Pyracantha Hedge

Thanks, Will and Faisal. I guess what I was asking was if you knew about the permanence of deadwood on Pyracantha. Some species tend to be more prone to rot than others (as you know) and efforts to preserve the deadwood on these species is ultimately in vain regardless of whatever is done. I'm hoping that Pyracantha isn't one of these species...

The carving you did on Faisal's tree is bomb, Will. As to your question about the term "punky", its a word used (at least here in the U.S.) to describe wood that is at that semi-rotten phase where the texture is soft and "airy".

Here's a picture of my Pyracantha. The entire main trunk of the tree is dead. There are live veins on either sides. I chopped back these shoots when I collected it and it has responded by backbudding all over these and suckering at the base.

Hello again Misfit. The permanance of any wood is difficult and moreso with deciduous species. The harder and tighter grained the better but a mixture of extremes in weather will take its toll. I have an Elm I carved about 12 years ago and without any preservative intervention, I'm sure it would no longer exist. I have treated this tree a couple of times a year with a spirit based resin wood hardener but its not good enough and in that time and it is slowly deteriorating. I am experimenting with oils to see if that works.
Your Pyracantha looks very promising and thanks for the explanation of Punky

If you are looking to preserve punky/spalted wood (wood that has been partially decomposed by fungus) then the best product I have found in the USA is by the two part resin by the RotDoctor. This is the deepest penetrating resin I have ever seen. However it is so deeply penetrating into wood that it can also affect the xylem and possibly the cambium. It penetrates the dead wood and when dries builds a "plastic" structure within the wood. Good for jins and dead sections - I'm not too convinced how safe it is for shari next to live xylem and cambium. Be careful but it is very effective for preserving dead wood exposed to wet dry cycles. Make sure if you use it you thoroughly follow the safety precautions - it's very strong and serious stuff. The chemicals that allow it to penetrate dead wood allow it to penetrate human tissue too.

Here's their web page. Good luck


http://www.rotdoctor.com/

Thanks for all of your help, Will and Rob. I picked up some Minwax Wood Hardener the other day and am going to try it out. It was recommended by another member of this site.

Now if you'd just come out to California and carve my tree for me

Cory