Preserving leaves 101. The Art of Collecting Memories

[motaco]

Hey, didn't know if this was the right forum for this or even if a thread like this was already up, so excuse me if it is. Trying to get up so DIY's on IC.

I like to dry and save my leaves for decoration. Sometimes I put them on posterboard with others, sometimes I'll make a card with them to divide kief on a table, or whatever you want.

The first step is to select about 5 leaves you think are prettiest off of your chosen plant. Make sure they are healthy leaves, not starting to yellow. If they are starting to yellow than as they dry they will dry much more ugly. Looking like nute burn or something. they can look yellow like this at the bottom right when it dries instead of green like the others.

Place all of your leaves in a phone book, or any type of thick heavy book. Make sure none of the leaves are touching one another and that as you close the book none of them move around. it sounds alot easier than it is. Thats why you want to use several leaves. Because some of them will dry fucked up no doubt.




Leave them for... maybe 2-4 weeks? Be honest I really don't remember. Just until they are dry and still like wet toilet paper that dried. then you can put them on cardboard or whatever you want. Use clear packaging tape to secure then and an airtight bond. MAKE SURE ALL BUBBLES ARE OUT OF THE TAPE AS ITS PRESSED DOWN. If you don't the leaves will not store right and it will look ugly anyway.

I tape mine to posterboard with the name and an individual calyx taped next to it. Helps me remember the strains I grew and besides I think its pretty neat

The trouble is not losing the posters. lol. lost most of mine through the years, but the leaves stay preserved.

 

[Dr. D]

Nice one motaco, i do this with my fave leaves i still havent done anything with them yet but i do plan to use them, i have some some from three years ago just sat pressed and dried in books along with some only a couple of months old, it preserves them nicely just sat in a good thick book...peace

 

[motaco]

yeah I used to have them circling the wall of my growroom but I lost most of them when I shut down the grow and moved. I always thought it was really neat though.

 

[Chiefsmokingbud]

Funny i was thinking about doing this back when i ran across this leaf. Nice tip Motaco





Always have big leaves when i run this Astroboy

 

[SuperBudz]

Monster leaf!!

 

[kigy]

Great idea I'm gonna have to start doing this.

 

[Makavellian]

Hey motaco, ive never tried using books.. the first spot i tried was putting it in the front of one of my binders. i slipped the leaves beneath the front clear plastic covering/pocket and left it there. after a month or so, because i forgot about it, i found it perfectly crisp and dried.

 

[ethereal]

i have done it between 2 pieces of glass with a weight on top. no color fade and frame it after same way

 

[motaco]

yeah as long as it something that allows airflow, and keeps it flat in in the right shape it should work. I just use books cuz the paper helps absorb moisture and they are all over.

the binder or glass is a good idea though, I have lost leaves because I forgot what book they were drying in. lol

 

[peterstoned]

how do purple leaves turn out?

 

[motaco]

they usually stay purple. that one on the book with the catfish was a deep chunk leaf. the underside of it is purple and you can still see it a little bit.I took that pic in a dim lit room, if I took that pic in the sun you could definitely tell it was purple. Some leaves change colors more than others, it seems to have alot to do with how much nutes and chlorophyll was in each leaf.

But a word to the wise, I've tried to preserve those giant dinner plate fan leaves and its hard to do. the veins get so thick they break at any disturbance when the leaf dries, its better to have a smaller one. Thats why I used that thin young deep chunk leaf before it filled out. I tried to dry a bunch of those purple dinner plate fan leaves and they all broke or screwed up during drying.

 

[peterstoned]

thanks

 

[motaco]

check out this daywrecker leaf

 

[jaykush]

ive saved leaves in the past, have them in laminated paper somewhere. always nice to save the best ones. also helps with breeding identification if your a forgetful stoner

 

[Mr. Alkaline]

Kali"Most.....Red Stem, colombian/mexican prozac pheno

Kali"Most.....Red Stem, colombian/mexican prozac pheno

 

[SOTF420]

You can spray them with clear laquer on a piece of backing like a piece of poster board after drying in a book to preserve them for very long term keeping.

 

[Jack Harer]

Good stuff!! I have lost so many when the ex old lady tossed phone books. I forget where I put 'em all the time too.

 

[Jack Harer]

One of my probs was that a lot of times phone books aren't big enough to dry some (most) lower fans. What do you recommend for dessicating larger fams?