Content
- To preserve gerbera by drying
- Dry gerbera - that's how it's done!
- Airy, dry but not sunny hang
- Never dry or freeze in the oven
- After-treatment of dried gerbera
- Tips & Tricks
To preserve gerbera by drying
Gerbera is especially popular in bridal bouquets and bouquets for special events. To preserve the cut flowers as a souvenir, you can try to dry them. If you pay attention to a few points, the gerbera keeps drying for an eternity.
Dry gerbera - that's how it's done!
The gerbera is removed from the vase and blotted dry at the stem end. Tie together several stems or the whole bouquet with a string. Do not overtighten the thread to prevent the stems from kinking.
Airy, dry but not sunny hang
It takes time for a gerbera to really dry through. Depending on the thickness of the stems and the humidity, it may take a good two to three weeks for the flowers to dry.
Hang them in an airy place that must be dry. Direct sunlight should be avoided as this will fade the colors.
Never dry or freeze in the oven
Some cut flowers can be dried in the oven or preserved by freezing. At Gerbera this is not recommended.
In the oven, the flowers quickly turn brown and unsightly even with careful heating. This method is only recommended if you want to cover the flowers later with colored wax.
Putting gerbera in the freezer is not a good idea. The flowers are rock-hard due to the frost, but at room temperature they soften and become mushy.
After-treatment of dried gerbera
Dried gerbera is not as colorful as fresh cut flowers. Through the after-treatment with glycerine and clearcoat, the color intensity can be better preserved.
If the color is very faded, you can cover the Gerbera bloom with colored wax. Dip the dried flower in about 60 degrees hot water and gently rock it back and forth. Then the wax has to dry.
Tips & Tricks
It is often recommended to treat the gerbera flowers with hair spray after drying to make them more durable. However, this is not advisable, as the surface of the flowers becomes sticky. The dried flower thus treated develops into a dust catcher.