Wait—should You Be Painting Your Fruit Trees?

There is something especially gratifying about having your own fruit trees. Harvesting fresh fruit from your very own orchard and turning it into sweet delicacies is not only cost-effective but also rewarding. Nurturing an orchard can also be a test of your gardening skills and patience. Usually, it takes a couple of years before you'll see any fruit from a newly planted tree, however, citrus is a tree that produces only a year after transplanting. The only problem is, citrus trees are extremely susceptible to sunscald. One tried-and-true method to prevent this from happening is to limewash your fruit trees. This practice has a strong basis in science to prevent not only sunscald, but also various diseases and pest infestations.

Whitewashing or limewashing trees dates back to ancient times. It is more common in areas with growing seasons marked with long periods of intense sun and extreme swings in temperature from day to night. Painting the trees white reflects more sun, which in turn keeps them from getting sunscald. This practice is harmless to fruit trees, and can also protect them from getting infected by pests, especially wood borers. Hydrated lime is also antimicrobial, and will help prevent the growth of certain fungus and bacteria. Not taking preventative methods is one of the mistakes everyone makes when growing fruit trees — so help your trees thrive with a little preemptive paint job.

Whitewashing your fruit trees isn't an extremely difficult process, but depending on how many trees you have, it might be a little time consuming. For the limewash recipe, you will need some hydrated lime, a bucket, some water, and a brush. Mix 1 part lime with 6 to 8 parts water; it should have a medium-thin consistency. It is important to remember the hydrated lime is caustic, so you will need to wear protective gear while making and using this product. A safer method that is just as effective, is to buy a can of water-based latex white paint and dilute it in a 1 to 1 ratio of water. This is not only safer for you, but also safe for your trees.

The best time to apply whitewash to your trees is in spring, when the temperature is above 50 degrees Fahrenheit and the forecast shows a few sunny days ahead, giving the paint ample time to dry. You will want to paint the trunks from the soil level to approximately 18 inches up the trunk. You can reapply every spring as the tree grows to make sure it is continually protected. And with any luck your tree will be among the trees that can grow fruit for over 100 years.