Flowers are amazing for many purposes, but the main thing we use them for is to make our home and garden look better. We plant them, take care of them, and once they start losing their beauty, we just replace them. One of the things you may not be aware of is how beneficial plants and flowers can be for your health.
You can choose to purchase products that have this vegetation implemented in them, or you can do that on your own. If you choose to use plants on your own, you have to know how to dry them so you can use them. In this 2024 guide, we will tell you how to dry flowers for medicinal purposes. Keep on reading to find out how to preserve your plants and how to make sure the best ingredients stay in them.
Choose the right plants
The first thing you need to know is that not all flowers, herbs, or plants are good for medicinal purposes. Some may be poisonous, while others may not do anything to help you. If you are choosing to do this, you need to first do your research and see which ones are going to be the most beneficial for your needs.
Plants including chamomile, clary sage, valerian, and passionflower are some of the most preferred ones when it comes to health problems, but you should also look for a list of many others that can help you out.
After you’ve chosen the right plants for you, you need to be careful about the way you pick them, and how you are going to use them afterward. Note that it all depends on the type of vegetation you’ve chosen, and how you can later benefit the most from the dried flowers.
How to dry them?
Now let’s talk about the ways that you can turn a fresh plant into dried flowers and how to choose the right method for your needs.
First, you will need to decide if you should dry the plant as a whole, including the stems, leaves, and the whole head of the flower, like the chamomile, or if you just take the petals out like it is done with roses. Once you find if you should take the petals out or not, you need to start with the second and the most important step of the process.
The easiest way to do this is to just lay the plants flat on an absorbent paper, and make sure they are spaced enough from each other. You don’t want them to overlap, as some parts may not dry properly.
You need to choose a room that is not exposed to direct sunlight, and you can either choose to cover them with a soft piece of cloth, or you can leave them as is. The whole process of air-drying should take about a week or two, but it all depends on the type of plants you are drying.
If you want to speed this process up, and if you don’t want to wait for ten to fifteen days, then you can just finish the process up with your dehydrator. Make sure you use the proper setting and give the vegetation enough time to release all the moisture.
You can talk to your florist about the best way to get dried flowers, and you can check several methods out to see which one is the best for your needs.
