How to Dry Weed Plants

Overview

If weeds are simply plants out of place, they are out of place in a lot of places. They bloom prolifically by the side of any road. Like most low-moisture plants, common weeds are easy to dry for use in dried arrangements, either as focal plants or filler. Preserving methods range from simple to complex, depending on what variety of weed you are drying and how long you want it to last. When you talk about weeds, there is an endless supply and variety from which to choose.

Air Drying

Step 1

Cut as much stem as possible. Strip as many of the leaves from each stem as possible on stems picked for flowers.

Step 2

Turn stems over and tie several together with cotton string. Be careful not to crowd blooms.

Step 3

Hang bunches in a warm basement or other dry place where the air circulates freely. Avoid places like garages where the wind blows through and can tangle your bunches. If plants are too small to hang, lay them on a small, framed piece of screening, laid on four bricks.

Step 4

Check stems after three or four weeks for dryness. Once stems are dry, spray them with lacquer or hair spray to help them hold together as they are used in arrangements.

Step 5

Check stems after three or four weeks for dryness. Once stems are dry, spray them with lacquer or hair spray to help them hold together as they are used in arrangements.

Pressing Weed Plants

Step 1

Choose pressing for delicate flowers and plants to be used in flat projects. Cut the stem and lay it on a sheet of newspaper on top of several sheets of cardboard. Arrange flowers and leaves to create a good side of the plant.

Step 2

Fold the newspaper over on top of the flower. Lay a piece of cardboard on top, covering the part of the plant you want to press completely.

Step 3

Stack as many plants as you wish in newspaper between cardboard (more plants will take longer to dry) and top with several layers of cardboard.

Step 4

Tie the "book" up with string, set a board and some books on top and check after several weeks.

Using Desiccants

Step 1

Use materials that draw the moisture out of delicate flowers and stems that should be dried quickly. Lay the plant on a bed of material in a box that fits its basic shape and then bury the plant, arranging leaves and petals as you bury it. Drying time ranges from minutes to days.

Step 2

Use clean white sand for an inexpensive desiccant. It is the heaviest of desiccants, so choose sturdier plants with which to experiment. If the plant does not dry fast enough, add two parts borax to each part of sand and add a tablespoon of salt to each quart of the mixture.

Step 3

Mix equal parts of borax and cornmeal for more delicate forms; add up to three parts of cornmeal to one of borax to slow down the drying process.

Step 4

Invest in some silica gel (the material that comes in little packets with optical equipment) to dry plants quickly and maintain original color with accuracy. This fairly expensive material must be used in an airtight container.