MY PHALAENOPSIS MUTATED!!

[Smidthmador]

Do any of you ever try to preserver some special flowers? If so, how?

I don't wanna press these cuz that will smash the column, but the only other thing I know of is hairspray, and I've never tried that. I am in the works of doing a test run though..

[Tropicgirl]

That's pretty cool! I wonder if clear paint would work better than hairspray.

[Smidthmador]

I always thought that the reasoning behind the hairspray was more that the alcohol n chemicals dehydrated the flower and kills the cells (stopping enzymatic breakdown), thus preserving the color and structure.

....Plus I have hairspray, not paint...

[Izzie]

I believe that this fusing is more chance than genetics- as in, an outside influence.

[cneos]

How many of the flowers are deformed? this could be genetic or some environmental / chemical boo-boo. Enjoy the oddity of this bloom but if next year's blooms have problems, I'd say bye-bye to the plant

[cneos]

Use an acrylic aerosol sealer on both sides of the flower. Spray in layers, allowing each layer to dry before appling next coat. What you'll end up with is an almost glass-like flower.

[Melody]

I've preserved leaves with glycerin before and they stayed green. Not sure if it would work on flowers or not.

[Smidthmador]

@Izzie I think that it's just an environmental thing. I was just phantasizing about what it would be like to breed a whole strain of orchs that really are just as much of an abomination as the pun "orch" implies

I don't think that it's chemical because I don't use chems save for Peter's Orchid Food 30-10-10 given when I damn well plz! hehe (In weak doses, at intervals that I don't think will cause root burn, as I spray my orchids with a bottle rather than soak. This way I can give em pretty much as much attention as an overly zealous amateur wants, without actually killing my baby with love. lol)

@cneos
OOO Glass flowers! They don't rot or discolour before they dehydrate? I wish that I had some... But when it comes down to it, that stuff is like a new chid or a case of beer..hehe Hair products... Those I do have a lot of tho! (They were free, I really am THAT cheap! lol)

@Melody

I think that the problem with they glycerin is how delicate the flowers are and how hard it would be to get the stuff on them and it wouldn't provide any support for the fragile leaves so they'd prolly just clump and stick together. Right? ...I don't really know... Why did you preserve a leaf? Were you saving it as a snack for later? hehe


Thank you all for ur input!
...Like the rebellious youth that I am, I end up telling you that ur all wrong, even though I ax'd for help... lolz
I hope that I don't seem rude... I'm a mere stupid youth...

[cneos]

the acrylic aerosol sealer has actually been used by craftspeople that make jewelry from living orchids. Too many years ago, 1993, I picked two dendrobium flowers from which a brouch / pendant and pair of earrings was made (while I watched). The flowers are as lifelike today as when they were then.

[Melody]

I think that the problem with they glycerin is how delicate the flowers are and how hard it would be to get the stuff on them and it wouldn't provide any support for the fragile leaves so they'd prolly just clump and stick together. Right? ...I don't really know... Why did you preserve a leaf? Were you saving it as a snack for later? hehe

Hahahaha... actually you dilute the glycerin in water, then you would submerge the flower in it....clumping and sticking together?...uh, not sure? maybe small separate vats for each? i dunno know. lolol.
I preserved some tree leaves a long time ago back when I was doing some environmental studies...long story... Anyways, I would have to say it would be risky and an experiment.

acrylic aerosol sealer has actually been used by craftspeople that make jewelry from living orchids. Too many years ago, 1993, I picked two dendrobium flowers from which a brouch / pendant and pair of earrings was made (while I watched). The flowers are as lifelike today as when they were then.

This sounds really cool!!! I might have to try this at some point just for the fun of it. Oh no, what's that? It's my crafty side rearing it's ugly head.