I have a massive amount of Lichen growing in the woods next to my house. It is very fine and in various shades of green. Does it have to be sprayed with some kind chemical to preserve it or is it layout ready?
I believe you can put it on the layout after you give it a washing in a mild detergent soap…once it’s on the layout it’s a good idea to spray it with water with a fine mist spray bottle to keep it fresh…once a month should be sufficient…Chuck
Most preserved lichen is treated in a solution of boiling glycerine. It’s the glycerine that keeps the preserved lichen supple. Water really won’t do anything except attract mold. You can still get glycerine from some drugstores. The NMRA’s handbook used to include a sheet about harvesting and preserving your own lichen.
I restored some old, hardened lichen with a half and half mixture glycerine and alcohol.
Here’s a source from my bookmark file:
http://www.chemistrystore.com/glycerin.htm
I also believe Scenic Express carries it.