To store peony buds for "opening a few weeks later". 1. Cut when color is just showing, 2 .immediately seal stem with wax (I carry around a lit stub of beeswax candle)
3. Strip leaves and roll flower and stem in damp newspaper and in Saran wrap-twist tie both ends.
4. Store in vegetable bin of fridge
4a I have both covered the top of bud with the damp pater and left it out, covering top worked a "little better" for me. In with case, the Saran wrap is covering the entire stem.
I was able to keep buds until my nephews 7/10 wedding a few years ago. 5-6 weeks really stretched the limit and I lost some-but the result was worth it.
Using "new pine cones" I found some new ones under a tree-early drop and the squirrels hadn't gotten to them yet. Being (unusally for me) a bit cautious- I put them in Zip-Lock and put in the microwave for a few minutes. Loads of bugs hatched out in the bag and didn't hang around for my arrangement of the perfect cone. Whew..another disaster averted.
Information-storing fresh peony and using "new" pine cones
Thanks for the tips. It never dawned on me about the bugs in the pine cones. I have a ton I have gathered and put in the basement.
HI, the problem with the cones was with the ones that dropped early and were not opened yet. After the microwave and drying out, they were in perfect shape. Now if I could just remember where I stored them.!!
What a great idea. Do you put anything else in the mic, a glass of water or just the damp cones?
Hi,I think I just ysed the zip-locked cones...but that awas in my low temp 22 yr old micro-wave...I think I would tuck a glass in this "new" one... sure miss my old one and really was glad to miss the bugs. I think I did it a couple of time...there were bugs after the first go round...maybe they just took longer, but....