wrapped pot

[Midwestnoob]

So I have a couple of cracked terracotta pots and some large plastic pots that have also cracked. I was thinking about wrapping them with sisal twine or rope and I wanted to find out how they held up outdoor in the rain. Has a body had good or bad experience with this craft once left outdoors?

 

[MaryMary]

Hmm... I've never done this craft, but twine and rope will eventually deteriorate. It it were me, I'd get some kind of clear, waterproof silicone for plumbing. I'd patch the cracks with it first, to avoid leaking. Then use it as the glue to seal the rope or twine to the pot.

It would be kind of pretty, though. I wonder if you can dye sisal twine? Color coordinate it with things already in the yard...

 

[Beverly]

Oh i think sisal would dye nicely, but if you have a lot of rain or even some rain it will also become moldy and dark. I'm not thinking of a good alternative, but i'll work on it

 

[MaryMary]

Oh i think sisal would dye nicely, but if you have a lot of rain or even some rain it will also become moldy and dark. I'm not thinking of a good alternative, but i'll work on it

Do you think it would work to paint or spray the sisal with polyurethane after it was dyed? Or maybe marine varnish?

The more I think about it, the more this project appeals to me. You could dye the twine in different colors and make it patterned.

 

[Beverly]

@MaryMary if you paint the sisal, you wouldn't have to dye it. Where i live painted things have a tendency to chip and peel and crack. You could coat it with some kind of varnish after you dyed it which might keep the dye from fading in the sun, but then the varnish might chip and peel and crack on that surface when exposed to the elements. I have an organic garden and personally the thought of using these toxic items on containers is not appealing but that doesn't mean you couldn't make something very attractive happen with them

 

[MaryMary]

@Beverly, I meant to paint it with clear polyurethane after you dyed it... to keep the moisture out, and avoid it getting moldy. I don't think I'd like to paint it, because that would cover the natural look of the sisal. Might as well use plastic clothesline rope!!

I'm trying to keep my garden as organic as possible, and I could see the toxins being absorbed into the terracotta.

I'm coming up empty on how to resist mold.

 

[Beverly]

Hi @MaryMary I agree that the look of sisal can be pleasing in a garden setting. I have woven some around the outside edge of the birdbath so the birds will have a good foot hold on a space that is naturally slippery and it works great, but it also gets moldy. I have also used it for vines to climb on.

If i had a terracotta pot that was broken or cracked, i would go buy some terracotta mud and try to patch it. The thing is i grow butterflies in my garden, or provide a caterpillar friendly garden which amounts to the same thing. When the pillars are looking for a place to pupate, they frequently travel up and down various containers, and sisal is somewhat rough on their little undersides. So i am just suggesting that there are people on the forums who you could bounce ideas off and give you the benefit of their experience by providing great ideas. I know there are some really good ideas and people here for you to talk to on the subject, but i am not one of them. Don't give up. I think they probably post in "garden projects" forum. Also you can do a search (upper right corner) re decorating containers, or repairing containers, something like that. Or start a new thread "decorating containers", "decorating containers using sisal", repairing old containers, etc and i promise you will find more fun people to talk about these things than me. When i look at my garden, i see it from a caterpillar's point of view so that makes me sort of useless for this conversation

 

[Midwestnoob]

I found some water resistant sisal twine that is coated. It says it's used for outdoor use like tying tomato plants to posts and such. The only down side is that it's so incredibly thin it's not wrapping around the pot like I wanted. Back to the hardware store to spend more money. Haha

 

[Dinu]

For terracota pots, you can use wire to tie and hold the pieces together. For plastic pots, why not dry and clean the outer surface well and wind duct tape? And paint if needed.