Using Desiccants For Drying Flowers

Desiccants are moisture-absorbing substances such as sand, borax, cornmeal, kitty litter, and silica gel. Although several of these desiccants have been used successfully for centuries, they have been replaced, for the most part, by silica gel. Silica gel granules are lighter in weight and tend to not crush delicate blooms. (If you're working with a sturdy bloom, there's no reason not to use the less expensive materials.) To recycle silica gel, bake the crystals on a foil-covered pan at 200 degrees for 20 minutes, or until the blue, moisture-filled crystals return to their original white or pink color. Desiccant-dried blooms can sometimes reabsorb moisture; you should probably avoid displaying them in a moist environment.

To dry flowers in a desiccant, first sprinkle about an inch of desiccant on the bottom of a glass or plastic container. (If working with silica gel, be especially careful not to breathe the dust that will rise up when you pour it. Wearing a mask is a good idea.) Avoid wood and cardboard containers since they can allow moisture in. Arrange the blooms on top of the desiccant with enough space in between blooms to prevent overlapping. Place cup and bell-shaped blooms on their sides; place other blooms face up. Sprinkle enough desiccant over the blooms to cover the petals. For blooms with multiple rows of petals, gently pull the petals apart and sprinkle in some desiccant to ensure even drying. Double-check for blooms that are bent out of shape. Additional layers of blooms and desiccant can be added if you like.

Novice dryers should limit each container to one type of bloom. Once you've dried a few batches of your favorite blooms and know which ones dry the fastest, you can successfully mix several types of flowers in one container by placing the blooms that take the longest time to dry on the bottom and the ones that take the least time to dry on the top.

Gently check your blooms every three days for dryness and remove them as soon as they're done. Overdrying is especially dangerous with desiccants because the blooms can dry to the point of crumbling into powder. Since desiccant-dried blooms tend to be brittle, handle them carefully, and use a small paintbrush to remove any remaining desiccant.

Once dried, these flowers will keep their beauty and color for years to come. Use them in flower arrangements, wreaths and anywhere that you need to add some beauty and color of flowers.