Return to the Bog Garden Forum | Post a Follow-Up

 o
drying cat tails

Posted by mary_lou 5pa (My Page) on
Sat, Sep 17, 05 at 8:30

I am going to dry cat tails and would like to know how long
to dry them before I coat them with a sealer. Do they need
to be dried upside down or is upright ok. And what type of
sealer is best to use? Thanks so much for the help.


Follow-Up Postings:

 o
RE: drying cat tails

  • Posted by Josh z8a AL (My Page) on
    Sat, Sep 17, 05 at 18:45

Mary Lou, Just stand the stalks upright in bucket or vase...no water. No sealer needed...mine last for years with no special care. josh


 o
RE: drying cat tails

Thanks Josh. I wondered if you could just do that. I do
the same thing with hydrangeas. They don't lose their
color and they don't turn brown. I've always heard that
you should seal the cat tails so the white fluffy stuff
doesn't come out.


 o
RE: drying cat tails

  • Posted by Josh z8a AL (My Page) on
    Sun, Sep 18, 05 at 0:57

Mary Lou, Just be sure and pick them well before time to seed...also standing them in cool room in dark might help, but I've only had a couple to toss when they started breaking out with seed.

It's fun to experiment, though. I pick roadside grasses and dry same way...some lose their lovely plumes but most dry well. I've used cheap hairspray a couple of times to prevent shedding.

And, yes, hydrangeas are lovely. If you enjoy drying flowers/foliage, there's a forum here on Gardenweb you might enjoy...called "Dried Flowers" I believe.
Like Bog Gardens, fun to visit now and then. josh


 o
RE: drying cat tails

Thanks again Josh I just fixed my arrangement of cat tails,
pussywillows, sedum and those prickly things you find
along the roadside. The name escapes me right now. Guess
I'll have to look them up. It looks pretty good. I'll play
it by ear or should I say eye with the cat tails. If I end
up throwing them away before next year I'll try the hair
spray next time. Will have to check out the dried flowers
forum too.


 o Post a Follow-Up

Please Note: Only registered members are able to post messages to this forum.

    If you are a member, please log in.

    If you aren't yet a member, join now!


Return to the Bog Garden Forum

Instructions

  • You must be a registered member and logged in to post messages on our forums.
  • Posting is a two-step process. Once you have composed your message, you will be taken to the preview page. You will then have a chance to review the contents and make changes.
  • After posting your message, you may need to refresh the forum page in order to see it.
  • It is illegal to post copyrighted material without the owner's consent.
  • HTML codes are allowed in the message field only.
  • No advertising is allowed in any of the forums.
  • If you would like to practice posting or uploading photos, please visit our Test forum.
  • If you need assistance, please Contact Us and we will be happy to help.



 
Click here to learn more about in-text links on this page.