How To Dry Fresh Flowers With Silica Gel

Do you want to preserve the beauty of fresh flowers for longer? Flowers carry special memories of important occasions in our lives, and preserving them helps us refresh those memories more often.

Silica gel is a substance that absorbs moisture from the air and keeps products dry. It has many tiny pores adept at absorbing up to 40% moisture from the atmosphere. So, it is often used to protect electronics, food, and medicine from humidity. 

Silica Gel comes in crystalline and bead forms – with the crystalline form being smaller and better at covering every nook and crevice that help in flowers preservation. The bead form cannot do so, and might even harm the flowers’ texture during the process.

The Standard Method

1. Choose a shallow air-tight container and place the flowers in it.
2. Cut the flower stems to desired lengths and remove any unwanted leaves or parts. You can also brush off any dirt from the flowers gently, with a brush.
3. Pour silica gel into the container and have it evenly cover the base. We recommend going 1.5 inches thick over the base.
4. Place the flowers on the silica gel layer and make sure that they are not touching each other or the sides of the container.
5. Pour some extra silica gel on top of the flowers, making sure that all the flower parts are covered. Do this gently to avoid any damage to the flowers.
6. Close the lid of the container tightly so that the moisture in the container is locked. Now, the silica gel can work effectively to absorb the remaining moisture inside the container and in the flowers.
7. Let the container sit for 2-4 days. If the flowers are in large bouquets, allow the container to sit for a longer time in a cool space. This will help the silica gel work better.
8. Once the silica gel has set on the flowers, it is time to brush them off!

Here are some pro tips to make your conventional method even better:

1. Use a soft brush or a hair dryer on a low setting to remove any remaining silica gel from the flowers.
2. Choose a container that is big enough to fit your flowers without squashing them.
3. Label your container with the date and type of flowers so you don’t forget about them.

The Microwave Method

1. Trim the flowers and then set them in a microwave-safe dish.
2. Pour silica gel in and around the flowers to a depth of 1.5 inches.
3. Place the container with flowers in the microwave along with a glass of water. There is no need to cover the container.
4. Keep the heat on medium power, and follow one-minute increments until dry. Large flowers will need three minutes or a half minute extra, medium flowers between two and three minutes, and small flowers one to two minutes.
5. Let the container cool down completely.
6. Take the container out and remove any excess silica gel beads with a soft brush or tweezers.Column Chromatography provides silica gel packets, which are extremely effective in removing moisture from flowers and air-tight spaces. Ranging from beaded to granular forms, SorbiPacks come in blue, orange, and white colors, and can be reactivated by heating for 1-2 hours at 250 degrees Fahrenheit. So keep your flowers and memories fresh, with Column Chromatograpy' silica gel desiccants.