Postharvest Techniques and Management for Dry Flowers / P. Aruna et.al.

01. Introduction 02. History of Dry Flowers 03. Dry Flower Industry 04. Harvesting of Dry Flowers 05. Natural and Air Drying 06. Press Drying 07. Drying by Embedding 08. Drying in Microwave Oven 09. Freeze Dried Flowers 10. Bleaching Flowers and Foliage 11. Natural and Chemical Dyes 12. Techniques to Dye Dried Flowers and Foliage 13. Methods to Create Skeleton Leaves 14. Annual Plants for Dry Flower Making 15. Perennial Plants for Dry Flower Making 16. Dried Grasses 17. Drying Foliage 18. Dried Petals 19. Dried Fruits and Pods 20. Artificial Flowers 21. Principles of Floral Arrangement 22. Value Added Dry Flower Products 23. Packing and Storage 24. Drift Wood 25. Review of Research in Dry Flower Technology

There are many reasons for drying plant materials and one of them is the abundance of available materials. It is estimated that about 80% of flower species can be dried and preserved successfully. Sophisticated training and expensive equipment are not needed to come up with variety of designs. Unlike fresh flowers that easily lose their marketable value and quality, dried ornamentals offer longer periods of sale if properly preserved, packaged, and handled. Another unique characteristic of dried ornamental is their versatility. They can be arranged into different crafts according to one's preferred style, design, and use. With the following contents the book is an attempt to popularize dry flower technology among students of horticulture, agriculture and amateurs