If you are using paint, then mix your paint or latex with water in the ratio of half and half. If you plan on painting over the trees twice, then ensure the first coat has less latex or paint. You can then thicken it on the second application.
Why are tree trunks painted white?
If you have been to an orchard before then, chances are you have seen trees painted white at the trunks. While this might seem like a fun and interesting thing to try, it serves more than an aesthetic purpose for your tree. Knowing why are trees trunks painted white will help you, especially if you are a new farmer. This article will answer the question, ‘Why are tree trunks painted white?’
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Why are tree trunks painted white?
Painting tree trunks white is a method that has been used for ages. Many people can trace it to years ago when they would see their grandparents paint trees white. While they did not think much of it, it is common to find many trees painted white today, which shows how beneficial the practice is. Here are the main reasons why people paint their trees white to this age.
To protect the tree from sunburn
If you look around you, you might notice a couple of trees that have buckled up barks. While these trees might be all grown and mature, they are not a pretty sight to see. It is for this reason that many people choose to paint their trees. The painting is done when the trees are still young since that is when they are most vulnerable, and this ensures the method is effective. Once a tree has buckled, you cannot do anything about it.
Helps deal with harsh winters
Winters tend to have extreme temperatures, which can harm your trees. You might have intense sun in the day and very cold nights, which will affect your tree’s bark. If you are not careful, you will end up with a tree with a cracked bark because of all the temperature changes.
Reduces pest attacks
Other than making your trees look ugly, a cracked bark makes our trees susceptible to attacks by insects. Often you find that the insects will get into the tree through the cracks. Cracked barks also make your tree an easy target for rodents that might burrow their way into your tree trunk. With all these attacks, your trees will most likely get destroyed before they reach full maturity. In severe cases, the fruits from these trees will also get affected.
Visibility
Even though this is not a common reason why trees are painted white, in areas where people tend to drive into trees at night, they are painted white for easier visibility. It happens mainly on trees planted by the roadside.
Aesthetics
Painting trees white at the trunks makes them look beautiful, especially when planted in rows. Some people do this simply for beautification. With all these perks, it is no surprise that so many orchard owners still paint their trees white.
Why are tree trunks painted white and not any other color?
If the sole purpose of painting the trees is to protect them, then why not use any other color? Many people are curious about that. Countries like Australia have people paint tree trunks blue, but they have different reasons. The main reason people paint their tree trunks white is that it is considered the most harmless color.
Many companies make white from organic compounds, which reduces the impact the paint will have on the tree. You can also make your white at home if you are skeptical about the store-bought colors. People paint their trees white because it is very reflective and will help, especially when the area the trees are planted in receives a lot of sunshine. Other colors absorb some of the heat, which beats the whole point of painting the tree in the first place.
Why are trees painted white in Greece?
The white paint around the tree trunks may have caught the attention of many tourists in Greece. They used a mixture of slaked lime (calcium hydroxide), chalk (whiting), and water lime mixed with water as an insect repellent in the past when people didn’t have access to all these agricultural concoctions to safeguard the trees from insects and bugs. Greeks still favor this environmentally friendly method of battling insects that eat the fruit and destroy the trunk—know it as whitewash in English. Easter is when everything is whitewashed in Greece, including the houses, trees, stone steps, stone fences, and anything else that requires a little TLC. It has a long history dating to the time of the Ancient Greeks and Romans and is closely related to traditional Mediterranean architecture.
White trunks are helping for cooling down too. The heat and sun in Greece are other factors in why the trees are painted white. The sun’s rays are reflected in part by the white paint. The tree becomes less hot as a result. A tree’s bark may split open if it gets too hot. The white paint prevents the bark from cracking and prevents the tree from losing its juices. For many reasons, white tree trunks are a good idea on the islands. The trees are not harmed by the paint that is used. Some farmers also use the paint to prevent their sheep and goats from munching on the tree leaves.
In Greece, painting tree trunks is a very popular practice with ancient origins. It is done at the start of spring and is related to traditional architecture. To commemorate the most significant religious event in Greek culture, Easter, the Greeks used to paint their homes at the start of spring when the weather and mood changed. In addition to painting the curbs and trees, they also paint the dry stone walls.
Lime is the paint that people use. Since lime has antiseptic qualities, many people think that liming fruit trees’ trunks in the spring will shield them from fungi and wood-boring insects. Lime doesn’t kill insects or fungi, despite its ability to disinfect. Liming prevents Sesia myopiformis female insects from laying eggs in the trunk of apple and pears trees. Farmers use liming to prevent sunburn on citrus trees and trees with very thin bark. Some farmers also do this to stop sheep and goats from nibbling on tree bark and leaves.
The liming of trees in settlements today is solely done for aesthetic purposes. The Greeks believed that white paint ensured that bacteria and vermin would not affect the tree trunk, although decoration is one reason why tree trunks are painted white. They believe that the white-painted areas prevent animals like ants and mice from scaling the tree. Because the paint keeps these tiny creatures on the ground and prevents them from attacking the trees, the trees remain healthy for longer.
