Is this a right latex paint for my tree trunk?

General Fruit Growing
#1

Hello,
I just buy a can of paint for the jujube tree bark peeling. Do you think this is the right paint for the work?

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The sales person showed me the paint inside is white color.

Thanks,
Robert

#2

The most recent trunk painting last month, I used new interior paint with no primer and a flat finish.

3-4 years ago, I used interior leftover paint. It was 7-8 years old interior latex paint with “ satin finish”. No issue at all.

#3

This was what I used this time. People have used whatever old interior paint they have around as long as it is water-based latex.

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#4

I was just at a Paw Paw conference and they talked about this. You don’t even have to use white, just a light colored interior paint (diluted 50/50 with water). Did you look in their clearance section? I always look there first when buying paint, 9 times out of 10 they have something that I can use at a fraction of the regular cost.

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#5

I just see a YouTube video talking about the poisonous of paint on whitewash tree trunks. On the paint label, it does have the warning as shown in the picture.

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Will the fruit be polluted from the paint?

Thanks for your replies.

#6

Well, Blake from Peaceful Heritage Nursery was actually the one speaking on it mainly at the Paw Paw conference. They paint all of the trunks of their trees (or are moving in that direction). His farm is certified organic and he didn’t seem to think that it would be an issue.

#7

Best Non-Toxic Paints

  1. Benjamin Moore Aura. …
  2. Sherwin-Williams Harmony Zero VOC Interior Acrylic Latex Paint. …
  3. Clare Paint. …
  4. Green Planet Paints. …
  5. Homestead House Paint Company. …
  6. Valspar Simplicity. …
  7. BACKDROP. …
  8. Old Fashioned Milk Paint Company.
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#8

I can understand your concern. Almost anything can cause cancer these days. CA has very strict laws.

You can search here for “tree trunk painting” or search other sources for more info. Tree trunk painting a common practice esp. if trees in your area could get southwest injury.

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#9

Flat is much preferred to gloss or semi gloss or any gloss for painting trunks. I always use flat. There’s another discussion thread on this but the glossy paints contain stuff you don’t want, forget the specifics.

#10

Paint is roughly comprised of 3 major ingredients.

1 the pigment. This one is almost always inert, and thus of no concern to us. For whithe paint usualy lime or titanium dioxide

2 the solvant. Most paints dry by evaporating solvant and harden when the solvant is evaporated.
You have many different solvants. But usualy we specify water based for water solvant. Or non water based for somthing else.

In our case we want water based. Since we’r sure water does not harm tree’s.

Other non water solvants might also be fine on tree’s. But it’s hard to know for sure. And it can differ between brands or types of paints. So as far as i know there is no easy rule for non water based paint plant safety.

3 The binder, see this as the glue, that makes the paint stick. But also the component that makes it hard/wear and water resistant. The binder is usualy also responsible for the gloss. So more binder or specific types of binders give you more gloss. And usualy everything else being equal : more binder = more gloss = more water/wheater resistant.

Typicaly different binders are used for water and non water based paints.

There are many different binders, so it’s hard to judge wich one is tree safe and which one is not. However since this is the most likely component to do harm for water based paints. Less is better imo.

The really cheap interior “latex” paint usualy contains water, and mostly lime. Lime acts like both a low grade binder and as a whithe pigment. And lime is relativly tree safe.
So this would be my prefured pick.

The paint you picked, It’s hard to see from the picture. But is it water based??

It has somthing called scrub shield. And mentions, everyday washable.
This leads me to belive that even if it is water based. It has added binders. Of which we are not 100% sure what and how much they are, and there tree safety.
So it can be oky. could give some problems. Most likely it’s more expensive than the safer and cheaper water/lime based paint alternative.

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#11

We find the CA label of hazardous on 95% of the products produced entertaining. LOL
I for the life of me cant figure out how those of us outside of CA are still alive. :smile:

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