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Whitewashed Trees

S

smallercrawler

Member
The post below on salvaging old barn lumber mentioned whitewash. When I was a tad, it was quite common to see farms/parks/fairgrounds with whitewashed "shade tree" trunks up to about 4' above ground level, but I don't recall it's use on fruit bearing trees. I always thought it was cosmetic and helped a place look "neat". Haven't seen it in a long time. Is/was it used on fruit trees? Was it's purpose as an insecticide to protect trees that is now supplanted by a modern "pesticide"?
 
In the mid fifties I lived in Haskell, Texas. Most all of the "city owned" trees were painted this way. I don't know the reason for that either. Looked kinda neat though.
 
I would also like this answered. As a youth in the fifties we used to get paid to whitewash the trees and curbs right before Memorial day. We did the whitewashing on the parade route. I also thought this was done for cosmetics. This was in Riverside NJ.
 
I applyed white paint once while cleaning the airless after painting my house. It looked good for 4 years but never did it again. That was 30 years ago and my son still insists it was done to see if he hit the trees while mowing.
 
was just used on ornamental trees; only for looks, did nothing else good. Supposed to have damaged trees so they stopped doing it.
 
Just saw this the other day on a tv show said it was to keep the base of the tree ( Fruit bearing) cooler from the hot sun?
 
Worked at my Uncles apple orchard in my teens and used to whitewash the trees in the fall. Was told it kept the sun from heating the trunks up in early spring. The idea was to delay the budding until the threat of frost was gone. The spring rains washed it off.
 
Sean is right, it's to keep the trunk of a young tree from getting sun scald in winter. You can also buy tree guards made from plastic that wrap around the tree. You should take them off in the spring so the bugs can't hide behind them.
 
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