How to dry roses
Most women prefer a rose to all colors. And therefore it is doubly sorry to throw them away after the flowers wither. And why do this if you can dry the roses and thereby extend their life, but in a different form ?! After all, a lot of different compositions for decoration are made from dry plants, ranging from simple dried bouquets to complex paintings. A simple method of drying flowers (as for a herbarium) is not very suitable here. Roses must be dried so that they do not lose their shape.
Which roses are better to dry
Only freshly cut are suitable for drying. roses... Flowers that have been in a vase for some time begin to wither.
Roses should be cut in dry weather so that no drops of moisture get on them.
Flowers with dense petals keep their shape best. You should also not use fully blossoming buds, because after drying the flower, the petals will disintegrate.
Roses are dried at home so that they do not lose their shape in two ways: by hanging them on a rope or sprinkling with sand.
Drying roses on a rope
Sort the roses, cut the stems to the desired length, or just trim the tips. Tear off the lower leaves too, but without fanaticism. Tighten the ropes in a dry place out of sunlight. Darkness is imperative because the sun will make the flowers brittle, darken, curl and decay.
Tie the stem of each rose with a rope. It is impossible to tie flowers into a bouquet - in this form, they will not receive enough air and will begin to rot.
Tie roses at the same distance so that they do not touch each other. The dried flowers will be ready in two weeks. If during the drying process the rose has slightly changed color, it needs to be "painted" with nail polish.
Dry roses in the sand
For this method, you need a deep cardboard box or wooden box. Prepare roses in the same way as when drying on a rope.
Next, prepare the sand - bake it in the oven or fry it in a pan and sift it through a sieve. River sand or special quartz sand for chinchillas, which is sold in pet stores, is suitable.
Pour sand into a box or box with a layer of 5-7 cm, then stick the rose with the flower up (like in a vase) and carefully completely fill it with sand. In this case, the flower should be strictly vertical.
Close the box for 2-3 weeks and put in a dry, dark room. After this period, make small holes at the bottom of the container so that the sand spills out on its own. It is impossible to dig roses out of the sand on your own so as not to damage the petals.
To make roses prettier and stronger, as well as to protect them from moisture, they are sprayed with hair spray.
How florists dry roses
There is another way florists use to dry roses. They treat the plants with a special preparation - silica gel. This is a special free-flowing powder that absorbs moisture. However, it is better not to use this method at home, since improper use of the powder will lead to the complete destruction of roses.