Suspension for whitewashing trees

Lime for whitewashing trees (suspension).
Designed to protect against sunburn, partly from pests and diseases, as well as to prevent the appearance of mosses and lichens.
Stir the powder in about 1.5 liters of water until a homogeneous viscous-viscous mass is obtained. Let it brew for another half hour until it swells completely (if necessary, add a little more water to obtain a "easy-to-apply" consistency with a bristle brush). Unused solution can be used in subsequent years, keeping it in an airtight container.
Whitewash composition: slaked lime, clay, plasticizer, iron vitriol. Caution: The presence of lime can irritate the skin, so work with water-repellent gloves. If the solution does get on the skin, then rinse the area with plenty of water.

Whitewash for fruit trees based on lime and ferrous sulfate.
Designed to protect against sunburn, partly from pests and diseases, as well as to prevent the appearance of mosses and lichens.
Stir the powder in about 1.5 liters of water until a homogeneous viscous-viscous mass is obtained. Let it brew for another half hour until it swells completely (if necessary, add a little more water to obtain a "easy-to-apply" consistency with a bristle brush). Unused solution can be used in subsequent years, keeping it in an airtight container.
Whitewash composition: slaked lime, clay, plasticizer, iron vitriol.
Caution: The presence of lime can irritate the skin, so work with waterproof gloves. If the solution does get on your skin, then rinse the area with plenty of water.

* Diseases of the bark mainly begin with spring sunburn. They usually appear as pinkish patches on the bark. To avoid this, it is necessary to whitewash the trunks not in the spring, but also in the fall, so that they are protected from the bright March sun reflected by the snow. If the whitewash has disappeared by the spring, touch it up as early as possible, at an air temperature of at least + 6 ° C.
Instead of whitewashing, you can tie the trunks with canvases of ripped sugar bags, since they are made of fiberglass and are too tough for mice.

Whitewashing of the tree is considered conditionally sufficient according to the formula: the entire stem + 1/3 of the length of the lower skeletal branches. For adult trees (again, averagely effective), the whitewashing height is considered to be 1.5-1.8 m, and experienced gardeners generally try to whitewash their pets as high as possible - up to 2 meters or more.
It is not uncommon for garden plots, where fruit trees adorn in a white calcareous garment to the very tops. It turns out like in sports - the winner is the one with the whitewash "Higher, Stronger and Whiter!"

"To whiten or not to whiten - that is the question."
This is the very rare case when there is an unequivocal answer to a question: whitewashing is mandatory, and in the near future!
It is surprising that many gardeners consider whitewashing a tree to be a purely decorative act and treat it accordingly, although in fact it is extremely important in the life of the plant.
Do I need to whitewash the trees?
To understand the meaning of whitewashing, it is necessary first of all to say a few words about the bark itself.
The bark for a tree is like skin for a person: it protects the internal organs and is the first to meet unfavorable environmental conditions, of which there are many: sharp temperature fluctuations, biting wind, sunshine and severe frosts, rodent teeth, parasitic pests ...
The bark gets sunburn and frostbite, coarse and cracked, sore and flaky (anyone will notice the difference between the smooth skin of a young seedling and the rough, cracked bark of an old tree). Everyone also knows what skin injuries lead to - to illness: infections and pests penetrate the body, weakening its immune system, leading to premature wilting and death.
That is why the bark of the tree must be protected with an ordinary whitewash, which:
* protects the bark of a tree from winter and early spring burns, when there is still no natural protection in the form of foliage;
* Protects against temperature extremes, which means - prevents cracking of the bark (the appearance of frost cracks);
* Helps to protect against insect pests, the larvae of which like to settle in the bark.
Many years of experience of gardeners unequivocally testifies: this is an effective and low-cost protective measure for the bark of beloved pets.
It is necessary to whitewash both adult trees and young ones, although a considerable number of gardeners are convinced adherents of the opinion that young trees cannot be whitened, since lime can burn the delicate bark and impede its growth. Is it so?
Without a doubt, a high concentration of lime will damage the young bark, but this can be avoided: you need to halve the lime content in the prepared solution or use a special water-based or acrylic paint for trees.
For example, take a look at the seedlings that were grown in the nursery. Most often they live there in cramped conditions and do not receive light hardening. And when we plant such a tree in our garden, it falls into an open space and easily gets sunburn of the bark. Therefore, whitewashing is simply necessary for young trees, especially for autumn planting.
When to whiten?
Experienced gardeners recommend whitewashing trees in the garden twice, or even three times a year:
* The first main whitewashing is considered to be autumn (carried out in October-November);
* spring - repeated, renewing (at the end of February-beginning of March);
* the third will be appropriate in the middle of summer.
The most effective whitewashing carried out in the fall (in October-November).
The whitewashing performed during the spring gardening works, as a rule, was already "late".
The sunny days of February and frosty March are the most dangerous for the tree: under the February sun, the dark trunk heats up to +9 +11°C during the day - this temperature is enough for the tree to wake up, and sap flow begins. As a result, night frosts down to -10ºC elementary freeze the "taut" juice, which causes tissue ruptures - those very cold cracks that look like long cracks on the bark. The white color repels the sun's rays and does not allow the trunk to heat up to the temperature of awakening (moreover, the whitewashed tree will "wake up" a little later in spring, which will save it from spring frosts, since it will begin to bloom after them).
How to whitewash trees and what should be the height of the whitewash?
It is necessary to whitewash the entire stem completely, that is, the trunk from the root collar to the first skeletal branch of the lower tier + lower skeletal branches by 1/3 of their length (many even by 1/2 the length of the branches).
Ideally, it would be nice to dress the whole tree in such a light-repelling shell, but it would be too time consuming (although such examples are often found).
How to whitewash trees in the garden?
Trees are whitened with a wide variety of mixtures: lime mortar, water-based paint and water-dispersion paint. The main thing is that the surface of the trunk is white, so that the whitewash composition allows the bark to "breathe" and does not wash off as long as possible. For this, substances are added to the main mixture that ensure the adhesion of the solution to the barrel (such substances can be: clay, green soap, milk, casein glue). The work must be done carefully and without gaps, then your dear pets will not have to suffer either on a frosty night or a sunny spring.
It is a big mistake to treat tree whitewashing simply as a decorative event.