Joe DiDomenico asked "Any suggestions on how to preserve an orchid flower? I've heard alcohol but I'm unsure of the specifics."
Joe, this is a very straightforward procedure. Place the flower in a widemouth jar that is slightly larger than the flower. The jar needs a good, airtight lid on it. The jar can be either glass or plastic; glass jars last longer, but plastic ones don't break if they get bashed. Cover the flower with one of the following mixtures: a) 50-60% alcohol, 40-50 % water. This is the basic preserving mix; easy to make, nothing that will raise lumps on your skin. If you live in a warm climate, use 60% alcohol. 50% alcohol is OK for temperate climates. b) 50-55% alcohol, 40-45% water, 5% glycerol. This is a variation on Recipe A; adding glycerol helps preserve fine structures such as hairs. c) 50% alcohol, 40% water, 5% glycerol, 5% Formalin. This is known as Kew Mixture. The formalin helps preserve colours (to a limited extent) but you don't want to get it on your hands, so wear gloves. Recipes A and B will completely dissolve any pigments in the flowers, so you end up with a colourless preserved specimen. Recipe C dissolves some pigments completely, and others partially. As long as the lid is airtight, any one of these recipes will easily preserve flowers for a decade without any further action on your part. Every 10 years or so you should change the preservative because the alcohol slowly disappears, even from an air-tight jar. Plastic bottles and lids may need to be changed every 10 years or so; the plastic becomes brittle and loses its integrity. Don't forget to label the jar on the outside, and put a label inside the jar with the specimen. Pencil on card is best; avoid using pen because the inks will dissolve. Cheers, Peter O'Byrne _______________________________________________ the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD) [email protected] http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
