Dry flower. dry flower technology , advantage of dry flower technology

1. BUAT, Banda
Dry flowers Technology

2. What are dry flowers?
• Flowers near to natural, preserved and
processed, having beauty as well as an
everlasting value.
• They are extra special as they can be kept
and cherished for years together.
• Dried flowers can be cherished throughout
the year for any occasion.
• Dry flowers are put to many novel and
varied uses such as bouquets, flower
arrangements, flower balls, cards, pot
pourri etc.

3. Dry flower industry
• Demand for dried flowers and attractive
plant parts, dried floral arrangements and
floral crafts has increased manifold during
the last decade.
• Dry flower constitute nearly 15% of the
global floriculture business.
• World import of dried flower product is
about 2 million US $.
• United Kingdom is the biggest market for
dried flora in the world.
• Principal exporters- Australia, the
Netherlands, India, South Africa, China and
Thailand.

4. Indian Scenario
▪ Dry flower constitute more than two-third (60%) of total floricultureexport.
• The Indian export basket comprises of 71% of dry flowers which are exported to
USA, Europe,Japan, Australia, far East and Russia.
• The demand for dry flowers is increasing at an impressive rate of 8-10% per annum,
hence, there is a great scope for Indian entrepreneurs to enter into dry flower
industry.
• More than 10,000tones of dried flowers are exported annuallyfrom India.
• Important dry flower material exported includes lotuspods
(10 million per month), camellia, dahlia, bell cups, marigold, lady’s lace etc.
• Pot pourri is a major segment of dry flower industry valued at Rs. 55 crores in India
alone.

5. Production Area
• In India, dried flower units are concentrated in Tuticorin (Tamil
Nadu) and Kolkata.
• Natural Product Export Corporation Ltd (NPEC) and Ramesh
Flowers Pvt. Ltd. are dried flower exporters in Tuticorin.
• The flowers required for the industry mainly comes from
Orissa, Madhya Pradesh, Assam, Bihar, Sikkim, West Bengal &
Kashmir.
• The demands for dry flower is also met through production at
coastal areas of Nalgonda, Medak, and in the West Godavari
districts of Andhra Pradesh.
• Nearly 60% of raw material-natural forests & plains only 40%
of flowers are cultivated for drying, bleaching & coloring.

6. ADVANTAGES OF DRYING FLOWERS
OVER FRESH FLOWERS
➢ LONG LASTING EFFECT
➢ AESTHETIC BEAUTYAND AVAILABLE THROUGHOUT
THE YEAR
➢ SURVIVE HEAT OF SUMMER AND COLD IN WINTER
➢ MAINTAIN CELLSTRUCTURE,PIGMENT LEVELAND
FLOWER SHAPE
➢ ENHANCINGKEEPINGQUALITYAND VALUE
ADDITION TO FLOWERS
➢ CHEAPER
➢ EASILYAVAILABLE
➢ MINIMUM UPKEEPAND NOT EASILY PERISHABLE
➢ RANGE OF PRODUCTSFROM DRYFLOWERSARE
MORE
➢ REDUCINGTRANSPORTCOST

7. Helichrysum
Helipterum
Top ten dried flowers
Limonium
Nigella
Delphinium

8. Gypsophila
Amaranthus
Carthamus
Papaver
Rose

9.  Bouquets
 Festive decorations
 Floral balls
 Greeting cards
 Landscape calendars
 Sweet smelling Pot – Pourri
 Wall sceneries
 Wedding cards

10. Range of ornamental plant parts
▪Roots
▪Shoots
▪ Buds,
▪Flowers
▪ Inflorescence
▪ Fruits,
▪Fruiting shoots
▪Cones
▪Seeds
▪Stems foliage
▪ Bracts
▪ Thorns
▪ Bark
▪ Lichens
▪ Fleshy fungi
▪ Mosses
▪ Sellaginellasetc
The range of dried flowers & other attractive plant parts is extensive, namely,
These dried items may be used with fresh flowers or alone

11. STEPS FOR FLOWER DRYING
COLLECTION SORTING GRADING
FINAL PRODUCT

12. Flow Chart of Flower Drying
Sun drying
Air drying
Desiccants drying
Micro wave oven
Glycerindrying
Freeze drying
Hot air oven drying
Flowers for drying Sorting Grading
Methods of drying
Final product

13. 1) Harvesting of material
▪ The flowers should be cut just as they come to
maturity.
▪ Flowers and foliage should be collected from the
field, one or two days after irrigation.
▪ Materials should be free from surface moisture
and dew.
▪ For drying, fresh material is required, faded
flowers and leaves should be rejected.
▪ Flowers are to be cut with stems as long as
possible
▪ Use sharp knife for cutting
▪ Harvested flowers are to be tied loosely in small
bunches.
Tips for picking and drying dried flowers

14. 2) Cleaning:
▪ Any unnecessary parts are removed prior
to drying to avoid washing time and
energy.
▪ Cleaning may involve screening,
washing, peeling or stripping leaves from
stems.
▪ Flowers or plant parts selected for drying
may be sprayed with Dithane Z-78 or
Ethyl parathion 0.1% to prevent disease
infestation and insects.

15. 3) Wiring flowers:
▪ Stems of many flowers bends & are not strong enough to hold
the stem when dry & may be difficult to manipulate & position.
▪ False stems are made with florist wire, straw, pipe cleaners or
twigs.

16. Methods of drying
Natural Drying
Air Drying
Sun Drying
Press Drying
Vacuum Drying
Desiccants Drying (Silica gel, Borax, River sand)
Glycerin drying
Microwave oven drying
Freeze drying
Hot air oven drying
Water Drying

17. Natural drying
▪ Ornamental plants are allowed to dry on the plant itself.
▪ They are collected as and when completely dried.
▪ Suitable plants- Limonium sinuatum, Bambusa sp.,
Bauhinia retusa, Cassia fistula, Helichrysum bracteatum

18. Air drying
▪ Easiest method and most common method.
▪ Widely used for crops which are crisp in texture
▪ After removal of excess foliage, gathered plants are tied
together at the stem ends in loose bundles with rubber band
and pipe cleaners.
▪ Blue and yellow flowers retain their color when air dried, but
pink flowers fade. Rose and peonies-shrinks.
▪ Hang upside down in a warm, dry and dark areas with good
air circulation.
▪ Darkness helps preserve the flower colour.
▪ Flowers take 1-3 weeks to dry completely.
▪ Large flower head should be hung individually

19. PLANTS USED FOR AIR DRYING
Cock’s comb Harvest blooms before they reach their peak for best colour
retention, drying in dark areas for bettercolour
Gomphrena Available in white, purple, orange and pink, holds its
colourvery well.
Helichrysum Remove blooms from their natural stems and wire them.
Flowers can be used immediately after harvest.
Hydrangea Clusters of blooms dry well. Blooms can be dyed with a
dip-typedye.
Rose Best to dry flower buds rather than open blooms.
Statice All forms dry easily and retain their colour.
Artichoke Both flowers and fruits can be air dried.
Chives Harvest lavender blooms before they reach their peak
bloomto retain their colour.

20. Steps for air drying
 Group the stems into small
bunches and tie with a rubber
band.
 Hang upside down in a warm, dry,
dark area such as an attic, closet,
furnace room.
 Avoid damp rooms or direct sun
on the flowers. Good air
circulation is important.
 Allow to remain until thoroughly
dried. This normally takes two to
three weeks.

21. Advantages-
▪ Cheap & simple method.
▪ Preferred method for large-scale drying
▪ No chemicals are used.
Disadvantages-
▪ Petal/foliage shrinkage.
▪ Can,t dry flowers in rainy season

22. Sun drying
Sun drying is easy and
cheap method.
▪ But during rainy days we
can’t dry flowers.
▪ The flowers are hanged
upside down in ropes or
in bamboo splits.
▪ No chemicals are used.
▪ Chances of fungal attack
is very high in this
method.
▪ Flower colour fading is
more.

23. Press drying
➢Can be used for composing floral craft items
like greeting cards, floral designs, pictures,
stationery and other art creations which may
be framed for wall pin-ups.
➢The original shape of the material cannot be
maintained but the original colour is retained.
➢Flowers and leaves are placed between the
pages of a book.
Microbial attack is a common feature.
Suitable flowers :Candytuft, Chrysanthemum,
Pansy

24. Procedure for Press drying
▪ Flowers and leaves are
placed between folds of
newspaper, sheets of
blotting papers.
▪ These sheets are kept one
above the other and
corrugated boards of same
size are placed in between
folded sheets.
▪ Then it is given a plant
press for 24 hrs and then
kept in an electric hot air
oven for 24 hrs at 40-45ºC.

25. Drying of flowers by press method

26. Precautions-
▪ Too much material should not
be pressed simultaneously.
▪ Materials of varied thickness
should be avoided in the
same folder.
▪ New pieces of waxed paper
must be for each pressing.
Disadvantage-
Laborious & time taking.

27. Vacuum Drying
• The embedded plant material may be dried/
dehydrated under vacuum.
• The vacuum is created under thick-walled
chamber fitted with a heating device, a
vacuum pump and condenser.
• Low temperature is very effective and the
quality of the product is excellent.

28. Embedded drying/burying flowers
• Overcomes the problem of petal shrinkage.
• Shape and color of more dimensional flowers
like roses, carnation, marigolds can be
preserved in dried state.
Desiccants
The drying agent in the mixture helps to
support the flower while removing moisture,
preserving the flower's shape and form.
Most common desiccants : Silica gel, Sand
Corn meal and Borax mixture .

29. Size
✓ The materialshould be very fine and size should be 0.02 to 0.2 mm.
Chemical reaction
✓ Should not chemically react with water vapourand with floralparts.
Weight
✓ Light weight powdersare not suitable.
Composition
✓ Drying material should be free from any type of salt and chemical.
✓ Strongly hygroscopic substances should also be avoided.
PROPERTIES OF DRYING MATERIALS (SAND, BORAX & SILICA GEL)

30. Silica Gel
▪ An excellent product for drying flowers.
▪ It is lightweight, dries flowers faster than borax mixtures do.
▪ Can be used over and over again if dried properly.
▪ Especially useful for drying fragile plants and flowers with delicate
colors.
▪ Tell-Tale is common brand name of Silica
gel (blue crystals).

31. Embedding process
• Put about an inch of desiccating material at the bottom of
the container.
• Cut the flower stem to about half an inch and stick this
into the center of the material.
• Pour the desiccating material along perimeter of the
container.
• Then tap lightly on the container and the material will
move to the flower, not altering the form of petals.
• Continue adding the material, tapping on the container
until the flower is completely covered.
• Left the container in room for drying.

32. Embedding Procedure
Flowers kept in microwave
oven after embedding
Flowers kept in hot air
oven after embedding

33. Sand and Borax Drying
• Fine washed Damp sand can be oven
dried at 250°C for 30 minutes
• Drying time is one to two weeks.
• A mixture of 2 :1 ratio of fine sand and
borax.
Advantage: Inexpensive and effective method
Disadvantage: Dried flowers are not of superior quality.
Riversand Silica gel Borax

34. Effect of Embedding Media on Quality of Dried Flowers
S.
No
Flower Flower
Colour
Sand
Colour Texture
Borax
Colour Texture
Silica-gel
Colour Texture
1. Sunflower Yellow Slightly Smooth
Dark
Slightly
Fading Rough
Slightly
Dark Smooth
2. Bauhinia Mauve Slightly
Dark Smooth
Slightly Rough
fading
Slightly Smooth
Dark
3. Plumeria White Slightly Smooth
off white
Slightly Rough
fading
White Smooth

35. Drying in microwave oven:
• Latest and fastest method to dry the flowers.
• Principle is removing the moisture by electrically produced
microwaves.
• Very rapid and flowers are fresh-looking and more colourful.
• Use a silica gel or borax-sand mixture for embedding.
• Keep a cup of water in the oven to prevent excessive drying
• They are kept in micro oven for 2-5 minutes.
• After heating, allow the flower to stand in the silica gel until
gel becomes cool(4 to 6 hours). If the flower is removed too
soon it will be warm and limp, and will not be able to hold its
form.
contd…

36. • Microwave dried flowers tend to absorb moisture, so spray the
petals with hair spray or lacquer.
• Brightly colored flowers dry best- lilies, roses, zinnias.
• Thick petal flowers like hyacinth and magnolias are not
suitable.
• For microwave oven drying harvest the flowers before they
are fully open.

37. Freeze drying
• Introduced in 1813 by William Hyde Wallaston
to the Royal Society in London.
• Method is also known as lyophilization
• It requires a special freeze-drying machine.
Procedure of freeze drying
• It involves first freezing the flowers at
(-)100C for at least 12 hours.
• Freeze drying is accompanied by sublimation.

38. Contd…
• A vacuum pump slowly pulls the
water out of the flowers as a vapour in
one chamber & then the vapor
condenses as ice in another chamber.
• Because of this process, the shape and
natural color of the flower is
maintained.
• For Roses it takes 15 – 17 days and
for other flowers normally 10 – 12
days.
• Major flowers dried by this method
are roses, carnation, bridal bouquets,
pansy.

39. Drying of flowers in freeze dryer

40. Advantage-
Quality of dried flower
is very high fetches
good price.
Disadvantage-
Freeze drying
equipments are
costly.
Freeze dried flowers

41. Hot Air Oven Drying
Drying temperature is
30-500C
Economical.
Faster drying.
Superior quality of
product if drying in
embedded conditions.
Chrysanthemum,
Delphinium, Gerbera,
Gomphrena,
Helichrysum, Marigold,
Zinnia.

42. Response of rose flowers to drying in hot air oven
Treatment Moisture
loss (%)
Drying Time
(hr)
Colour Appearance Texture
Embedded in
silica gel at 30 0 C
65.63 88.34 2.27 2.16 1.57
At 40 0c 65.81 52.33 3.48 3.50 3.23
At 50 0C 65.95 42.48 2.99 2.72 2.72
Without
Embedding at
300C
65.53 73.10 1.12 1.17 1.08
At 40 0C 65.64 47.54 1.31 1.22 1.25
At 50 0C 65.25 36.32 1.05 1.04 0.97

43. Effects of various drying methods on quality
of dried rose flowers
Methods of
drying
Moisture
Loss(%)
Time taken
to dry (day) Colour
Appearance
Texture
Air drying 65.67 7.31 0.79 0.72 0.81
Fine sand
embedding 65.66 9.98 1.75 1.59 1.74
Borax:Sand
embedding 65.49 7.06 2.81 2.56 2.7
Silica gel
embedding 65.74 5.09 3.26 3.03 3.17

44. Glycerin method
• It is colourless liquid made from fats and oils.
• Glycerine preserves foliage by replacing the natural moisture
present in the leaf (used for leaves and berries)
• Foliage should be fresh and fairly mature.
• Flowers preserved with glycerin can be wiped or cleaned and
lasts long
• Mix the glycerine and warm water in 1:2 ratio into a container
at the depth of 4 to 5 inches.
• Drying time 4 days to 2 weeks.
• During drying foliage will darken to an olive or bronze colour.
• Add absorption dye to the solution dye which will be
absorbed into the stem and deposited in the foliage.
• Very high quality products are obtained by this method.
• The time to pick foliage to preserve using glycerin is in the
middle of the plant's growing season.

45. Cont…..
FoliageType Glycerine Solution
Thick Textured Foliage 1 part glycerine to 2 parts water
MediumTextured Foliage 1 part glycerine to 2-1/2 parts water
Fine Textured or Thin Foliage 1 part glycerine to 3 parts water
KEEP FEW THINGS IN MIND

46. Process:
Remove damaged or withered leaves, and prune the foliage to
the desired outline.
Split woody stem ends 3 to 4 inches from the end or crush
them.
Mix 1 part glycerin to 2 parts water and heat the mixture.
Pour the mixture into a heavy container that will not tip over.
Stand the branches upright in the solution.
Check the branches often, and add water to keep the solution
several inches up on the stem.

47. Contd…
Allow the branches to absorb the solution for 2 to 6 weeks,
depending on the size and texture of the leaves.
The completion of process is indicated by the change of leaf color
to golden brown.
Disadvantages:
Glycerin tends to cause the foliage to change color.

48. EFFECT OF EMBEDDING METHOD OF DRYING ON FLOWER QUALITY
Flowers Type Flower
colour
Effect of embedding media
Sand Borax Silica-gel
colour Texture colour Texture colour Texture
Sunflower Herb Yellow Slight
Dark
Smooth Slight
fading
Rough Slight
dark
Smooth
Plumeria Tree White Slight
off
white
Smooth Slight
fading
Slight
Rough
White Smooth
Bauhinia
purpurea
Tree Mauve Slight
dark
Smooth Slight
fading
Rough Slight
dark
Smooth

49. Water drying
Process of water drying:
▪ Lower leaves & flowers from the stem are
stripped & are kept in standing cold water
with about 5cm depth & are allowed to rest
in a dry, well aerated room until both the
holder & flowers are dried.
▪ This takes 6-7 days depending upon the
water content in plant material and water
taken up in holder.
▪ Suitable flowers: Yarrow, hydrangeas,
alliums

50. Bleaching
• Bleached ornamental plant material provides a striking
contrast when arranged with dried or dyed flowers.
• Oxidative (Hypochlorite, Chlorite & Peroxide) & reductive
bleaching chemicals (Sulphite and Borohydride) are used as
bleach.
• Main problem: yellowing of the plant materials.
• To avoid yellowing, multi step bleaching- alternating oxidative
bleach with a reductive bleach create products with less
yellowing. A final wash in a 2% solution of Barium hydroxide,
calcium hydroxide, sodium bicarbonate or Aluminium sulphate
prevents yellowing.

51. Sulphuring
• It is used to prevent enzymatic colour change.
• Sulphuring of fresh material is done by burning sublimed SO2 (10
g/m3) or by injecting SO2 gas(1-3%) into a sealed chamber.

52. Skeletonizing
Skeletonized leaves lend an interesting, lacy appearance to dried
leaves.
▪ All tissues are eliminated leaving only "skeleton" or veins of
leaves.
▪ Skeletonized leaves lend an interesting, lacy appearance to dried
arrangements.
▪ Heavy-textured leaves are the best choices.
▪ Boil leaves 40 minutes in 1-quart water & 2 tablespoons of lye.
Rinse in cold water and scrape or brush the green pulp from the
leaves. care should be taken not to destroy the network of veins.
To lighten the color of the leaf skeletons, immerse in a 1-quart
water & 2 tablespoon household bleach solution for 2 hours. Rinse
and dry.

53. Pot pourris
• Pot pourris are a mixture of sweet
smelling leaves, spices, seeds, roots &
distilled essential oil, which can be filled
in pillows & sachets.
• Plants suitable: rose, lavenders, pinks,
hyacinths, lilies of the valley & many
more flowers which are associated with
perfume.
• The basic of a potpourri is the aromatic
oils found within the plant.
• To hold the perfume of any essential oil,
fixatives are use.
• Common fixative use-cinnamon & orris
root in equal quantity.

54. Preparation of Potpourri
➢ First the dried flowers, leaves & petals are
mixed in a pot. The fixative should be
prepared in other dish.
➢ Then the fixative is added drop wise to the
dried flower, leaves & petal.
➢ Carefully the ingredient should be mixed
up, avoiding not to crush the fragile petals.
➢ The mixture should be transferred to an
air-tight container.
➢ The container should be shaken properly
& left for a week for the various oils &
perfumes to amalgate & mature.

55. Dry flower packing
• They should be packed in a
manner to keep them away from
direct sunlight leaving some
room for air.
• Packing material should be
stable and firm to hold the dry
flowers well without any
damage during storage or
transportation.
Contd…

56. • Card board boxes, thermo cool
packing, poly lined or wax
paper lined cartons are
normally used for packing
dried flowers. Metallic tins and
thermo cool boxes are also
used for packing dried flowers.
• Cardboard boxes are the most
versatile of all packing
materials for dry flowers. They
can store dry flowers well for a
longer period and are easy to
ship long distances. They
protect dry flowers from all
possible hazards.
Cardboard boxes for packing dry flowers

57. Storage
• Dried plant material absorbs moisture & loose shape,
therefore, it should be stored immediately in moisture proof
containers.
• A small quantity of silica gel should be placed at the bottom of
the container to absorb moisture.
• Storage should be dust free & cartons/boxes should be cleaned
from time to time.
• Store separately different dried ornamental plants & fix proper
labels outside with complete description of the product kept
inside.

58. Care for dried flowers
• Dried flowers should be keep out of direct sunlight
or high light intensity.
• They should be handled very gently & carefully as
these are very brittle & fragile.
• Dried plant materials are highly flammable &
precautions should be taken to prevent fire hazards.
• They are highly hygroscopic in nature, if allowed
to absorb moisture, problem of mould infection will
occur. The dried flowers should be treated with a
suitable biocide & packed in waterproof containers.

59. Advantages of dry flowers
• Dry flowers are cheaper.
• Minimum up keep.
• Not easily perishable.
• Eco-friendly & biodegradable.
• Year round availability.
• Not dependable on weather or season.
• Dried arrangements are time saver & this suit the modern
time.

60. Leading Exporters of Dried Floral
Products from India
• M/s Ramesh Flowers Ltd.A-62 (A) SIPCOT Industrial ComplexTherku
Veerapandyapuran (P.O.)Tuticorin- 628 002 (T.N.)
• M/s Singhvi International 505, Vasundhara 2/1 Sarat Bose Road,
Kolkata-700 010
• M/s Natural Products Export Corp. 53 A MirzaGalib StreetKolkata-
700 010
• M/s VAC EXIM Pvt. Ltd. 23 A Netaji Subhash Road, Kolkata-1
• M/s J. K. Enterprises 123,Lord Sinha Road, Kolkata-700 001
• M/s Exotic Products 505,Basundhara, 2/7 Sarat Bose Road, Kolkata-
700 010
• M/s Fauna International 97 G-4Y, Teachers Colony, 4th Street
Tuticorin-628 008
• M/s D. Benerjee & Co. 131, B K Paul Avenue Kolkata-700 020
• M/s Adan Pradan Trust Software Development& Export, 30-Mission
Street,P.O. Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry-605002.

61. Marketing of dried ornamentals
• In comparison to fresh ornamentals the profitable
marketing of dried ornamental plant material
requires the understanding of various markets viz.,
economics, psychologically attraction for such
products and physical consideration like ware-
housing, distribution and sale facilities.
• Being delicate material losses are more and little
attention is given to maintain the quality.
• This sector could get least attention; therefore, both
consumer and producer are at loss, whereas
middleman is earning the huge profit.

62. Future thrust
 Standardization of raw materials for trade.
 Standardization of production technology for dry flowers.
 Standardization of processing and packing.
 Identification of markets for new products.
 Regulation of marketing strategies in various localities.
 Application of modern drying techniques for quality.
 Education & training for people to understand the concept &
product range market survey & information both at domestic
& international level.

63. Conclusion
• Dried flowers being cheap and everlasting are fast becoming a
favorite among the adventurous flower lovers across the globe
some what on the expense of fresh flowers.
• Liberalization of Exim policy (India New Foreign Trade Policy
2009 - 2014 also known as Indian New Exim Policy) in India
has paved the way for increased export of floricultural
products and the contribution of dried flowers is enormous.
The organized research and production of dry flowers in the
country by making use of rich bio-diversity and cheap labour
would further trigger the growth of floriculture industry.