Last spring I collected allot of roots,twigs and things to build my first diorama.I left them to dry out for about a month in the summer,then carefully put them in a large container.

I just pulled them out to see if I had something to use with an ideal I have and they are covered with a thin white powdered mold and smell moldy also!

I have them in a warm water/bleach mix now.

How do you all preserve real wood,roots and plants? And what do I need to do to get them ready for a dio?

Thanks in advance!
Dan

Hi Dan. What I do is wash them first and let dry. Latter I toss them in the microwave for about 30 seconds to get rid of bug critters and any eggs. That's all. Some times I'll put a dirty thinner wash on it to darken it up or give it that rotting wood look. Oh yea, just store them in an open container so the air circulates, keeps the mold away. For real leaves and flowers, pick up some glycerin at the drug store and soak them in it. Put on a paper bag to dry off the extra. Will keep them pretty pliable and the colors will pretty much stay as is.

Easiest thing is to boil them before storing. Combines the cleaning and disinfection in one step. Microwaves are okay for disinfection, but it isn't foolproof as they heat unevenly, so some areas will be disinfected and others won't be. Don't boil too long though, as finer roots can break down with extended boiling.

You can use boiling with a lot of natural products to disinfect them. Dirt, sand, leaves, herbs, you name it.