Tips on Drying Roses
Dried roses can offer a memento of a special event or a decorative accent for a room. The proper methods for drying roses vary, depending on your preferences and the type of rose bloom that you want to maintain. You can save a single blossom or an entire curtain by using the right method and caring for the roses as soon as they dry to retain their beauty.
Collecting Roses
Totally open blooms may lose their petals as soon as they’re dried. Select flowers that have just begun to open for much more attractive and durable dried flowers. Harvest roses in the daytime if there isn’t any moisture on the petals. Choose healthful roses and avoid those with wilted or discolored petals. If you are drying roses with their stems or air-drying the flowers, cut the stems at least 6 inches long. Make the cut above a pair of five or five leaves so the bush will form a new flower grass close to the cut.
Air Drying
Air drying requires a little time, but it does retain the shape of the rose and provides the ideal way of preserving the flower on the stem. Strip the foliage from the stems before drying, because leaves do not dry well. Bundle five comes together and secure them with a rubber band. Hang the bundle upside down in a dark, dry room. Select a well-ventilated area with minimal humidity. The roses may take up to 3 weeks to dry completely. You may use the roses for display once the petals become papery and brittle and the stems dry out thoroughly.
Desiccant Drying
A desiccant helps absorb the moisture from the rose petals, which may provide you faster drying and better colour retention. Desiccants work best on rose flowers after you remove them from the stems. Leave no more than 1/2 inch of the stem attached, then arrange the flowers up on a 1-inch-deep bed of desiccant in a container. Use silica gel crystals or combine equal parts borax and mud for the desiccant. Sprinkle more desiccant on top of the roses until they’re completely covered, then seal the container. It takes about one week to dry roses in desiccant. After the blossoms dry, pour off the desiccant carefully to avoid damaging the brittle petals.
Pressing
Pressed roses lose their shape and become flat, but this process works well for wild roses and other single-flower varieties. Arrange the rose flowers in a single layer between sheets of paper or blotting paper. Pile heavy weights, like novels, together with the roses and leave the stack undisturbed for a week. The moisture seeps from the petals and to the newspaper. Once they’re dried, you can frame pressed roses or use them in paper crafts, like card-making or even scrap-booking.
Dried Rose Care
Sealing the roses prior to show can shield them from moisture and help them retain their color. Use a spray shellac or sealant to coat the flowers gently. Store dried roses in a sealed container having a packet of silica gel. Keep the container away from bright light and heat sources to prolong the dried flowers’ life. Even when you show the roses, avoid places in direct sunlight or near heat vents.