Painting coconut tree trunks with lime is a smart summer practice: Here's why
By brushing a layer of lime around the trunk, farmers can significantly lower the bark temperature, keeping the tree cool and ensuring healthy, uninterrupted growth. The whitewash serves as an effective physical barrier, keeping boring insects and destructive fungi at bay.
By brushing a layer of lime around the trunk, farmers can significantly lower the bark temperature, keeping the tree cool and ensuring healthy, uninterrupted growth. The whitewash serves as an effective physical barrier, keeping boring insects and destructive fungi at bay.
By brushing a layer of lime around the trunk, farmers can significantly lower the bark temperature, keeping the tree cool and ensuring healthy, uninterrupted growth. The whitewash serves as an effective physical barrier, keeping boring insects and destructive fungi at bay.
In the sun-drenched plantations of Palakkad, a striking sight often catches the eye: coconut tree trunks neatly painted in white up to a height of about four feet. Far from being a mere aesthetic choice, this traditional practice of applying lime or whitewash is a vital preventative measure that helps trees thrive during the scorching summer months.
The science behind whitewashing coconut trunks
Applying a coat of slaked lime to the trunk acts as a protective shield against extreme heat. During peak summer, the intense solar radiation can cause the bark of coconut trees to dry out and split. This trunk cracking not only weakens the tree but also leaves it vulnerable to opportunistic pests and fungal pathogens. By brushing a layer of lime around the trunk, farmers can significantly lower the bark temperature, keeping the tree cool and ensuring healthy, uninterrupted growth. The whitewash serves as an effective physical barrier, keeping boring insects and destructive fungi at bay. This method can be adopted as soon as a young sapling begins to form a sturdy trunk, and it is equally beneficial for other orchard staples like mango and arecanut trees.
Where to source quality grafted vegetable seedlings
For home gardeners and commercial farmers looking to boost their yields, high-quality grafted vegetable seedlings are highly sought after for their superior disease resistance and vigour. In Kerala, the Agricultural Research Station (ARS) in Mannuthy is a pioneer in distributing these premium grafted seedlings. Gardeners can secure their stock by placing an advance order with the station. You can contact ARS Mannuthy directly on 0487 2370726 to enquire about availability. Additionally, reliable private nurseries in the region also supply these seedlings, such as the Kavunkal Nursery in Mannuthy, which can be reached on 7034832832.