New Mexico and ABQ news, sports, business, etc.

Author: Tracey Fitzgibbon Published: Saturday, December 11, 2021 10:02 PM Update: December 12, 2021 Sunday, 12:02 AM

Q: We drove on Corrales Road last weekend and I noticed a "young" orchard with all the small tree trunks painted white. We want to know why, we can only think that this is some kind of tree identification done by the owner. Can you tell us why all the small tree trunks are painted white? – ND, Albuquerque

A. The trunks in that young orchard were painted white for two reasons.

First, the whitewashing on the trunk will help prevent the trunk from sunburn. In this climate, we do enjoy some very good weather, and during the winter months, sometimes the sun does warm the dormant tree trunks enough to move some sap. Then it will always become very cold, and when the freshly moved sap freezes, it will create cracks or cracks in the entire trunk.

By painting the trunk, the sunlight is reflected and the trunk is less likely to become hot. The goal is to make the trees more dormant. This is a very smart and simple way to keep trees healthy.

Another reason for whitewashing tree trunks is to prevent pests. Brushing the entire tree trunk, painting filled the corners and crevices, several insect larvae that like tree trunks are looking for places to enter the tree trunk more easily. If there is any sun burn, insects can get in more easily.

Any young fruit tree or ornamental fruit tree will benefit a lot from whitewashing. It may look a little fashionable, but it makes the trees healthier.

What do you use to cleanse? This is the easy part. Mix equal parts of water and white latex paint. The paint looks a little thin, but it does not require a thick coat to repel insects and prevent sunburn. I recommend scraping off the soil, exposing the trunk to about three inches below ground, and then starting from there, spread the entire trunk to the first major limb.

Be sure to apply thoroughly to completely cover any corners and crevices of the trunk. Let the paint mixture dry, then scoop the soil back into the trunk.

Why do you want latex paint? Well, latex is plastic and can swell without cracking. Do not use oil-based paint, because it will poison the trees in a sense. Only use latex paint in this project. You can also find tree decorations online and in nurseries with appropriate pharmacopoeias.

So that's why you will see that young orchard in a white coat. The owners are doing their best to protect their investment and aim to grow healthier trees in the long run.

Question: When we drove down the trail in Santa Fe on Sunday, my native husband stopped and cut me some mistletoe he said he picked from an old juniper tree. Where do I come from, mistletoe is green, with thick long leaves and white berries. The things he collected for me were shocking yellow-green, mostly without leaves, only some trivial berries. Is the mistletoe he collected really? – CB, Albuquerque

A. Welcome to New Mexico. Yes, what your boyfriend collects is actually mistletoe.

So tie a festive ribbon around it and hang it up for the holidays.

Mistletoe is considered to have magical properties because it maintains such a green (or even yellow-green) nature in the deepest winter imaginable. During the dark times of the year, it is always a good thing to plant a magical plant at home to help wake the sun.

Please promote mistletoe after your holiday cleaning. Don't compost, don't add it to your collection for the next green cycle event, and don't burn it.

Mistletoe is a parasitic plant, which means that it will cling to other trees and, like the leachate, will draw life from the host tree. When the berry dries out and expels the spores from the berry, it will float to a new tree or host and make the house a self-made person forever.

Therefore, please be fascinated by the carefully collected mistletoe for you this holiday season, and then dispose of it properly. There is no need to spread more.

Tracey Fitzgibbon is a certified nursery. Send garden-related questions to Digging In, Albuquerque Journal, 7777 Jefferson NE, Albuquerque, NM 87109, or to features@abqjournal.com.

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