Slaked Lime and Its Use

Slaked lime is obtained by the interaction of quicklime and water. In this case, the amount of water depends on which mixture will be released in the end:
• pushonka,
• lime paste,
• milk of lime.
It is this lime used in agriculture. Slaked lime is applied to the soil to reduce its acidity and to increase the fertility of the soil. Another popular use is whitewashing trees.
How to extinguish lime
Chunks (lumps, powder) of limestone are quicklime. In order to use it to whiten the trees, it should be extinguished. The procedure is called so nonrandom: when adding water, a violent reaction occurs, during which heat is generated. Therefore, it is necessary to extinguish the lime, strictly following the rules to avoid burns.
In a clean deep container (for example, a bucket) you need to put lime and fill it with cold water. To get fuzz components are mixed in a ratio of 1: 1. Immediately start the reaction, in which the mixture "hisses", splashes and heats up. This is a boiling process that can last for an hour. You need to wait until the procedure is over and after that you can gently mix the contents with a wooden stick. Lime for whitewashing trees ready.

Recipes compositions for whitewash based on lime
The composition of the mixture for whitewashing the garden includes the following ingredients:
• 2.5 kg of hydrated lime (fluff);
• 10 liters of water;
• a few spoonfuls of flour paste.
Instead of paste, you can use other components: clay (1 kg), soap (10 tbsp. Shavings), fresh mullein (0.8-1 kg).
Lime need to take lumpy and extinguish it for 2 hours before whitewashing. Freshly sour lime best helps in the fight against pests, lichens and fungi.
The whitewashing of trees with copper sulfate has well proved itself. To prepare a suitable mixture should take:
• 2 kg of hydrated lime (fluff);
• 300 g of copper sulphate;
• 10 liters of water.
You need to mix the ingredients so that you end up with a homogeneous mass of thick cream.

 

When to whiten the trees?

To whiten the trees should be twice: in the fall and spring. The first whitewash is considered the main, the second allows you to renew the layer, which was worn (or washed off) during the winter bad weather.
Lime tree whitewash fall
Trees should be whitened in the second half of autumn after the foliage has subsided. The best temperature for this: 4-5 ° C. It is important to have time to carry out all the necessary procedures before the snow falls. It is possible (or even necessary) to clean trees in wet weather - wet bark elements move away from the trunk more easily. But the whitewashing itself must be carried out only on a dry day.
Lime tree whitewash in spring
Spring whitewashing is usually carried out in late March - early April, after the snow melted. It is advisable to do this at a temperature not lower than 5 ° С. It is important to have time on time, until the leaves began to blossom on the trees, and the earth did not warm up thoroughly. With the advent of a thaw, wreckers that winter in the ground also wake up, and after that it is already meaningless to whiten the trees.