Drying cut roses is easy and allows you to enjoy them for a long time to come.
Pruners are necessary to keep roses healthy
Sterile pruners are necessary to keep the roses healthy after cutting and drying. Use a 10% bleach solution or 70% alcohol for quick and easy sterilization.
Things you will need:
- Good sterile pruners.
- Coat hangers or floral wire
- Rubber bands
- Waste basket
Air Drying
- Select stems of rose blooms a couple of days before their prime. The petals will appear tight.
- Past prime or bloomed-out roses drop their petals too easily when dried.
- Remove the lower leaves from the stems.
- Using rubber bands, fasten small groups of roses together in small bunches.
- Be careful that no blooms touch each other.
- Hang the individual bundles upside down in a dark, dry, warm area.
- A clothes hanger in a closet works great or even the ceiling in the kitchen.
- Drying times can vary, but roses should dry within ten days.
Photo by vargarz
Note: Great rose colors for drying include pink, yellow, medium red, and orange. Dark red roses usually turn black and white roses usually turn grey. Mauve or lavender roses have varied success.
The experts at Gertens are always available to answer your questions!
