Mount waterpproof treatment. Ideas please.

[bil]

OK, I was thinking. Branch mounts have a problem, The problem with the finer branch mounts is that they risk rot weakening them. Now, here is a question. Is there anything that I could paint onto a dried branch that would soak in, and form a strong, water proof seal, that would last for a good, long time? Like varnish, but really durable. It would obviously need to be non toxic, and be the sort of surface that roots could adhere to.

I wonder if the sort of varnish they put on seagoing wood boats would do the trick?

Any ideas?

[AnonYMouse]

This is why tree fern and cork are the preferred mounts.

I don't know of a specific coating that would work. I've seen ivy sticking to latex/urethane painted surfaces (and those aren't roots, anyway) but that's about it. Even garden posts and fences don't have roots growing on them.

Live healty branches don't rot! Perhaps you can take up bonsai and mount mini-orchids on them!

[Ray]

Quickly Rotting mounts = poor choice of type of wood.

No coating will solve that and let the plants be happy. Choose a better branch.

[Subrosa]

Look to species of tree with naturally rot resistant wood. I don't know what you have in the way of such trees in Spain, but here cypress, redwood, cedar, and locust are known for excellent rot resistance when used for fencing and other outdoor uses.

[rbarata]

Bil, you're living in an area with cork oak. I'm thinking why don't you use it? Or do you want specifically a tree branch?

[bil]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Bil, you're living in an area with cork oak. I'm thinking why don't you use it? Or do you want specifically a tree branch?

I like the way the branches look. I use orange wood and wild olive, both of which are pretty hard and durable.
Alder is a naturally rot proof wood, but there is none here.

None of them have rotted yet, just bouncing the idea around in case someone had a brilliant insight.

[rbarata]

Although protected here, sometimes people who own cork oaks need to put them down. They need government authorization to do that.
How's in Spain?
Do you think you could get a younger branch?

[Orchid Whisperer]

Originally Posted by bil

I like the way the branches look. I use orange wood and wild olive, both of which are pretty hard and durable.
Alder is a naturally rot proof wood, but there is none here.

None of them have rotted yet, just bouncing the idea around in case someone had a brilliant insight.

Hard and durable does not necessarily equate to rot resistant (for example, oak, generally speaking, is hard, but most species are not rot resistant).

Cedar and cypress have been suggested. Local pines here in the southeast USA have a resinous heart which, when a log rots away, leaves a core, resistant to weathering, that is not resinous on the surface of the core. Sometimes that core appears branch-like, maybe your local pines have a similar core?

[bil]

Originally Posted by rbarata

Although protected here, sometimes people who own cork oaks need to put them down. They need government authorization to do that.
How's in Spain?
Do you think you could get a younger branch?

Cork oaks here are harvested for their bark. Wild olive is more easy to obtain as those are regularly cleaned up for fuel.

---------- Post added at 05:13 PM ---------- Previous post was at 05:12 PM ----------

Originally Posted by Orchid Whisperer

Hard and durable does not necessarily equate to rot resistant (for example, oak, generally speaking, is hard, but most species are not rot resistant).

Cedar and cypress have been suggested. Local pines here in the southeast USA have a resinous heart which, when a log rots away, leaves a core, resistant to weathering, that is not resinous on the surface of the core. Sometimes that core appears branch-like, maybe your local pines have a similar core?

Yeah, rot resistant is a different kettle of fish. The pines here aren't felled or cleaned up, so they are not really available.

[rbarata]

Cork oaks here are harvested for their bark. Wild olive is more easy to obtain as those are regularly cleaned up for fuel.

Same here about both trees but maybe you can find someone who can give you a recently cutted oak branch. It might need some local investigation.