Learned the hard way about using silica gel for hydrangeas

I've been drying hydrangeas for years just hanging them upside down in my basement in Portland. But last summer I decided to try silica gel for the first time because my blue hydrangeas kept turning brown on the edges. I grabbed a 5 pound bag from the craft store and buried the blooms for about 4 days. Honest to god the color stayed perfect, bright blue like the day I cut them. The problem was I got impatient and pulled them out a day early, so a few petals were still a bit damp. They got moldy within a week and I had to toss about 6 out of 10 stems. What I learned is you gotta wait the full time, maybe even an extra day for thick headed varieties. Has anyone else had luck keeping color on dark purple hydrangeas with silica? I'm trying those next month.

1 comments

1 Comment

kim.emma7d ago

Oh man, the mold thing is the worst. I did the same thing with some pink ones a couple years back, except I left them in the silica too long by accident and they got super brittle. One petal basically disintegrated when I touched it (like dust, seriously). For dark purple hydrangeas, I've actually had pretty good luck just hanging them in a dark closet with a dehumidifier running nearby, no silica at all. The color darkens a bit but it stays rich, almost like a deep wine shade. Might be worth trying before you commit another bag of silica to the experiment.