"........in winter the sun side heats up because the bark is dark, the
shaded side doesn't heat up, the differential in heating results in
differential expansion which leads to cracking of the bark. I would rather
whitewash than wrap the trunks. Ingrid........."

Interesting

Top fruit planted against walls (Espalier and cordons) was a very important
part of Victorian gardening in the UK, and I have never come across any
reference advocating painting the trunks.
Could be that we don't have the same strength of sunshine here in the UK.

Also some of the walls were actually heated with a series of cavities
running through them and the heat from fires being drawn through them to
give extra warmth to both protect the trees and to give them an earlier
start.
One idea being that the fruit on the South facing wall was first followed by
the fruit on the West wall then the East wall thus giving a succession of
fresh fruit.
Remember that these were the people who by the early 1800's were growing and
fruiting Pineapples under glass in the UK.

--
David Hill
Abacus nurseries
www.abacus-nurseries.co.uk

the instructions that came with my dwarf fruit trees specifically instructed me to do
this or it would void the guarantee. A young sapling is most susceptible, older
trees less so. http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/h-316.html
"Winter sun scald. Summer sun may can burn the bark of weak trees; however, winter
sun is equally as injurious, even to healthy trees. During warm winter days, the sun
warms the exposed bark of the trunk and main branches on the southwest side. At
night, Temperatures then can fall rapidly below freezing. This alternate cooling and
warming injures the bark tissues. The tree weakens and becomes vulnerable to insects
and diseases. Paint trunks of young trees with exterior white latex paint (not oil
base) to reflect the winter sun. Maintain temporary branches on the lower part of the
trunk to shade the southwest side. Remove temporary branches when higher main
branches extend far enough to shade the trunk in winter. "

many people wrap their trees to prevent sun scald and chewing. If these were planted
in the ground, I like metal screening. I can spray paint thru the screen and spray
pesticides thru the screen if needed. but it doesnt provide a hiding place for bugs
and the white trunk also makes bugs stand out so bugs dont hang around.

you are north of us, but it may also have to do with not getting so damn cold in
winter either. when we get full sun it can be - 25oF ... it is the difference in
temps that causes the splitting. if the wall is soaking up heat then the back side
of the trunk is also warmer. Ingrid


"David Hill" wrote:

"........in winter the sun side heats up because the bark is dark, the
shaded side doesn't heat up, the differential in heating results in
differential expansion which leads to cracking of the bark. I would rather
whitewash than wrap the trunks. Ingrid........."

Interesting

Top fruit planted against walls (Espalier and cordons) was a very important
part of Victorian gardening in the UK, and I have never come across any
reference advocating painting the trunks.
Could be that we don't have the same strength of sunshine here in the UK.

Also some of the walls were actually heated with a series of cavities
running through them and the heat from fires being drawn through them to
give extra warmth to both protect the trees and to give them an earlier
start.
One idea being that the fruit on the South facing wall was first followed by
the fruit on the West wall then the East wall thus giving a succession of
fresh fruit.
Remember that these were the people who by the early 1800's were growing and
fruiting Pineapples under glass in the UK.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

the instructions that came with my dwarf fruit trees specifically instructed me to do
this or it would void the guarantee. A young sapling is most susceptible, older
trees less so. http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/h-316.html
"Winter sun scald. Summer sun may can burn the bark of weak trees; however, winter
sun is equally as injurious, even to healthy trees. During warm winter days, the sun
warms the exposed bark of the trunk and main branches on the southwest side. At
night, Temperatures then can fall rapidly below freezing. This alternate cooling and
warming injures the bark tissues. The tree weakens and becomes vulnerable to insects
and diseases. Paint trunks of young trees with exterior white latex paint (not oil
base) to reflect the winter sun. Maintain temporary branches on the lower part of the
trunk to shade the southwest side. Remove temporary branches when higher main
branches extend far enough to shade the trunk in winter. "

many people wrap their trees to prevent sun scald and chewing. If these were planted
in the ground, I like metal screening. I can spray paint thru the screen and spray
pesticides thru the screen if needed. but it doesnt provide a hiding place for bugs
and the white trunk also makes bugs stand out so bugs dont hang around.

you are north of us, but it may also have to do with not getting so damn cold in
winter either. when we get full sun it can be - 25oF ... it is the difference in
temps that causes the splitting. if the wall is soaking up heat then the back side
of the trunk is also warmer. Ingrid


"David Hill" wrote:

"........in winter the sun side heats up because the bark is dark, the
shaded side doesn't heat up, the differential in heating results in
differential expansion which leads to cracking of the bark. I would rather
whitewash than wrap the trunks. Ingrid........."

Interesting

Top fruit planted against walls (Espalier and cordons) was a very important
part of Victorian gardening in the UK, and I have never come across any
reference advocating painting the trunks.
Could be that we don't have the same strength of sunshine here in the UK.

Also some of the walls were actually heated with a series of cavities
running through them and the heat from fires being drawn through them to
give extra warmth to both protect the trees and to give them an earlier
start.
One idea being that the fruit on the South facing wall was first followed by
the fruit on the West wall then the East wall thus giving a succession of
fresh fruit.
Remember that these were the people who by the early 1800's were growing and
fruiting Pineapples under glass in the UK.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

the instructions that came with my dwarf fruit trees specifically instructed me to do
this or it would void the guarantee. A young sapling is most susceptible, older
trees less so. http://www.cahe.nmsu.edu/pubs/_h/h-316.html
"Winter sun scald. Summer sun may can burn the bark of weak trees; however, winter
sun is equally as injurious, even to healthy trees. During warm winter days, the sun
warms the exposed bark of the trunk and main branches on the southwest side. At
night, Temperatures then can fall rapidly below freezing. This alternate cooling and
warming injures the bark tissues. The tree weakens and becomes vulnerable to insects
and diseases. Paint trunks of young trees with exterior white latex paint (not oil
base) to reflect the winter sun. Maintain temporary branches on the lower part of the
trunk to shade the southwest side. Remove temporary branches when higher main
branches extend far enough to shade the trunk in winter. "

many people wrap their trees to prevent sun scald and chewing. If these were planted
in the ground, I like metal screening. I can spray paint thru the screen and spray
pesticides thru the screen if needed. but it doesnt provide a hiding place for bugs
and the white trunk also makes bugs stand out so bugs dont hang around.

you are north of us, but it may also have to do with not getting so damn cold in
winter either. when we get full sun it can be - 25oF ... it is the difference in
temps that causes the splitting. if the wall is soaking up heat then the back side
of the trunk is also warmer. Ingrid


"David Hill" wrote:

"........in winter the sun side heats up because the bark is dark, the
shaded side doesn't heat up, the differential in heating results in
differential expansion which leads to cracking of the bark. I would rather
whitewash than wrap the trunks. Ingrid........."

Interesting

Top fruit planted against walls (Espalier and cordons) was a very important
part of Victorian gardening in the UK, and I have never come across any
reference advocating painting the trunks.
Could be that we don't have the same strength of sunshine here in the UK.

Also some of the walls were actually heated with a series of cavities
running through them and the heat from fires being drawn through them to
give extra warmth to both protect the trees and to give them an earlier
start.
One idea being that the fruit on the South facing wall was first followed by
the fruit on the West wall then the East wall thus giving a succession of
fresh fruit.
Remember that these were the people who by the early 1800's were growing and
fruiting Pineapples under glass in the UK.



~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
List Manager: Puregold Goldfish List
http://puregold.aquaria.net/
www.drsolo.com
Solve the problem, dont waste energy finding who's to blame
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Unfortunately, I receive no money, gifts, discounts or other
compensation for all the damn work I do, nor for any of the
endorsements or recommendations I make.

"David Hill" expounded:

Top fruit planted against walls (Espalier and cordons) was a very important
part of Victorian gardening in the UK, and I have never come across any
reference advocating painting the trunks.
Could be that we don't have the same strength of sunshine here in the UK.

I think it's more the contrast between the strength of the sun and the
extreme cold temperatures many of us deal with. The rapid warm-up of
a dark trunk on a bright sunny day can cause them to split.

--
Ann, Gardening in zone 6a
Just south of Boston, MA
********************************

On Sun, 1 Feb 2004 07:46:33 -0000, "David Hill"
wrote:

Top fruit planted against walls (Espalier and cordons) was a very important
part of Victorian gardening in the UK, and I have never come across any
reference advocating painting the trunks.
Could be that we don't have the same strength of sunshine here in the UK.

Also some of the walls were actually heated with a series of cavities
running through them and the heat from fires being drawn through them to
give extra warmth to both protect the trees and to give them an earlier
start.
One idea being that the fruit on the South facing wall was first followed by
the fruit on the West wall then the East wall thus giving a succession of
fresh fruit.
Remember that these were the people who by the early 1800's were growing and
fruiting Pineapples under glass in the UK.

I've long wondered about 'The Secret Garden' and references to walled
'kitchen' gardens in the UK which pre-date the Victorian era by 500
yrs or so. Our veg (and flower) patches are in the most open areas we
can find. Full sun! Full sun! With a significantly lower amount of
direct sun, *why* did Brits wall their gardens?

I've long wondered about 'The Secret Garden' and references to walled
'kitchen' gardens in the UK which pre-date the Victorian era by 500
yrs or so. Our veg (and flower) patches are in the most open areas we
can find. Full sun! Full sun! With a significantly lower amount of
direct sun, *why* did Brits wall their gardens?


Maybe to keep out small animals and starving neighbor children?

Laura B.

It is also pleasant to be able to close and lock a
door at the end of the day or even to have sat and relaxed without being
seen when should have been working!!
Best Wishes Brian.

Thank you Brian. I've learned a lot from this thread.

Laura B.

I have lived with walled gardens all of my gardening life. They must be
quite large and have innumerable advantages. Half an acre I would have
thought and walls up to 12' high.The walls are all used to grow plants that
would have needed a better climate than available. The walls act as
reservoirs for heat and this is available to the relatively delicate trees
grown as espaliers and fans against them. These trees would not survive or
fruit without this protection.They are also widely used for lean-to
glasshouses. Even the North facing walls are used for Morello cherries and
quinces. Don't forget that all walls have two sides so that the outside of
the garden is also used.The walls also alter the flow of the wind so that it
is not so destructive.
I would suggest that a well managed walled garden can produce equivalent
to other gardens two or three hundred miles more southerly-- all other
aspects being equal. It is also pleasant to be able to close and lock a
door at the end of the day or even to have sat and relaxed without being
seen when should have been working!!
Best Wishes Brian.
"Thalocean2" wrote in message
...
I've long wondered about 'The Secret Garden' and references to walled
'kitchen' gardens in the UK which pre-date the Victorian era by 500
yrs or so. Our veg (and flower) patches are in the most open areas we
can find. Full sun! Full sun! With a significantly lower amount of
direct sun, *why* did Brits wall their gardens?


Maybe to keep out small animals and starving neighbor children?

Laura B.

"Brian" wrote in message news:...
I have lived with walled gardens all of my gardening life. They must be
quite large and have innumerable advantages. Half an acre I would have
thought and walls up to 12' high.The walls are all used to grow plants
that
would have needed a better climate than available. The walls act as
reservoirs for heat and this is available to the relatively delicate trees
grown as espaliers and fans against them. These trees would not survive or
fruit without this protection.They are also widely used for lean-to
glasshouses. Even the North facing walls are used for Morello cherries and
quinces. Don't forget that all walls have two sides so that the outside of
the garden is also used.The walls also alter the flow of the wind so that
it
is not so destructive.
I would suggest that a well managed walled garden can produce equivalent
to other gardens two or three hundred miles more southerly-- all other
aspects being equal. It is also pleasant to be able to close and lock a
door at the end of the day or even to have sat and relaxed without being
seen when should have been working!!
Best Wishes Brian.
"Thalocean2" wrote in message
...
I've long wondered about 'The Secret Garden' and references to walled
'kitchen' gardens in the UK which pre-date the Victorian era by 500
yrs or so. Our veg (and flower) patches are in the most open areas we
can find. Full sun! Full sun! With a significantly lower amount of
direct sun, *why* did Brits wall their gardens?


Maybe to keep out small animals and starving neighbor children?

Laura B.