Effectively getting rid of lichen in the garden. Lichens on trees: how to get rid of them How to remove lichens from fruit trees

We are all good gardeners, of which I have no doubt. We are familiar with problems with garden trees first-hand, but I don’t think everyone knows how to get rid of them correctly. Today we will look at the problem of lichens on fruit trees. Let's learn how to fight it and some preventive measures.

Do not confuse lichens with the ubiquitous mold - this is just one of the varieties of the huge mushroom kingdom. It is interesting that they do not have roots, but they absorb the moisture necessary for life with their entire surface. They simply feed on rain or melt water and elements contained in microscopic dust particles.

Life expectancy in some cases exceeds a hundred years! Even the most unfavorable conditions will not destroy the body - it will simply fall asleep until better times, stopping growth. After awakening, the shoots will continue to develop with new strength, because we need to catch up!

They settle on weak or old trees; start young seedlings, and even on them you will soon find unpleasant green or gray growth. You can see some types of fungal organism in the photo.

Several main reasons driving growth:

freezing;
cracked bark;
dense unventilated crown.

If you do not carry out timely treatment, the shoots will spread under the layer, and weak, infected branches will soon dry out.

Copper sulfate treatment

Copper sulfate has proven itself to be excellent in the fight against lichens. Before processing, be sure to arm yourself with a tin scraper and thoroughly scrape off all the growth, being careful not to damage healthy tissue. At the same time, the old bark will be removed, giving the tree a well-groomed and neat appearance. First cover the ground around the trunk with polyethylene, and after processing, burn everything immediately.

If the lichens are not completely removed, they should fall off on their own after a few days. All that remains is to carry out a control check and remove the residues, of which there will be very few.

I would like to warn you that it is strictly not recommended to carry out treatment in summer or winter. You can damage the wood with a scraper or solutions, which will have a very detrimental effect on the harvest. When the damage is severe, even a tree weakened by fungal organisms will die.

Soap solution

The garden is young, there are very few lichens, so you can get rid of them with a simple solution you prepare yourself. You will need:

kilogram package of salt;
a couple of bars of dark laundry soap (the blacker the better);
4 liter cans of wood ash.

Grate the soap or cut it into small shavings, mix with other ingredients and pour into a bucket hot water. Place the soap mixture on the fire and boil for several minutes. Apply the cooled solution generously to the wood. Treatment can be carried out every week until the fungal organisms disappear completely.

Completing processing

Already know how to deal with unpleasant looking growth, now I’ll tell you what to do to prevent it reappearance. Only whitewashing will help here. I usually use lime; this method of protecting my favorite trees has never failed me.

For a bucket of water you will need 2 kg (or a little more) of lime. When preparing the solution, do not stand close, because the splashes can burn your hands or even your face. Try to carry out work wearing protective clothing and gloves. Apply a thick layer of the white mixture to each tree, at least a meter high. You can bleach the trunks several times a year; it successfully prevents the appearance of lichens.

If you don’t want to make life difficult for yourself, buy it in the store ready mixture for whitewashing garden trees. I tried using this solution, but I just added a little clay to it, so liquid mixture It stays on the trunks better and does not fall off.

Preventative work

The main condition that guarantees the complete absence of growth is regular pruning. You may notice that the crowns are too thick, the sun's rays and fresh air they have difficulty breaking through them, gray unpleasant growth is certainly present on all trunks without exception.

Ruthlessly prune excess branches, paying special attention to old ones or those that are intertwined in the crowns. If you periodically walk around the garden and remove everything unnecessary, you can be sure that lichens will not appear there.

Treating the garden with lime milk will help prevent the appearance of fungal organisms. Of course, this only applies to cases where the trees are short. It’s easy to prepare the mixture – dissolve it in a bucket cold water a kilogram pack of lime. Prepare for the fact that you will have to go to the garden after every rain, otherwise your work will go down the drain.

I think you already know that fighting lichens is not entirely easy, but if you get to work energetically, then soon the garden will be clean and healthy, delighting you with a harvest every year. Be sure to watch this useful video, it will certainly help you cope with unsightly and dangerous growth for trees. See you soon, dear friends!

Sometimes various growths may appear on fruit trees, which usually look like crusts or rosettes, and in some cases they can be something resembling bushes. The colors of such growths are very diverse, but they differ from the bark of the trees themselves. And if experienced gardener can easily determine what it is and what measures need to be taken to save the trees, then a beginner sometimes does not attach importance to this, dooming his garden to slow death. But in order to begin the fight against the growths that have appeared, you first need to understand what they are; in fact, they may include:

to mosses;
to lichens.

Moss and lichens, settling on the bark of fruit trees, can cause serious harm, since in addition to reducing the yield, they also lead to the premature death of the tree. In addition, pests or even spores of various harmful fungi often settle under such growths. Due to the fact that part of the bark is covered with lichens or moss, the tree can no longer breathe fully, which also negatively affects its condition and various diseases can occur.

Moss

Sometimes gardeners deliberately plant moss to decorate stones in the garden or other areas, but this is done solely for decorative purposes. However, when moss begins to settle on fruit trees, then it is necessary to urgently take action. Mosses have a certain advantage in nutrition, namely the absence of roots, the role of which is played by thread-like processes that absorb water. Varieties of these plants exist exclusively in damp and shady areas, so if your garden is constantly damp and has a lot of shade, then there is a chance that moss will appear in it.

In order for moss to begin its reproduction, frequent fogs, prolonged rains or regular and abundant watering of the garden are sufficient. Mosses cover various surfaces very quickly due to the fact that their spores are dispersed over long distances. If you notice the appearance of an unwanted growth high on a tree, this does not mean that within a short period of time the lawn and other plants will not be infected. Whichever plant is affected by moss will quickly die, since it will no longer receive enough light, and it will also not be able to absorb required quantity moisture.

Lichens

At first glance, lichens and mosses are not so different from mosses, but this is not so, since algae and even plants coexist in them together with fungi. The lichen itself consists of fungal filaments protruding in the form of roots that help to gain a foothold on various surfaces. The algae are placed as shoots between the mushroom filaments, which helps them create an organic cover of different green shades, the role of which is to retain moisture within themselves. Lichens become most noticeable early spring, they feed with the help of rain and even drops, after which their color becomes more bright colors, which makes them stand out against the dark bark.

Lichens are not at all afraid of drought, even in the complete absence of moisture, having thoroughly dried and crumbled, they remain alive. They will only need one watering, fog or light rain to continue their life activities. The only thing that can prevent their growth and reproduction is the lack of photosynthesis, which stops without sunlight. Because of the very slow growth It is difficult for lichens to attach to a young and fast-growing fruit tree, but they can attach quite easily to an older or weakened tree, the growth of which is greatly slowed down.

Large quantity lichens on fruit trees can signal that they are old, diseased, or heavily infested with pests. Such a tree must either be cured, first freed from growths, or destroyed. There is an opinion that lichens living on the bark of trees lead a completely independent lifestyle, but even if their nutrition occurs separately from the tree, they still interfere with its full functioning.

Causes and conditions for the appearance of moss and lichens on fruit trees

There is a misconception that only older trees are predisposed to developing lichens and mosses. In fact, such growths can form on fruit trees if their defenses are weakened, but most often this occurs due to an unfavorable environment. At the same time, we are unable to influence some of the factors, but sometimes it is our actions that can lead to the appearance of such unwanted growths.
The main reasons for the appearance of lichens and mosses on trees:

cracked bark;
frozen bark;
very dense crown (excessive shadow is created and adequate ventilation is not provided);
excessive watering.

Prevention of the appearance of moss and lichens on fruit trees

It is not necessary to wait for unwanted growths to appear; to avoid this, you can whitewash the skeletal branches, and do not forget about the trunks of your trees. This should be done regularly in the spring, as well as in the fall in dry weather when the air temperature is above two degrees Celsius, having previously treated all damage to the tree using a garden varnish. Whitewashing will protect your trees not only from the appearance of moss and lichens, but also from many insects, especially in the spring, when they show the greatest interest in the succulent bark.

A solution of one hundred and fifty grams is suitable for whitewashing. copper sulfate, three kilograms of quicklime and ten liters of water. You can also purchase "Skor" - a preventive antifungal drug. But it is better not to treat young tree trunks, on which the bark is still smooth, with such whitewash. Prevention is also recommended to be done with copper sulfate, which is diluted for pears and apple trees in the proportion: one part of vitriol to twenty parts of water. If you plan to process cherries or plums, then you need to take thirty parts of water to one part of copper sulfate.

If your fruit trees are nevertheless infected with moss or lichen, do not waste your time and start fighting them using a method convenient for you, for example:

chemical;
mechanical;
thinning pruning.

Chemical method of control

If you decide to fight with chemical method, you need to prepare a special decoction for this, which will also help get rid of ticks. Dissolve six hundred grams of slaked lime in five hundred milliliters of boiling water and put this mixture on low heat, then stir it all the time. Then add four hundred grams of sulfur and add another one and a half liters of water, close the lid and boil for a quarter of an hour. When the broth has cooled to approximately thirty-seven degrees, it can be poured into a container for storage. plastic container or in glass. Before spraying the trees, you need to dilute one hundred milliliters of this decoction in five liters of water.

Once the decoction is diluted, it is not stored for a long time, and it is worth remembering that such a mixture is dangerous not only for lichens, mites and mosses, but also for people. Therefore, when pouring this mixture, be sure to use safety glasses and do not forget to wear gloves, and when sealing a container intended for storage, pour a little machine oil along its wall, which will prevent the broth from oxidizing.

Mechanical way of fighting

This method of combating unwanted growths is best done with young trees whose bark is still smooth. Using a wooden scraper, it is necessary to completely remove growths of moss or lichen from the surface of the trees; a regular nylon brush is also perfect for this. This method will not only clean the bark, but will also help the tree rejuvenate and increase its productivity. But after such cleaning, it is best to also spray the branches of the tree, as well as its trunk, with a solution of five percent iron sulfate mixed with fifty liters of water.

It is very important that there are no particles of unwanted plants left under the tree, as they will be able to continue their life activity there. Therefore, after mechanical cleaning, it is necessary to carefully remove any remaining growths and even fallen leaves.

Thinning pruning

For various types garden inhabitants, the timing of pruning may vary, so it is worth looking for information specifically on those trees that you are going to thin out in order to protect them and eliminate moss and lichens.

Any gardener wants his apple harvest to consist of beautiful, plump fruits. But for this, trees need to be carefully looked after and protected from diseases.

SCAB

One of the most common and unpleasant diseases The disease that apple trees are susceptible to is scab. It is caused by pathogenic fungi. Under the influence of fungi, spots and warty growths appear on fruits and leaves, and the bark begins to peel off. The apples become smaller and are poorly preserved after picking, and the tree itself loses its immunity to cold and tolerates winter worse.

First of all, the cause of scab is increased humidity, which is especially noticeable in the number of affected apple trees in rainy summers. For this reason, it is advisable to choose immune varieties for planting (Orlovskoye Polesie, Kandil Orlovsky, Solnyshko, Rozhdestvenskoye, etc.). It is best to plant on a hill, where the water will not stagnate.

Don’t forget to trim damaged, rotting branches and dry crowns in a timely manner - by doing this you will deprive pathogenic fungi of fertile soil for reproduction. Do not be lazy and carefully collect fallen leaves around infected trunks; the causative agent of the disease is frost-resistant and will easily overwinter in the foliage. The same applies to dead fruits. They should be collected and the soil dug up. Try to resort to chemistry only in extreme cases, when you cannot cope with scab using conventional methods. This is done in early spring.

Apple trees are sprayed with a 3 percent solution (for mild infection, 1 percent is suitable) of copper sulfate (the so-called Bordeaux mixture). Moreover, the last spraying is done at least half a month before picking the apples. Before the buds begin to bloom, you can treat the trees and soil with iron sulfate (also a 3 percent solution). Another option is to spray the trees with a lime-sulfur decoction the day before harvesting apples.

LICHENS

The wood of apple trees is quite fragile and often the trunk literally breaks into two parts. For treatment, we carefully sew the affected parts of the trunk together with iron staples, coat the gap with clay mixed with mullein, or simply fill it with garden pitch. We tie this place with canvas and leave it for a year. Every three years, add natural organic matter to the soil to feed apple trees - manure, compost, humus, wood ash. To protect against codling moths and other pests, plant tansy under the trees - they do not tolerate it.

Lichens are a symbiosis of a fungus and a plant, which means that from above the bark we see the tip of the iceberg, that is fruiting body, and the root (mycelium) is deep in the bark. This means that by cleaning the lichen on top, you will only get rid of it for a while. You can treat it with systemic fungicides, but the tree will still become infected after some time. You need to know why your garden is affected. There are three main reasons: excessively wet soil, acidic soil, lack of sunlight, only by solving these problems will you protect your garden!

Remember: Whitewashing trees prevents the proliferation of lichens. And the most optimal method of combating lichens is to spray the trees with iron sulfate.

“On the eve of winter, when the leaves fell off the trees, lichens became especially noticeable on the trunks and skeletal branches of fruit trees and shrubs.

On some trees, up to 80% of the surface of the trunks and skeletal branches is covered with these plants, and on currant and gooseberry bushes you can sometimes see branches completely covered with them. Many gardeners wonder: aren’t lichens harmful to trees and shrubs? We asked candidate of agricultural sciences Alexander Gorny to answer them.

“Observations have shown that young trees and shrubs, which under favorable growth conditions produce strong annual growth, are not “allowed into their territory” uninvited guest. I noticed that as soon as the currant and gooseberry bushes, as well as young trees, are in unfavorable conditions growth, they immediately become objects of colonization by lichens. Please note: most lichens accumulate on currant or gooseberry branches, which for some reason have ceased to produce strong annual growth. Therefore, when pruning is carried out, it is first recommended to cut out branches completely covered with lichens, as they become unproductive. But on fruit trees you cannot cut out the main skeletal branches - this is the skeleton of the tree.

I have not come across information in the literature about the damage caused by lichens to fruit trees. But a visual examination of the bark showed that in places where lichens are attached to the branch, it still differs from the bark not inhabited by them. A slightly different color, the bark seems to be denser...

It has been experimentally established that lichen acids have an inhibitory effect on growth higher plants, delay seed germination and seedling development herbaceous plants and tree species. Lichens become a haven for plant pests. In this regard, it is desirable that they are not present on fruit trees.

Experts recommend scraping off lichens with a wooden scraper after leaf fall. You cannot use metal scrapers and brushes, otherwise you will render a service to black or bacterial cancer, which quickly penetrates the damaged tissue. Many gardeners have noticed that whitewashing trees prevents the spread of lichens.

For whitewashing, take 2-3 kg of lime, 1 kg of clay, a little mullein per 10 liters of water and add 100 g of copper sulfate or table salt. Whitewashing of infested trees should be done on the eve of winter. For young trees this operation is unnecessary. The best option in the fight against lichens on fruit and shrub plants is spraying with a solution of iron sulfate (300 - 500 g per 10 liters of water) in the spring in the phase of dormant buds. And good news for gardeners who are faced with the abundant appearance of lichens. They are an indicator of air purity; they settle where it is rich in oxygen and contains a minimum amount of harmful substances.”

(From the newspaper "7 days")

Greetings, dear readers!

An abundant harvest of juicy and large fruits can only be produced healthy trees. Take a close look at the condition of the bark of all the inhabitants of your garden, because all the signs of trouble appear on the “skin” of the trees. Trunks and skeletal branches covered with lichens and/or moss often become sick and dry out.

Based on the above, it becomes clear that the fight against lichens and moss on fruit trees will help improve the health of the entire garden, creating favorable conditions for vegetation and abundant fruiting.

Using the selected tool, carefully clean off the growths, having previously spread polyethylene or pieces of burlap under the tree. Collected plant residues must be disposed of by. If it is not possible to light a fire, they are taken outside the site and buried to a depth of at least half a meter.

After the trunks and branches are clean, they must be treated with a fungicidal solution. A 2.5% solution of iron sulfate (0.25 kg per standard bucket of water) has proven itself well, which will help in the fight against lichens and protect against diseases. The drug is effective against powdery mildew, fruit rot, scab, etc.

After spraying the bark of trees with a fungicidal composition, do not forget to spill it on the soil under the crown of trees and in the circles around the tree trunks.

It should be taken into account that pathogenic microorganisms are present in leaf litter. That's why experienced summer residents it is always burned or taken away from the garden. Never leave leaves and other plant debris uncollected on the site, as they are a breeding ground for diseases and a haven for dangerous insects wintering there.

Whitewash against lichens

Another option for treating trees to remove lichens is with an ash-soap solution of slaked lime. To prepare it, you need to dilute 1.5 kg of slaked lime, 20 grams of liquid or laundry soap and 1/2 kg of sifted vegetable ash, cover the container with a lid and let it brew for 74-96 hours.

Effective control of lichens and moss on fruit trees will ensure good harvest in the garden every season! See you again!

To begin with, let’s straight away put the dots in place. Such “terrible” lichens on the bark of apple trees are nothing more than symbiosis blue-green algae with ordinary mushrooms: algae synthesize organic matter to feed the mushrooms, and the mushrooms collect moisture and salts from environment for algae.

These mushrooms have no roots - " drink sap from the tree"They can't, contrary to popular belief. It has even been established that lichen acids destroy other fungi that destroy wood.

Insufficient pruning of branches disrupts the natural processes ventilation crowns, the tree is overgrown various types lichens.

Species

First, a greenish coating appears on the shadow side of the trunk. This wet bark apple trees are slowly colonized by unicellular algae.

What is important for them is the absence of direct sun rays and the presence of water - they get everything else from the air.

After the algae comes the turn of mushrooms. Their microscopic disputes float in the air in incredible quantities, maintaining viability for years - just waiting suitable conditions for germination.

It is necessary not only to remove all branches damaged during the winter, but to thin out the crowns of apple trees as much as possible. This will not only improve the regime illumination each branch, but will also provide good ventilation crowns

Air stagnation provokes increased humidity — optimal condition development of all fungal diseases and mosses.

The second most important garden treatment— early spring 3% Bordeaux mixture or the same concentration solution iron sulfate.

It is carried out until the buds open naked branches for the prevention of fungal viral diseases garden (and others, even cancer).

At the same time, development is suppressed microflora V surface layers bark - single-celled algae that feed lichens.

The lichens themselves, if they have grown too much, must first be carefully cleaned, the treated area rinse caustic soda solution (100 grams per bucket of water).

Lichen on an apple tree - how to get rid of it?

In case of significant damage, when there is lichen on the apple tree, treatment should begin with it mechanical removal- clean with a wooden scraper. The easiest way to do this is in the spring, while they are still saturated with moisture after winter.

Moss and lichens on fruit trees.

Advice! Before cleaning trunks and branches under a tree, you must spread out tarpaulin or film, then to collect all the cleaning and burn it.

It is very important to clean the trunk and branches carefully so as not to damage. In addition to the lichens themselves, all of its inhabitants will be present in the garbage:

Insect pests;
Bacterial infections;
Spores of pathogenic fungi;
Viruses.

After such cleaning it is necessary disinfect bark with 3-5% vitriol solution, for apple trees it is better than iron.

If there is on the bark deep cracks , they need to be covered with at least the clay itself (preferably, take clay in half with manure).

What to spray with?

The easiest way to prevent and treat your garden from these uninvited guests - spraying with disinfectant compounds:

Before the buds open, treat the affected trunks with a 7-10% solution of ferrous sulfate. Lichens will disappear within a week;
For minor infestation, spray with lime milk(stir 1 kg of lime in 10 liters of water);
Prepare a mixture (for 10 liters of hot water - 1 kg of salt, 2 kg of ash, 2 pieces of ordinary laundry soap) and coat tree trunks;
For particularly resistant forms of lichens, antifungal agents will have to be applied before buds bloom on apple trees. special drug“Skor” according to instructions.

Folk remedies

Mechanical cleaning of mosses and fungi is well supported by the use of a very effective folk remedy from inexpensive and accessible components.

Treatment with this composition will not affect the quality apples

To prepare you will need:

Slaked lime - 600 grams;
Powdered sulfur - 400 grams.

Slaked lime is mixed with 0.5 liters of boiling water and placed on low heat. Stirring gently, add a solution of sulfur in 1.5 liters of water. With constant stirring, cook for ¼ hour until the product acquires a red tint.

This concentrated Before use, the solution is diluted with water 1:50 (per 5 liters - 100 ml of product).

In diluted form it not stored- oxidizes in air.

For long-term storage, the product is poured into hermetically sealed dishes To prevent air from entering, machine oil is poured on top. The product “burns out” mosses and lichens in 2-3 days.

Attention! Decoction poisonous, it must be used with gloves and safety glasses.

Protection and prevention measures

The basic rule to remember: dry Fungi and mosses do not live on intact bark.

Therefore, the main protective measures are aimed at maintaining a healthy state of external covers apple tree branches and trunk:

Timely processing garden from various diseases;
Rational balanced feeding fruiting apple trees;
Trimmings garden;
boles to prevent frost and sunburn.

Correct composition of whitewash: whitewash, in addition to lime (3 kg), should contain copper sulfate (150 g) per bucket of water.

Such whitewashing must be carried out autumn and spring, combining it in time with pruning the garden. After pruning, apple trees become overgrown with young branches on which lichens do not grow.

Whitewashing an apple tree.

When viewing the garden, pay attention special attention to areas where the area defeats increases with lichens.

Surely these trees have problems that need to be sorted out first. The appearance of these colorful growths is just a symptom of the disease processes in the garden.

Important! Remember that these mushrooms themselves are completely harmless.

What do readers want to know?

About treating apple trees for lichen

Application of theory in practice is impossible without additional questions that do not arise immediately. Every time he presents surprise in the form of new guests.

When?

There are no specific deadlines for such processing.

It is carried out as needed.

Usually the treatment is combined with garden pruning and preparation for winter or spring season.

You don't want moss to appear on your apple tree? What to do for prevention during processing, read on.

How?

To prevent the appearance of lichens and other fungal diseases of the garden early spring Before the buds open, spray with 3% Bordeaux mixture.

This necessary measure to maintain the health of the garden. There is no way to delay its implementation, much less neglect it. Speech it's already underway not about loss harvest, but the entire garden.

What to treat in the fall?

Autumn treatment separately for mosses and lichens is impractical.

Just after autumn pruning In the garden, it is necessary to clean up everything that has grown, and whitewash the trunks for the winter. In the lime solution you need to add 100g of copper or iron sulfate per bucket of water.

If the defeat is severe

Significant infestation of a tree indicates, first of all, that the tree is severely depressed or or root system reached the groundwater level.

To begin with, you should carefully scrape the lichens onto the film spread under the tree with a wooden scraper (so that after cleaning burn- they live in them).

The peeled bark should be treated with a 3-5% solution of vitriol (copper is also possible, but iron is better). Don't forget when pruning put away shading branches on this tree.

Attention! High-quality sanitary pruning of the garden is the key to it health. Lichens appear only on weakened trees.

Apple trees are covered with lichen and are drying up

Lichen on an apple tree.

It is not lichens that cause apple trees to dry out; they are not the cause, but consequence:

The bark of apple trees is peeled, perhaps the reason for the appearance will become clear - defeat.
In this case, the nude will be visibleblackened wood.
Everything should be cut down to healthy wood, without waiting for autumn.
Be sure to burn the cuttings.

In addition, additional feeding iron.

Moss on the trunk of an apple tree, how to get rid of it with a solution

The easiest way is to prepare a solution:

100 g soda ash,
100 g of iron sulfate,
10 liters of water.

Apply it with a brush to the affected areas. In a week the moss will dry out will crumble.

Whitewashing apple trees in autumn

Before autumn whitewashing, you must first clean the bark if there is lichen on the bark of the apple tree.

In addition to lime (2-3 kg per bucket of water), it is necessary to add 100-150 g of copper sulfate or kitchen salt.

The solution will stay on the bark all winter if you add 1-2 glasses of low-fat milk - this is the advice given by experienced gardeners.

Advice! Up to 5 years of age whitewash There is no need for trees in winter.

Soda Ash

Gardeners' advice: if there is lichen on an apple tree, to combat it, use washing the bark with a solution of soda ash.

Add half a glass of soda to a bucket of water, apply brush, abundantly wetting the surface of the lichens. In a week they will dry out and fall off.

Treatment with vitriol

Protection apple tree from fungal diseases.

To prevent the appearance of lichens and other fungi, it is necessary to spray with a 3% solution of iron or copper sulfate in the spring before the buds open. These drugs do not accumulate in the apple tree and harmless for a person. In a week the moss will fall off on its own.

Urea

To suppress the development of any fungi, use a urea solution ( matchbox per 10 liters of water) process tree trunk circles after scrape off lichens with a wooden scraper.

This treatment is also a good scab prevention.