I have a small orchard that I am working to protect over the winter and had a question about what everyone does for risk of sun scald on trunks. I’ve adopted the aluminum window screen method for protection against girdling that many here have championed, but I wanted to know how, or if, I should do anything further to try and protect against sun scald. In the past, I had used the plastic tree guards to do this, but that was before reading about some of the risks of mice/voles getting inside and setting up shop all winter. Since I’ve now started using the window screen, it was not clear to me if I should try to put a tree guard around that or if the window screen itself provides some measure of protection against the sun scald risk. I am in central MN if this factors into how you might approach this. Appreciate any input here.
Sun Scald and Aluminum Screens
- Thread starter ChrisA
- Start date
Catscratch
5 year old buck +
Paint them also?
Paint the trunks with a 50/50 mix of interior latex white paint and water. You can either use a brush or put it in a cheap hand pump sprayer and spray the paint on. I use the sprayer method since it is faster and I can just put the nozzle through the tree cage without having to open the cage.
SW sun injury has been an issue for me on my WI place, but after painting the trunks annually that problem went away.
SW sun injury has been an issue for me on my WI place, but after painting the trunks annually that problem went away.
Thanks Ben. I had thought about painting the trunks also, but thought I had read at one time from others saying the aluminum screen itself would help to some degree and might not require it. Perhaps wishful thinking on my part. So if I were to paint, assume I can just spray directly through the window screen and it would work. After putting the screens on and ensuring they are dug into the ground as far as possible, not interested in taking them off.
I spray the paint on the window screen, trunk and everything in that general vicinity. Using the hand sprayer isn't a very precise operation, but it is fast and effective. I never take off my aluminum window screen trunk guards since the trees will just pop the staples once the trunk is larger than the screen opening.
4wanderingeyes
5 year old buck +
Others wont agree with me, but I let the weeds grow up around the trees, and that seems to protect them, but I also have window screen on them for the first 5-8 years, until they outgrow the screen I put on at planting.
So you re-paint every year I assume?
sandbur
5 year old buck +
sandbur
5 year old buck +
The trees in my ‘home orchard’ are more exposed on the S and SW side and the younger trees get painted about every year.
My outback deer trees are somewhat more shaded as the sun sets in the SW and I didn’t paint them this year. I actually have three of these more remote locations and they are a ‘no go’ area until rifle season opener. Some are seedlings and rootstock trees. Others are topworks with deer crabs. They are mostly on their own with less care.
I hope the local bear hasn’t broken them all up.
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Good info. Most of mine have a lot of direct south exposure, and without any real shade so I’m going to paint them all based on everything recommended here. Thanks for the insight.
