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Liming the cherry trees means, on the one hand, lime fertilization and, on the other hand, lime painting. The fertilization serves to increase the pH value of the soil, the painting to protect the tree trunk.
lime paint
The trunk of a cherry tree is more susceptible to damage from the elements, pests or fungi than the crown, and the longer it is, the more so. The purpose of the lime coating is to protect the cherry tree from frost and sunburn. The dark cherry tree trunk heats up very much in the sunshine. Trees with long trunks in a southerly location that are exposed to intense sunlight in the winter and summer months are particularly at risk.
In winter, the frost damage occurs because the juicy bark, which has thawed during the day, freezes to the wood of the trunk when the temperature drops at night. Sunburn occurs in summer when it is very hot. A cherry tree trunk coated with white lime paint reflects the sun's rays and does not heat up as much as an untreated tree trunk.
lime fertilization
The plants need nutrients for their growth, such as nitrogen, phosphorus, potash and calcium (=lime). These are contained in various compositions in the commercially available full or mixed fertilizers. If one of the nutrients is missing, deficiency symptoms occur. The lime deficiency leads u. to the fact that the absorption of nutrients and trace elements is impaired and promoted by toxic substances.
A targeted application of lime fertilizer is used on acidic soils to raise their pH value, improve the soil structure and supply the cherry trees with the nutrients calcium and magnesium. In order to determine exactly how much lime is needed, you should first have the pH value determined as part of a soil analysis by a soil laboratory.
tips and tricks
Lime is available in powder form and is mixed with water according to the instructions on the package. The lime coat should be applied around the beginning of December, extend over all strong trunk and branch parts to the side shoots and be renewed annually.