevent pests and protect against frost.

If the tree is located in an open area, you can protect its bark from sunlight. To do this, you need to prepare a solution consisting of the following components:

• 300 g fluff lime;
• ½ glass of milk;
• glue in liquid form;
• 2 liters of water;
• 5 g copper sulfate;
• 5 g DDT in powder form.

This type of autumn whitewashing from apple trees is suitable for young seedlings and old trees. Its additional property is to protect tree bark from penetration of pests, eliminate their larvae and increase immunity to diseases.

On a note!

As the main composition, you can also use acrylic or water-based paint or a ready-made solution for whitewashing fruit trees, which can be purchased at a store for gardeners and gardeners.

How to treat bark before whitewashing - preparation

Before whitewashing, it is necessary to carefully prepare the tree trunk. Preparing an apple tree for whitewashing takes place in four stages.

Barrel cleaning

The first stage is manual cleaning of the tree trunk from old and loose bark. This procedure is best done after rain.

You need to remove all existing lichens, mosses, and exfoliated parts of bark from the trunk and skeletal branches with your hands or using a plastic spatula. To clean narrow openings in the trunk, it is best to use thin wood chips or a wooden knife.

Cleaning the trunk of lichens and mosses is a kind of cleansing of various kinds of bacteria and harmful microorganisms, so it is best to burn all the cleaned contents.

Disinfection

The second stage involves carrying out disinfection measures. It is better to carry out disinfection not immediately, but when weather conditions are restored and no rain is expected in the next two days.

As a disinfectant solution, you can use a three or five percent solution of copper or iron sulfate, and Bordeaux mixture, HOM and OXYHOME .

It is necessary to spray the bark of the trunk and skeletal branches with fine drops, similar to fog; for this it is better to use a reinforced sprayer. The solution is applied in a very thin layer; under no circumstances should it be allowed to flow down the branches and trunk. This can cause more harm than good.

High concentrations of copper and iron in the soil are toxic , which contributes to a decrease in the immunity of fruit trees and a high predisposition to various diseases and drying out.

The most effective and safest for fruit trees is the use of a soap-ash solution . Ash is a disinfectant, and laundry soap serves to adhere ash particles.

To prepare such a solution, you need to dissolve 50 grams of laundry soap and 3 kilograms of ash in 10 liters of very hot water. In order to treat a tree, you need to take a rag or a bunch of hay, dip it in the solution and wash the trunk and branches of the tree with it.

This method will not only disinfect the apple tree, but also feed it with elements of potassium and phosphorus.

Sealing wounds

The third step is to repair all the wounds on the trunk. This can be done using a clay mash.

It's quite easy to prepare. You need to take two hundred grams of pure clay, one hundred grams of manure and a small amount of straw dust. Dilute all ingredients with water to the consistency of sour cream. Apply this solution to all wounds and cracks on the tree trunk.

In addition, stores have a huge selection of various putties for fruit trees.

If you do not want to prepare the medicinal substance yourself, then you can use ready-made products, for example, the “ RanNet ” paste has a very good effect, which is also suitable for treating cut parts of branches after autumn pruning.

Well, the fourth stage is the direct whitening of the fruit crop.

Whitewash "Bitumast TM".

Ready mixture for whitewashing.

Step-by-step instruction

Apple trees are whitened for the winter like this:

1. You should prepare the solution and leave it to infuse in a dark and cool place for two hours. If paint or a ready-made solution is used for this purpose, then you just need to open the container.
2. Protect your skin and respiratory tract by wearing a respirator, gloves and thick work clothing.
3. Stir the solution until it reaches a homogeneous, lump-free consistency.
4. Using a shovel, fork or rake, remove the soil in the tree trunk circle at a distance of 4-5 cm.
5. Start painting the wood from top to bottom, applying the composition in a thin but dense layer. If the tree is mature, you can start doing this at a distance of 1.5 to 2 meters from ground level. If this is a seedling, then you can cover the trunk with a white substance up to the lower branches. It is required to go 4 cm downwards.
6. Wait until the solution dries, then put the soil that was removed back, again forming a circle around the trunk.

If after completing the work there is still whitewash left, you can pour it in an even layer around the trunk. It will become an additional disinfectant for the soil against pests and their larvae that have remained in the ground for the winter.

Instructions - how to properly whiten an apple tree in the fall

It should be noted right away that apple trees need to be bleached at a temperature of at least 5°C so that the composition can be absorbed and dried normally. Apply a layer of about 3 mm; if it is thicker, there is a high risk of the whitewash cracking after drying.

Painting a young apple tree and seedling

In this case, you should select a brush with a width no larger than the barrel, so that it is convenient to work. You don’t need to buy a large muffler, it won’t be of much use. After preparing one of the types of whitewash solution and letting it sit (standard – 2 hours), you can start working.

Apply the composition from bottom to top, spreading evenly on all sides, leaving no unpainted areas. It is also worth applying the composition to the lower part of skeletal branches, if any. If the tree is small, treat only the part up to the first branches.

Features of whitewashing old and young apple trees

It is better to bleach apple trees correctly, taking into account the features of this type of processing:

• the younger the tree, the lower the concentration of the composition should be, and vice versa;
• if the seedlings were planted recently - a few months ago, there is no need to whiten them, just wrap them tightly in non-woven paper or burlap.

The right solution is the key to success; the whitewashed wood will be protected from external factors. If protein appears on the trunk, then it is more effective to eliminate it by using a ready-made solution with the addition of “Knockdown”. It is able to quickly and permanently destroy fungal spores and ant eggs, which are most often hidden in microcracks.

Why are rodents dangerous for apple trees?

It would seem, how can a small mouse damage a large tree, even a young one? In fact, this is a disaster for gardeners. First of all, the mouse never comes alone. A whole brood follows her. Just imagine if every mouse took at least a couple of bites. Secondly, mouse saliva contains a substance that not only stops the movement of sap through the tree, but also contributes to its decay. This means that even with small bite marks, you can begin to worry, because you risk becoming the owner of a rotten tree.

A small mouse can eat up to 50 g of bark per day

Thirdly, bites in the cold season. It turns out that the mouse provides access directly to the center of the tree trunk. If severe frosts strike, the apple tree will be susceptible to frostbite and simply die. Now imagine how much the probability of losing your orchard increases if not just one mouse, but a whole litter of mice gets into your habit? Appropriate measures must be taken urgently.

The mouse will not forget about the apple tree even if it is offered an alternative

Important! Even if you want to show mercy and feed the animals, leaving them special feeders, you will not protect your apple trees in this way. The mouse is designed in such a way that it eats everything that seems edible to it. Rodents will not stop if you overfeed them. They have no feeling of hunger or satiety. This means that along with the food offered to them, they will also damage fruit trees.

Errors

Inexperienced gardeners often make mistakes when whitewashing trees. Because of this, the procedure turns out to be ineffective or the tree, after a few weeks, begins to wither. In total, we can highlight several of the most common mistakes.

1. Wrong choice of product. A highly concentrated solution or lime is dangerous for young seedlings. Burns may appear on the smooth bark of the trunk, which can lead to the death of the tree.
2. Very thick solution. Usually this is prepared to make the whitewash layer denser in the hope that it will better protect the plant crop. In fact, such whitewashing will only negatively affect the development of the tree and will cause the bark to quickly begin to crack.
3. Very liquid composition. The whitewash, which has a consistency similar to water, will quickly begin to roll down the trunk; it will not have time to soak into the bark, and therefore there will be no effect from such treatment.
4. Incorrect timing. It is important to perform whitewashing before the onset of frost, otherwise there will be no benefit from it.

If you paint in accordance with simple rules, the effect will be quickly achieved - you will be able to protect your fruit fields in the garden from pests and external factors. If a mistake is made during processing, significant damage can be caused to them.

Annual whitewashing of apple trees in the fall is an important procedure. If you follow the step-by-step instructions for its implementation, choose the right coloring solution and all the recommendations, you will be able to ensure a safe winter for the plant crop.

Why do you need to whiten an apple tree in the fall?

Autumn whitewashing of apple trees is not needed to make the garden more attractive. This simple procedure protects the bark on the trunk and the lower part of the skeletal branches from a number of problems:

1. Sunburn. Most often they occur from the second half of January until the onset of warm weather. The bright sun overheats the bark, which is not very flexible, because the tree is dormant. As a result, it bursts and the damage can be simply enormous.
2. Frostbreakers. This is the name given to cracks running along the wood fibers, which appear during severe frosts and can be quite deep. In this case, the damage may close in the spring, but appear again in winter, which is dangerous due to the development of rot inside the tree and the formation of a hollow.
3. Cracks in the bark. They appear when there is a lot of moisture in the covers, which, when frozen, simply breaks the surface and can cause numerous minor damage over the entire area. The greater the temperature changes between day and night, the more damage there will be.
4. Pests and diseases. Firstly, larvae and spores of fungal diseases often overwinter in the folds of the bark and under its peeling areas, and the insects themselves can also be found there. Secondly, they damage surfaces immediately after warming, when the tree is weakened.
5. Rodents. Hares, mice and other small animals can greatly damage the bark in winter. A layer of whitewash eliminates this problem almost completely.

By the way!

If you bleach the trunk annually, the tree's immunity is strengthened and it is much better able to resist pests and diseases.

Compositions for processing

For whitewashing, you can use lime mortars, prepared independently, or purchased ready-made. To paint the trunk use:

There are many compositions used for whitewashing; their main characteristic is the presence of three main components:

Let's consider what substances are used to whiten apple trees, and what compositions are prepared based on them.

Pure lime

Lime is the most popular substance for whitening trees. It is easy to breed, it is non-toxic, and it is cheap. Trees are whitened with slaked lime, also called fluff lime. This lime is sold in paste or powder form. To breed fluff, you don't need anything other than cold water.

Clay

To make the lime stick better to the trunk, clay is added to it. It is impractical to whitewash wood with pure lime alone; without viscous substances, it is quickly washed off by rain. Clay is one of the available viscous substances that is used to prepare lime compounds.

Clay not only helps to fix the whitewash on the trunk, but also has good thermal insulation properties. The clay composition protects trees from overheating and hypothermia, as well as from the effects of winds. An important advantage of clay is that it does not close pores and does not interfere with “breathing.”

Mullein

Mullein or liquid manure is a natural organic fertilizer. It is used not only to increase the nutritional value of the soil, but also to whiten trees. Thanks to this ingredient, the whitewash becomes more sticky and is firmly fixed to the bark. In addition, mullein is a source of microelements that nourish the tree.

Dye

Instead of lime, it is permissible to use paint:

The paints allow air to pass through, but retain water in the bark - preventing it from evaporating. The main disadvantage of paint is its unnaturalness; although it is safe, it is still a “chemistry”. The second disadvantage is its cost; painting trees with paint is more expensive than with lime.

Standard whitewash composition

Standard whitewash is prepared from three ingredients:

When working with lime, observe safety measures and accuracy - when it interacts with water, the slaking temperature reaches 150 °C.

Burn protection

This composition creates a shiny layer on the trunk that reflects the sun's rays well. The composition is prepared from:

Protection against rodents, hares, ants and fungus

This is a universal composition, destroying pests, it serves as an effective prevention of rot. The composition is prepared from:

Thanks to the vitriol, the composition will protect the tree from diseases and fungi. And if you add “Knockdown” to the composition - a few drops, or a little Creolin, then the composition will repel hares, mice and other rodents. This whitewash destroys fungal spores and all ant eggs hidden under the bark.

The prepared solution is thoroughly mixed and left for half an hour. After repeated mixing, whitewashing begins.

Store samples

Store-bought whitewashes are convenient because they do not require preparation. Open the lid, take a brush, and you can paint right away. Whitewashes sold in stores differ in composition. They are made of lime, acrylic, with the addition of clay, vitriol, silver, and other additives.

The most stable store-bought whitewashes are acrylic. More natural - lime-clay, allowing the bark to breathe. But store-bought lime whitewashes have serious disadvantages:

Most store-bought whitewash is applied with a brush. But it is much more convenient to use aerosols - liquid released under pressure gets into the most inaccessible places without any effort on the part of a person.

Samples of store whitewashes:

After testing garden whitewashes, it was concluded that the most durable store-bought compositions are acrylic ones. They make the surface snow-white, shiny, and provide high-quality protection from the sun. After winter, the paint does not crack or wash off - if the wood is whitewashed in the fall, you can skip the spring whitewashing.