I understand that trees painted white helps with against sun scold and winter damage. Also that at some extent helps from rodent damage! that’s the main reasons why folks paint the fruit trees! Is there other reasons why fruit trees needed to be painted? Does the paint helps against borers? Or any other insects? Should all different fruit trees needs to be painted?
Some research showed that it helped protect apples against borers if not too thin.
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Well, if paint will help protect against LOCUSTS, then I may look for a gallon somebody brought back and marked 75% off and try it again after 28 years of not using paint.
Cicadas? It might work if you dip the whole tree 
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No I haven’t! Thank you for pointing out and the link!
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I’m just realizing the potential benefits of painting the trunks. The link was interesting and I think that the paint would have prevented some damage to my tree trunks.
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Bill,
I have read Fedco’s suggestion for several years but have not got around to buy the compound. I have just used latex paint and water. This coming year, I will…
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I painted two trunks today with latex/water and it went on easy. The small 1" brush was a little slow and I will probably start using a long nag roller going forward.
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I paint my pawpaws with thinned white paint to protect from sun injury.
A KSU presentation recently indicated that the old advice to use interior paint was because in bygone days exterior paint had high zinc levels.
According to KSU that is no longer the case and exterior paint is fine.
I have used exterior latex paint for 3 years with no (apparent) I’ll effects.
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Yes a small roller works much better for me (short of spraying).
I found a “touch up” roller kit at Lowe’s with a little tray and everything for $3.50
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The one article by Cornell researchers suggests you can just paint on the latex straight and not deal with mixing, etc. Less complicated
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Yes, there are several methods. Fedco is just one of them. All aim at preventing sun scald damage. Fedco’s method is supposed to also deter apple borers.
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Yes, the Cornell researchers found that straight latex would work for that I guess without mixing in the extra stuff/compund…or something to that effect.
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