Flower Drying Techniques for Orchids

Dry and pressed flowers can be used for many purposes, such as making decorative floral craft items, greeting cards and covers, wall hangings, floral designs, calendars, floral balls, festive decorations and other creative displays. Dry flowers are essential export items both in Indian and International markets and the Indian export basket is composed of 71% dry flowers which are exported to mainly the USA, Japan, Australia, Russia and Europe. The demand for dry flowers is increasing at an impressive rate of 8-10 per cent annually thus offering a lot of opportunities for Indian entrepreneurs to enter into the global floricultural trade. A number of flowers respond well to drying techniques such as orchids, anemone, zinnia, allium, sweet william, carnation, stock, freesia, narcissus, chrysanthemum, pansy, daffodils, marigold, rose, lilies, foliage like ferns, aspidistra, eucalyptus, ivy, laurel, magnolia and mahonia etc. Drying is generally done under artificially produced heat and controlled temperature, humidity and airflow. For the removal of water from fresh flowers and plant parts, the optimum temperature needs to be determined, otherwise, the quality of the product can be affected. A number of drying techniques such as air drying, sun drying, press drying, embedded drying, microwave drying, freeze drying, molecular sieve drying and cryo-drying used in orchids are narrated in depth. Preservation techniques and value addition of dry flowers with special reference to orchids are discussed in detail. The study concluded that drying techniques could help uplift the economic status of many rural people, floriculturists, self-help groups, FPOs, traders and entrepreneurs.