Drying flowers is a vigorous rebellion against the transience of fresh bouquets and virgin blossoms. Check out the best practices for drying flowers and herbs in this guide. This is how it works in the air, in the oven, microwave, dehydrator and with simple means.

Dried flowers are particularly easy to care for

Table of Contents

Show all
  1. the essentials in brief
  2. How to dry flowers
  3. when to dry
  4. Which flowers are suitable?
  5. Dry faster
  6. Press and dry
  7. Drying edible flowers
  8. frequently asked Questions

    9. the essentials in brief

    • Flowers are best dried upside down and sprayed with hairspray after drying.
    • Drying in the oven is quicker at low temperatures.
    • Drying by pressing in a book is another way of immortalizing flowers.

    Drying flowers properly - instructions in 4 steps

    As dried flowers, you give flowers and bouquets a second life with a long-term effect. Inexpensive and effortless it succeeds in the air. The following instructions explain how to properly dry and preserve flowers in 4 steps:

    1. Take the bouquet out of the vase, pluck out wilted leaves and pat the damp stems dry
    2. Tie the flower stems together with a raffia ribbon or a wide cord
    3. hang upside down in the dark, airy and dry place
    4. spray with hairspray

    In the following 2 to 4 weeks, occasionally check whether the binding material is still tight enough without cutting into the stem tissue. When the flowers are crispy dry, the process is complete.

    Flowers are best dried upside down

    When is the best time?

    Time is of the essence if you want to dry flowers yourself in premium quality. Start the process once the buds have fully opened. Do not wait until the first signs of wilting appear. The fresher and more magnificent a bouquet, the more perfect the result. Tulips, for example, should squeak if you want to properly dry the spring flowers.

    Which flowers are good to dry?

    Basically, all flowers and herbs are suitable for drying. For this uncomplicated type of preservation, a colorful array of beautiful types and varieties has emerged as being particularly suitable. The following table presents ideal starter plants that can be dried well:

    flower botanical name herbs botanical name
    roses pink sage Salvia
    pansies viola Lemon Thyme Thymus x citriodorus
    hydrangeas Hydrangea lavender Lavandula angustifolia
    sea lavender limonium basil Ocimum basilicum
    lantern flowers Physalis oregano Origanum vulgare
    gypsophila Gypsophila Nasturtium Tropaeolum majus

    Among the autumn flowers shines the helichrysum (helichrysum) - the epitome of all dried flowers. From August to October, the white, orange, yellow, pink and rust-red flowers invite you to come up with creative craft ideas. No other flower is better suited to drying in the air, in the oven or with the help of silica gel & Co.

    The helichrysum is the best known of all dried flowers

    Furthermore, numerous wild flowers and wild herbs give you colorful petals for imaginative creations or as edible decoration for cold and warm dishes. Marigolds, daisies and knapweeds are just as important as deadnettle, hawthorn or buckhorn.

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    Flowers dry without color loss

    Light and sun are pure poison when you let flowers air dry. Under the influence of brightness, flowers and petals fade. To preserve the colour, please always dry flowers in the dark. To this end, choose a basement or attic when air drying flowers. Cover individual blossoms or petals with a thin cloth. Once the flowers have dried, choose a semi-shady, airy place so that the colors are preserved for a long time. Under the blazing sun, the most beautiful dried bouquet loses its radiance in no time at all.

    Drying flowers faster - tips & tricks

    The duration of the drying phase can be significantly reduced if you resort to the help of various means. It takes up to two weeks for the flowers to dry in the air. A bouquet of flowers takes four to six weeks to dry completely. To force the process:

    Dry in the oven

    1. Line the baking sheet with parchment paper
    2. Place the flowers on the baking paper
    3. Set the oven to 30 to 40 degrees top and bottom heat
    4. Clamp the wooden stick in the oven door

    Petals are excellent for drying in the oven

    When the flowers rustle, turn off the stove. Do not fill dried flower petals and herbs into closed containers for decoration until they have cooled completely. If the dried flowers and herbs are not intended for consumption, spray them all with hairspray as an additional preservative.

    Dry in silica gel or salt

    1. fill the sealable container finger-thick with silica gel or dry salt (not iodised)
    2. Tuck flowers upright in the medium (e.g. daisies, roses, hydrangeas)
    3. alternatively place flowers on the desiccant (e.g. delphiniums, pansies, snapdragons)
    4. Sift slowly and completely with silica gel or salt
    5. Close container tightly with lid
    6. place in a warm, shady spot
    7. After a week, check a small spot with two fingers
    8. Carefully pour out the silica gel or salt
    9. Remove the last remnants of dried flowers with a kitchen brush
    10. spray with hairspray or hairspray

    Instead of silica gel or dry salt, you can use washing powder. You can also dry flowers and fragrant decorative herbs in cat litter within a few days. To make flowers durable as jewelry and decoration, spray the blossoms with hairspray. Please note: Edible flowers and herbs for the kitchen are best kept in the open air or in the oven to dry quickly. Spraying with hairspray is deleted without replacement.

    tips

    A simple test reveals whether flowers and herbs have dried. If you shake it slightly, you should hear a rustling sound. Try holding individual blossoms between two fingers, press them together and listen to see if they crackle.

    Pressing and drying flowers - step-by-step instructions

    Bookworms have a clear advantage when it comes to effortlessly drying individual flowers. All it takes is a thick tome, two sheets of parchment paper and a little time to press and dry flower blossoms or petals using the traditional method. How to proceed correctly step by step:

    1. Cut flower stalks short to 2 to 3 cm
    2. Open a thick book in the middle and cover with a sheet of parchment paper
    3. Place flowers next to each other and cover with more parchment paper
    4. close book
    5. After 2 to 4 weeks carefully check the progress of drying
    6. Pull off pressed, dried flowers with tweezers and use for herbarium or as table decoration

    Owners of a microwave speed up the procedure. Duration is reduced to a modest 2 minutes. Instead of in a book, squeeze fresh flowers or herbs between two ceramic tiles. A piece of kitchen paper serves as a protective base and cover for the flowers. Place the small stack in the microwave at 600 to 800 watts for 60 seconds.

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    How to dry edible flowers

    Edible flower petals and herbs dry on a wire rack within a few days. Cover the grate with a very fine cotton cloth and place the leaves on top. In the shady, airy and rain-protected place, it takes a few days until it rustles promisingly. So that flowers and herbs don't blow away when drying, a fine wire mesh keeps everything in place.

    If you own a dehydrator, you don't have to wait that long. Distribute flowers, petals or herbs on the sieve trays. A single floor should be covered no more than 90 percent. Set the dehydrator according to the operating instructions. Within a few hours you can enjoy dried flowers and herbs.

    frequently asked Questions

    How to dry fresh flowers?

    If you dry flowers yourself, use a freshly bloomed bouquet. Withered leaves are removed. Pat the stems dry with paper towels. Now tie the stems together with a raffia ribbon so that it doesn't cut into the tissue. In the airy, dark and dry place, hang the bouquet upside down from the ceiling. In the following days, check whether you should tighten the raffia ribbon because the stems could shrivel and fall out of the bunch as they dry.

    How long do flowers take to dry?

    It takes two to four weeks for fresh flowers to turn into a picturesque dry bouquet. In silica gel or salt, the duration extends over one to two weeks. It goes faster in a mix of water and glycerine within one to two days. If you let flowers dry in the oven or dehydrator, it only takes a few hours.

    How can I dry fondant flowers in shape?

    You can conjure up the most beautiful flowers from modeling fondant as decoration for cakes and gifts. To help your artwork dry beautifully, place fondant flowers in a corrugated surface container. An egg carton is very suitable. The hardened flowers will not stick in the hollows later. It works more professionally on drying pads made of foam or hanging upside down on a sugar flower stand from the specialist trade.

    How long does it take for fondant flowers to dry?

    How long fondant flowers dry depends largely on the flower in question. Filigree flower shapes made of gum paste harden within a few minutes. Flowers made from modeling fondant harden within 24 hours and can be used as decoration.

    Drying flowers in glycerin - how to do it?

    Please get a bottle of glycerin from the pharmacy or drugstore. Mix the solution with water in a ratio of 1:2 in a flower vase. Cut the flower stalk short to an inch or two and wrap the stub with floral wire. Place the flowers in the glycerin and water mixture for 5 days. If you want to dry a bouquet using this method, only flowers with thick, strong stems, such as roses and hydrangeas, are suitable.

    tips

    Surprise your loved ones with an imaginative herbarium in a picture frame. You need a double glazed frame. Press the flowers of your choice (e.g. pansies) with a book for 14 days. Arrange the dried blossoms however you like on a glass side of the picture frame. Place the second pane of glass on the finished flower painting and fix the frame according to the manufacturer's instructions.

    The garden journal freshness ABC

    How can fruit and vegetables be stored correctly so that they stay fresh for as long as possible?

    The garden journal freshness ABC as a poster:

    • as a free PDF file to print out yourself

Category:

Vegetable garden