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Good Morning,
New to growing your own fruit? No worries, here is some advice, take it or leave it, it's your call
Cold Weather Spring & Fall
In our area in the spring and fall months, the warm days cause the sap to run up into the tree trunk and major branches, when night time temperatures fall below 33, the sap freezes, cracking the skin of the tree allowing insects, disease, mold and fungus to enter and do harm to the tree. Crop yields will suffer.
Painting your tree trunks as noted below will do the following:
Mix as below and paint onto the bark of your trees (especially fruiting trees or nut trees), the trunk and the beginning of the major branches that are not protected by the leaf canopy [see picture above].
You will need:
New to growing your own fruit? No worries, here is some advice, take it or leave it, it's your call
Cold Weather Spring & Fall
In our area in the spring and fall months, the warm days cause the sap to run up into the tree trunk and major branches, when night time temperatures fall below 33, the sap freezes, cracking the skin of the tree allowing insects, disease, mold and fungus to enter and do harm to the tree. Crop yields will suffer.
Painting your tree trunks as noted below will do the following:
- White painted tree trunks will not "heat up" during the day as easily, keeping the sap in the root system until night time temperatures are above 32 degrees on average.
- Fruit tree bark is the thinnest of any tree, the white paint and lime limit hot and cold expansion to the tree bark. The lime also helps to limit insect activity.
- The Copper Sulphate kills fungus, mold, bacteria and repels insect activity.
Mix as below and paint onto the bark of your trees (especially fruiting trees or nut trees), the trunk and the beginning of the major branches that are not protected by the leaf canopy [see picture above].
You will need:
- Inexpensive exterior water based paint, in gallons or quarts.
- For each gallon or quart of paint you purchase, also purchase an empty can of the same size with a lid.
- Copper Sulphate, 2 Tbsp per quart of mix
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00L222PXA/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Dolomite Lime, 1/3 cup per quart of mix
- https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B09KHJNYPX/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_search_asin_title?ie=UTF8&psc=1
- Split your gallon or quart of paint between the two cans.
- In a separate container, mix ½ measure of water with lime, stir GENTLY until dissolved.
- Add Copper Sulphate to water and lime mix, stir GENTLY until dissolved.
- Add Lime, Water and Copper Sulphate mix, to paint in can, stir slowly until blended.
- Paint your tree trunks per the picture above in the AM, when it will NOT be rainy, foggy or too cold for the painting day and the day after. The goal is to limit paint mix run off into the trees root system.