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Encanto Farms Nursery > Topics > White wash fig tree tunks?
 
 


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bada_bing

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Posted Reply with quote  #1 
I just completed the annual chore of white washing (latex painting) the trunks of my backyard citrus trees. For those not familiar with outdoor citrus in the desert, white washing citrus trunks is a common practice to shield the trunks from sunburn and it also helps a bit with deterring ground crawling insects like ants out of the trees.

I was looking at my new little fig trees I planted in ground back in September. I planted a panachee and a VDB that are both about 3'~4' tall and are leafing out pretty well now. It looks like they will have lower trunks at least as exposed to the desert sun as my citrus do. Is there in any value or harm in painting fig trunks ? Anyone in hot bright climate do it for their fig trees?
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bada_bing in Tucson, zone 9a
or at work in Prudhoe bay, I don't think the zones go that low
My in ground trees: VdB, Panache 
My potted figs : Vista, RdB, Strawberry verte, Atreano, Black Madeira
Tissue culture plants: Hardy Chicago, "Blue" Ischia, Desert King, LSU Purple, Kadota, Celeste  
Hope to find: CdDx, Maltese Beauty, BlacK Ischia, desert adapted figs
Figfinatic

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Posted Reply with quote  #2 
nope.
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Wish: Sbayi, passiflora incense, quadrangularis or others
noss

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Posted Reply with quote  #3 
I don't, but I've seen many tree trunks painted white, supposedly to keep out the borers.

noss
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noss/a.k.a. Vivian Lafayette, LA Zone 9a Wish List: Col de Dame Blanc, Col de Dame Noir, Scott's Yellow, Tony's Brown Italian, any other fig that is good in the rain/humidity and has a real figgy flavor.
Centurion

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Posted Reply with quote  #4 
I did it to a kadota and a black mission when we were at Havasu.  I don't really know whether it helped or not.  Others I didn't whitewash seemed  to do just fine. 
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Dave
Verde Valley, AZ
Zone 8
DesertDance

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Posted Reply with quote  #5 
The citrus lining the streets here are all painted white.  I never knew why.

Suzi
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Zone 9b, Southern California. "First year they sleep, Second year they creep, Third year they leap!"  Wish List:  I wish all of you happy fig collecting!  My wishes have been fulfilled!
paulandirene

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Posted Reply with quote  #6 
In areas with bright sunlight and cool/cold winters, it's used to prevent sunscald [the whitewash reflects the sun's heat that causes cell damage on the trunks of dormant trees].  

However, I've also seen it on palm trees in the tropics....probably more for insects [you can see their boring holds much easier].
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