Eucalyptus looks beautiful, is easy to preserve and spreads a pleasant scent that even works against mosquitoes. Here you will find out what options are available to you for preserving the popular medicinal plant and what you should keep in mind.
How to preserve eucalyptus?
Preserving eucalyptus can be done by drying the branches in a dark room, soaking them in alcohol or glycerin, using plant drying s alt or silica gel, and pressing leaves and flowers in books or a flower press.
Do I need fresh eucalyptus for preservation?
If you want to use eucalyptus for culinary purposes or want to preserve its intense scent, you should cut eucalyptusfreshly cut from a plant If you primarily want to preserve the appearance of the eucalyptus branch by preserving it, again this is not necessary. In this case, a eucalyptus branch that has previously been stored in a vase with water and not freshly cut is also suitable.
How do I dry eucalyptus?
Pruningthe branches at the bottom, place themin a container without waterand place this in adark and dry room Make sure that little sunlight shines into the room. There should also be no high humidity in the location. Otherwise, mold may form during drying. Then the preservation fails. The following rooms, for example, are suitable for drying:
- dry attic
- Basement with enough air circulation
- darkened garden shed
How do I pickle eucalyptus in alcohol?
Fill a screw-top jar witheucalyptus leaves, pourwith alcoholand leavetwo weeksstand in a cool and dark place. To aid in even preservation, you should shake the jar every other day. When the two weeks are over, pour the liquid off using a cloth. This way you can separate the leaves from the liquid. To preserve the essential oils of eucalyptus in alcohol, you can use vodka, for example.
How do I pickle eucalyptus in glycerin?
Mix glycerin with waterin a ratio of one to two and place theeucalyptus branches in the solutionGlycerin is a sugar alcohol that removes moisture from the branch, helping you preserve eucalyptus. After the eucalyptus has stood in a vase with the mixture of water and glycerin for a few days, it is well preserved.
Can I preserve eucalyptus with s alt?
You can also preserve eucalyptus withPlant drying s altfrom specialist retailers orSilica gel. To do this, fill the s alt or the sachets with the silica gel into a container. Then add eucalyptus and fill with more s alt so that no part of the branch can be seen. Now close the container and place it in a dark room. Depending on the quantity, the preservation time can vary.
Tip
Preservation for decorative purposes
Do you want to preserve eucalyptus leaves or flowers for the design of postcards or other materials? Then you can also place them in a flower press or in thick books. The pressure also removes the liquid from the material.
