Tree trunks - especially those of fruit trees - can be attacked by various diseases or pests. To prevent this, they are painted with white lime paint - which also has the advantage that lichens and mosses can no longer settle.
Lime protects the tree from insects
Why is liming a tree trunk important?
The liming of the tree trunk is a sensible measure that gives the tree many advantages and thus contributes to its health. The lime paint
- prevents the settlement of pests
- Prevents moss and lichen from settling on the tree trunk
- protects the tree from strong sunlight
Especially the last point is very important during cold, dry winter days. The problem can arise on these that the combination of frost, sunshine and water in the tree can lead to tension in the trunk. These in turn are expressed in the bursting open of bark and wood. If you now paint the tree trunk white, the color reflects the sun, so that the temperature fluctuations are significantly reduced.
How to properly lime the tree trunk
You can get suitable lime paint in any hardware store (the more expensive brands are often sold under the designation "Baumanstrich" or "weißanstrich"), but you can also mix it yourself: Mix lime in powdered form with water so that you have a viscous, creamy mass arises. With this you now lime the tree trunk - preferably from the ground up to the crown. The coating should be applied several times in order to kill pest larvae that have settled in the wood at the same time.
Lime paint must be renewed annually
Unfortunately, the lime coating is washed off by the rain, which means that the protective effect is lost. For this reason, you should paint the tree trunk white every year. The best time to paint is late autumn between October and November to get full winter protection.
tips
The lime paint is also well suited as a wound closure in the event of a burst bark: simply paint over the injured area with lime so that no pathogens can penetrate through the open wound and weaken the tree even more. Before doing this, however, the tree trunk should be carefully cleaned with a wire brush.