When hobby gardeners are asked about the advantages of having their own garden, the supply of healthy apples and pears comes first. But fruit trees also need care. In addition to the supply of water and nutrients and a professional cut, the lime coating is also part of it. What is its meaning? Can you make it yourself? We have compiled the most important facts for you.
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Lime in the garden
Lime is known to all hobby gardeners as an all-rounder. It is used in different forms in the garden:
- quicklime (calcium oxide)
- slaked lime (calcium hydroxide)
- carbonate of lime (calcium carbonate)
Gardeners have appreciated the positive effects of lime for generations. You use the substance to
- Optimization of heavy soils
- Control of mosses
- snail defense
Fruit growers in particular value the positive effects of lime. You’ve probably noticed the white-painted fruit trees in the gardens. This paint can be made by yourself without much effort. It contributes to the health and protection of the trees.
The most important reasons for lime painting
1. Protection against diseases and pests
Lime application strengthens the bark. A healthy bark that is free of cracks and damage offers no entry points for pests and fungi. The dreaded fruit tree canker can be prevented or contained by painting with lime.
2. Protection against game damage
Roe deer and stags can cause lasting damage, especially to young fruit trees. They love the young bark, but don’t like lime. The coating helps to effectively protect your fruit trees from deer browsing.
3. Removal of lichen and moss
Again and again trees are overgrown by lichens and mosses. Heavy vegetation in particular can affect the development of the trees and the harvest. The lime coat displaces mosses and lichens in the long term.
4. Lime supply in the soil
A side effect of painting the trees with lime is the supply of lime to the soil. Gradually, the lime application is washed off or rubbed off. The lime residues still do a good job in the soil.
5. Freeze protection
The most important reason for an annual coat of lime is to protect against frost damage.
The young fruit trees in particular can be adversely affected by the low temperatures in winter and weakened trees do not bring the desired harvest.
A major problem for apple, pear and cherry trees is what is known as frostbite. Frostbite occurs when the first intensive rays of the sun hit the still frozen tree trunks in spring. As a result, the bark on the sunny side is already thawing while the other side is still frozen. The temperature differences cause extreme tension in the bark. Vertical cracks appear. These cracks can become entry points for pests, fungi and diseases and cause massive damage to the tree.
Severe frost damage can cause a tree to die.
How does the application of lime paint work?
The white color reflects the sun’s rays and slows down the thawing of the bark. This significantly reduces tension and cracking and keeps the tree healthy.
Preparation of the lime paint
You will find a large selection of ready-made lime paints on the market. Alternatively, you can easily make the paint, also known as milk of lime, yourself.
You need:
- 1.5 kilograms of quicklime
- 10 liters of water
- 600 grams of wallpaper paste
Mix the ingredients carefully and stir them until an even, creamy mass has formed. Let it swell for two hours and the milk of lime is ready. To apply, all you need is a wide brush or tassel.
Application of lime paint
For older trees, we recommend removing loose parts of the bark before painting. Use a spatula to do this if necessary. If the tree bark is covered with lichen, you can remove it with a wire brush or a scraper. Residues that you cannot remove in this way will later be displaced by the action of the lime.
Young trees have smooth, solid bark. This does not require any treatment prior to lime application.
The milk of lime, which is bought ready-made or prepared according to our recipe, is applied with a wide brush. Choose a rain-free, sunny day so that the lime can harden well. Apply the color to the entire tree trunk up to the beginning of the lower branches. The sun’s rays hit these spots almost unhindered. They must be specially protected against frost damage.
The right time
Lime paint can be painted all year round.
We recommend the lime paint
- in young fruit trees immediately after planting
- to be carried out on older fruit trees in late autumn before the first frost.
In principle, it is better to apply the lime coat late than to do without it altogether. Even if it is applied on a sunny day in winter, the lime paint can still perfectly protect the tree.
