you can shorten staining time by 30%,

if you use 2% - try 1% stain,

you can also wash out the dye using your fixative or 45% acetic acid,

try to use weaker fixative (45%->30%)

Stain the materials by keeping in the refrigerator. I agree to prepare 1% stain, Heat the slide but not to boil.

Try fixing in 3:1 ethanol and propionic acid overnight.

Destain using the same solvent you have used to prepare the stain. I generally use 2% carmine prepared in 45% acetic acid (acetocarmine) to stain chromosomes and use 45% acetic acid to destain with, if required.

Many thanks for the advice - I am diluting and de-staining as I type! The refrigerator suggestion is new to me as well and I'll give it a go.

Plant Cytogenetics, 2nd edition - wish I'd known about this a few months ago as I'm finding it to be a valuable resource - thanks for the tip Pablo and of course Dr. Singh for writing it.

You could try an acid hydrolosis with 2N HCl at 60C for 15 mins to spread the cytoplasm and release excess stain.

Thank you Vivien - I have found this helps to produce better preparations.