Stumbled on a stat about eucalyptus drying times that blew my mind

I was looking up tips for preserving silver dollar eucalyptus and found a fact from a 2018 extension service article. Turns out it needs 3 to 4 weeks of hanging in a dark, dry spot with good airflow, not just a week like I always assumed. I've been rushing mine for years and wondering why they drooped after a month. Anyone else been doing this wrong and noticed a big difference after waiting longer?

2 comments

2 Comments

ryanprice23d agoTop Commenter

You know what, I always thought fast drying was better too but this actually makes me reconsider.

reese_perry623d ago

Funny you mention that 3-4 week rule. I actually tried it both ways once. Left a batch hanging the full 28 days in my garage, did a second batch the usual quick week in the same spot. The long batch? Got brittle and lost color faster. The week-long ones held their shape better and the silver stayed brighter. I think those extension articles are written for florists doing huge commercial volumes, not somebody hanging a few stems in their spare closet. Maybe the slower dry is for certain climates or species, but for standard silver dollar eucalyptus there's something to be said for getting it off the stem quicker.