Learn the incredible reason why tree trunks are “painted” with lime.
Surely when passing through the streets, especially in some corners of Mexico City (CDMX), you have noticed that the trunks of the trees are “painted” with lime , creating an effect like white paint that covers part of the wood. This technique takes up the name “lime” and although it seems that it could only be an aesthetic element, the truth is that it has an objective in favor of the bushes.
According to some portals specialized in plants or crops, whitewashing trees allows you to avoid pests such as aphids, ants or other insects; It also prevents the spread of diseases due to bacteria or pathogenic agents such as fungi that usually develop in the cracks or spaces of the trunk itself.
Lime will prevent this type of more than common problems, which is why it is important to “paint” the trunk of the trees in this way. It is worth mentioning that it is a technique that you can also apply in the urban garden and protect the bushes in a very simple way. Below, we explain step by step everything you need to do.
How to whitewash the trunks of trees in the urban garden
To do this technique you need slaked or dead lime, which you must mix with a little water in a bucket (the exact amount depends on the trees you want to “paint” and you only have to mix with a little water without having a too liquid preparation, it has to be dense). After you have a paste-like consistency and are dense enough to adhere to the crust, it’s time to apply it.
With the help of a brush, paint the entire surface of the trunk, verifying that the lime penetrates well into all the cracks and gaps in the bark, in these places where pests could easily reproduce. Let it dry and this natural protective barrier is ready.
However, liming is a practice used to correct soil acidity, so this process could also improve nutrient assimilation. But once it is done, it is not advisable to do it frequently, just once is enough for the whitewashing of the tree trunks to have the desired effect.
This technique can also be applied to fruit trees ; lemon tree, orange tree, pear tree and other varieties that you could have in the garden, will act as an extra remedy to prevent the appearance of pests or agents that make the bushes sick. Put it to the test now that you know the incredible reason why trees are “painted” with lime.
