"Painting" a tree with Olive Oil
Mike Cote
tree that the author "paints" with olive oil to highlight the tree's reddish
bark. Has anyone ever heard of this before? What if any damage does it do
to the tree?
Mike
Colin Lewis
I think painting the bark with anything is a bad idea - and oil will attract
dust and grime. However, burnishing the bark by gently rubbing it with a
SLIGHTLY oily cloth (vegetable oil only) isn't so bad, and it does bring out
the colour.
Colin
Email: colinlew...@btinternet.com
Website: http://www.btinternet.com/~colinlewis.bonsai
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Deb Kennedy
>> In the 1999 3rd issue of Bonsai International the cover story is about a
>> tree that the author "paints" with olive oil to highlight the tree's
reddish
>> bark. Has anyone ever heard of this before? What if any damage does it
do
>> to the tree?
From: Colin Lewis
>I think painting the bark with anything is a bad idea - and oil will
attract
>dust and grime. However, burnishing the bark by gently rubbing it with a
>SLIGHTLY oily cloth (vegetable oil only) isn't so bad, and it does bring
out
>the colour.
Hi, Colin,
Is there a reason to avoid mineral oils more than vegetable oils? I, too,
would imagine more harm than good in either, but I would be more inclined to
avoid the vegetable oils; I'm not sure what pests they might attract, and
some can become pretty rancid. Are there specific problems with the mineral
oils as well?
Sincerely,
Deb K.
Traverse City, MI (zone 5)
deb...@cablemichigan.com
Jim Lewis
> tree that the author "paints" with olive oil to highlight the tree's
reddish
> bark. Has anyone ever heard of this before? What if any damage does it
do
> to the tree?
>
>
Aside from getting a bit sticky as time goes on and the olive oil congeals,
I can't imagine that it causes any harm.
Jim Lewis - jkl...@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL
james stone
>Reply-To: Mike Cote <mike...@EARTHLINK.NET>
>To: BON...@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM
>Subject: "Painting" a tree with Olive Oil
>Date: Fri, 28 Jan 2000 15:33:45 GMT
>
>In the 1999 3rd issue of Bonsai International the cover story is about a
>tree that the author "paints" with olive oil to highlight the tree's
>reddish
>bark. Has anyone ever heard of this before? What if any damage does it do
>to the tree?
>
>
I've heard of using shoe polish to accent the color...
Jim Stone, Galveston, TX
bnsa...@hotmail.com
Stone Bonsai-En
Propogation forum moderator at Totalbonsai.com
______________________________________________________
Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
Kevin Bailey
>In the 1999 3rd issue of Bonsai International the cover story is about a
>tree that the author "paints" with olive oil to highlight the tree's
reddish
>bark. Has anyone ever heard of this before? What if any damage does it do
>to the tree?
Our club chairman claims it killed one of his specimen trees. He seemed to
think that in direct sun it overheated the thinned juniper bark and "fried"
the cambium. Anyone else experienced this?
Kev Bailey ke...@actionvideo.freeserve.co.uk
Web site http://www.actionvideo.freeserve.co.uk/vocbsindex.htm
Saint Asaph, North Wales, UK - Zone 9
Paulo Artur
>>In the 1999 3rd issue of Bonsai International the cover story is about a
>>tree that the author "paints" with olive oil to highlight the tree's
> reddish
>>bark. Has anyone ever heard of this before? What if any damage does it
>>do
>>to the tree?
Kevin reply:
> Our club chairman claims it killed one of his specimen trees. He seemed to
> think that in direct sun it overheated the thinned juniper bark and
> "fried"
> the cambium. Anyone else experienced this?
Olive oil contains salt (cooking salt) that is used to preserv olive fruits
before they are processed... (i love my english :-)
Regards,
--
Paulo Artur dos Santos Baeta
ille nihil dubitat quem nulla scientia dictat
http://www.nola.pt/pasb/index.html
Alan Walker
Anyone want to put it to the scientific rigors of multiple trials, so we can
get reliable data?
Alan Walker, Lake Charles, LA, USA
> >In the 1999 3rd issue of Bonsai International the cover story is about a
> >tree that the author "paints" with olive oil to highlight the tree's reddish
> >bark. Has anyone ever heard of this before? What if any damage does it do
> >to the tree?
>
> Our club chairman claims it killed one of his specimen trees. He seemed to
>
> think that in direct sun it overheated the thinned juniper bark and "fried"
> the cambium. Anyone else experienced this?
> Kev Bailey ke...@actionvideo.freeserve.co.uk
Jim Lewis
in summer. There are any number of species of plants to which the oil does
heat up the leaf (bark???) surface sufficient to cause severe tissue damage.
Jim Lewis - jkl...@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL
> Kevin: This sounds like it has all the makings of another "bonsai myth".
Alan Walker
Bark seems like another matter altogether, although I stand ready to be corrected!
;-)
Alan Walker
> Maybe not. One example: You don't want to use horticultural oil on a maple
> in summer. There are any number of species of plants to which the oil does
> heat up the leaf (bark???) surface sufficient to cause severe tissue damage.
> Jim Lewis - jkl...@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL
>
> > Kevin: This sounds like it has all the makings of another "bonsai myth".
> ;-)
> > Anyone want to put it to the scientific rigors of multiple trials,
> > so we can get reliable data?
> > Alan Walker, Lake Charles, LA, USA
>
> > > >In the 1999 3rd issue of Bonsai International the cover story is about a
> > > >tree that the author "paints" with olive oil to highlight the tree's reddish
> > > >bark. Has anyone ever heard of this before? What if any damage does it do
> > > >to the tree?
>
> > > Our club chairman claims it killed one of his specimen trees. He
> seemed to
> > > think that in direct sun it overheated the thinned juniper bark and "fried"
> > > the cambium. Anyone else experienced this?
> > > Kev Bailey ke...@actionvideo.freeserve.co.uk
********************************************************************************
RickB...@aol.com
bnsa...@HOTMAIL.COM writes:
<< I've heard of using shoe polish to accent the color... >>
I've never seen this in person but it's my understanding that it gives the
tree a rather faked appearance.
Rick Choate <RickB...@aol.com>
S-most, Tx
RickB...@aol.com
category, clog the lenticels?
Derrick Price
> To: BON...@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM
> Subject: Re: "Painting" a tree with Olive Oil
> Date: Saturday, January 29, 2000 10:07 PM
>
> In a message dated 1/29/00 12:19:08 AM Central Standard Time,
> bnsa...@HOTMAIL.COM writes:
>
> << I've heard of using shoe polish to accent the color... >>
>
> I've never seen this in person but it's my understanding that it gives
the
> tree a rather faked appearance.
>
> S-most, Tx
Yeah, like the tree just survived a forest fire...
Derrick
Phoenix
Michael Persiano
mike...@EARTHLINK.NET writes:
<< In the 1999 3rd issue of Bonsai International the cover story is about a
tree that the author "paints" with olive oil to highlight the tree's reddish
bark. Has anyone ever heard of this before? What if any damage does it do
to the tree? >>
Mike:
I have used everything from oil to clear shoe polish. It has never harmed my
trees.
Cordially,
Michael Persiano
members.aol.com/iasnob/index.html
Jim Lewis
> bnsa...@HOTMAIL.COM writes:
>
> << I've heard of using shoe polish to accent the color... >>
>
> I've never seen this in person but it's my understanding that it gives the
> tree a rather faked appearance.
>
>
I have used a *very* light application of a tan or brown wax shoe polish on
deadwood that I have NOT wanted to turn gray. Looks OK. It was water (and
therefore, rot?) repellant.
Jim Lewis - jkl...@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL
********************************************************************************
james stone
>
>Yeah, like the tree just survived a forest fire...
>
>Derrick
>Phoenix
>
Never touch the stuff myself- reserve it for my points (S$%$ kickers, roach
stompers, etc...)
Jim Stone, Galveston, TX
bnsa...@hotmail.com
Stone Bonsai-En
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Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com
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Nina Shishkoff
>>Our club chairman claims it killed one of his specimen trees. He seemed to
>>
>> think that in direct sun it overheated the thinned juniper bark and "fried"
>> the cambium. Anyone else experienced this?
No no no. It didn't "fry" the cambium. It might have smothered the
cambium (if it blocked the lenticels and didn't allow inner bark tissues to
respire). But I doubt it did anything.
Jim said:
>Maybe not. One example: You don't want to use horticultural oil on a maple
>in summer. There are any number of species of plants to which the oil does
>heat up the leaf (bark???) surface sufficient to cause severe tissue damage.
Now hold on. Deep fried foods get "fried" because a coating of oil holds
in water and that water heats up and remains in the food, leaving it all
tender and moist [damn! I'm getting hungry!]. The oil isn't magically
"hotter" than the water, and a leaf coated with oil isn't magically going
to fry. It is, however, going to have its stomates all clogged up and its
cuticle dissolved.
Nina Shishkoff
ns...@Cornell.edu
Riverhead, NY
Jim Lewis
> in water and that water heats up and remains in the food, leaving it all
> tender and moist [damn! I'm getting hungry!]. The oil isn't magically
> "hotter" than the water, and a leaf coated with oil isn't magically going
> to fry. It is, however, going to have its stomates all clogged up and its
> cuticle dissolved.
>
From: Garden Plants and Diseases -- Sunset Pub. 1994 (typos are ALL mine -
jkl)
"Most oils used for horticultural purposes are petroleum based . . .
"Oils have been a standard weapon in the home gardener's arsenal for more
than a century. The original forumulas could only be used on deciduous
plants durig the dormant season; at other times of the year, they'd burn
plants, or even kill them.
"In the past 15 years or so, new refining techniques have made it possible
to produce lighter oils, *some* of which can be used all year. . .
(emphasis added)
"Even summer oils can burn sensitive leaves, so test the spray on a small
area before coating the entire plant. It's best to use these oils when the
outdoor temperature is between 40 degrees and 90 degrees F.
"Just how a summer oil behaves depends on its distillation temperature. The
lower the temperature, the faster the oil evaporates and the less likly it
is to cause plant damage . . ."
I have another reference -- somewhere, I cannot find it now -- that said not
to use oils on many maples. I have learned by sad experience that one
should not use ANY oil on a trident maple.
And Nina, some time in mid summer try this experiment. Stand out in the
midday sun without suntan oil on your skin. Stay there 10 minutes, without
moving. Go back inside, have a beer, cool off. Then slather suntain OIL on
your skin and do the same thing. Tell me under which scenario you were the
most uncomfortable -- i.e. hot. Then go have another beer.
MY theory is that oils, being thicker than water, and stickier (they don't
roll of the leaf and evaporate quickly) absorb the heat and cook the leaf.
Olive oil, BTW, is much more viscous than these petro-based horticultural
oils. I'd guess it would be even hotter.
Jim Lewis - jkl...@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL
********************************************************************************
Nina Shishkoff
>than a century. The original forumulas could only be used on deciduous
>plants durig the dormant season; at other times of the year, they'd burn
>plants, or even kill them.
Plant pathologists use words like "burn" or "scorch" differently than cooks
do- they are referring to the appearance of the leaf, and in this case,
probably the phytotoxicity.
>"Even summer oils can burn sensitive leaves, so test the spray on a small
>area before coating the entire plant. It's best to use these oils when the
>outdoor temperature is between 40 degrees and 90 degrees F.
It's true that oils are more damaging at hotter temperatures, but I think
that has to do with the viscosity of the oil.
>
>
>And Nina, some time in mid summer try this experiment. Stand out in the
>midday sun without suntan oil on your skin. Stay there 10 minutes, without
>moving. Go back inside, have a beer, cool off. Then slather suntain OIL on
>your skin and do the same thing. Tell me under which scenario you were the
>most uncomfortable -- i.e. hot. Then go have another beer.
But JIM! I don't become COOKED. I feel hotter because I can't sweat. The
leaf will feel hotter, too, but not dead-type hot. What happens is that
the oil seeps into the mesophyll (oil, being hydrophobic, can enter
stomates when water cannot), which is not protected by a cuticle. The
mesophyll dies in big swaths, resulting in "burn".
>
>MY theory is that oils, being thicker than water, and stickier (they don't
>roll of the leaf and evaporate quickly) absorb the heat and cook the leaf.
>
>Olive oil, BTW, is much more viscous than these petro-based horticultural
>oils. I'd guess it would be even hotter.
>
>Jim Lewis - jkl...@nettally.com - Tallahassee, FL
>
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>*
>+++++This list is supported, in part, by a contribution from Bill Kovach+++++
>>>-->> The IBC HOME PAGE & FAQ: http://users.nbn.net/~herrfam/index.html
>>><<--<<
>To leave the list, send SIGNOFF BONSAI to: LIST...@HOME.EASE.LSOFT.COM
Nina Shishkoff
ns...@Cornell.edu
Riverhead, NY
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