What to Do with Dead Flowers?

What to Do with Dead Flowers

You don’t need to throw away dead flowers. Instead, you can refurbish your old flowers to make various home decor items that can go nicely in your home and office. You can also create compost, providing valuable nutrients to other healthy plants and flowers.

 

So, can dead flowers come back to life? Can you propagate a dead flower or create compost from it? What do florists tend to do with dead flowers? Can you make home decor or pressed flowers from dead flowers? Can you make a dried bouquet/flower arrangement with dead flowers? Do dried flowers bring bad luck?

 

Here is the complete breakdown of what to do with dead flowers.

 

Can Dead Flowers Come Back to Life?

Can Dead Flowers Come Back to Life

Start by washing your vase with warm water, soap, sugar, and vinegar to revive dead flowers or plants. The vinegar and sugar solution (2:1) can help fight the bacterial growth that threatens your flowers. You can also use plant food if you do not have sugar or vinegar.

 

Once your water solution is ready, cut the flower stems at a 45-degree angle. Along with that cut, remove the extra foliage underwater in the water and any dead leaves on the plant.

 

Watch your flowers over the next few days to see if they have improved. If they have not improved, do not worry, there are plenty of things to do with flowers after they have died.

 

Can You Propagate a Dead Flower?

Can You Propagate a Dead Flower

Your best bet for propagating a dead flower is early in its death cycle. For instance, if some flower petals or leaves are stronger than others, you want to make that propagation cut there since that has the best chance to yield new growth. Trying to propagate weak or brittle areas on a plant will be less likely to succeed with propagation.

 

As a reminder, propagating a plant is relatively simple. You take a cut from an existing plant that contains nodes and either put that into new soil or a fresh cup of water. From there, you want to give the new cut a few weeks to settle and grow roots. Once the roots form, you can place them into fresh soil, provide them with water, and let them settle into their new home.

 

Can You Compost Dead Flowers?

Can You Compost Dead Flowers

Composing dead flowers is an excellent idea if you want to give organic nutrients to other plants you have. You can place the dead flowers directly into your compost bin, or you can cup them / shred them. No matter what you decide, you should add water to the compost mix when you add dead flowers to it to allow them to break down quicker.

 

However, there are a few things to remember before composting your flowers.

 

If your flowers are diseased or treated with toxic herbicides, avoid putting them in the compost, as they will inhibit the decomposition process and possibly spread the disease. Remember that flowers fed with plant food or other natural solutions like vinegar and sugar might also affect the positive bacterial growth in your compost.

 

What Do Florists Tend to Do with Dead Flowers?

Once a bouquet is dead and unsellable, most florists will find creative ways to recycle the plants, like making potpourri. When the flowers wilt, many florists will remove the buds from the stems and lay them out to dry or use a dehydrating machine to dry them. Once the buds are dry, florists combine the dry petals with other ingredients like dried fruit or cinnamon to create vibrant fragrances.

 

Another way florists recycle unsold flowers is by casing them in acrylic and selling the showpiece. Casing and selling them is an excellent way to preserve the shape and color of the flowers, though it may be time-consuming and extensive.

 

Can You Make Home Decor with Dead Flowers?

Can You Make Home Decor with Dead Flowers

You can refurbish your dead flowers in many ways to create beautiful home decor. Once your flowers are dead, you can press them in a book for at least ten days, arrange them in a picture frame, hang them on the wall, or make pressed flower art. You can use a shadowbox to preserve your wedding or anniversary bouquet as a keepsake.

 

If you notice your flowers starting to wilt, you can use string to hang them upside down so that when they dry, they dry upright, and you can place them back in a vase for a beautiful dead floral arrangement.

 

After drying your dead flowers, you can use them to make confetti, coasters, and craft projects. When making DIY home decor with your dead flowers, your creativity is the only limit.

 

Can You Create Pressed Flowers from Dead Flowers?

Can You Create Pressed Flowers from Dead Flowers

You want to press your dead flowers before they dry, as dry flowers will merely crumble once pressed. Here are the steps to take to press dead flowers.

 

  1. Take a book and two pieces of parchment paper.
  2. Lay the flower in between the paper.
  3. Close the book with a weight on top.
  4. Wait ten days before removing the flowers from the book.

 

While pressing flowers seems simple, it can be tricky if you are trying to showcase a specific part of the flower or if you are pressing for a particular project. For the most part, it takes time and experimentation to figure out how to press in just the way you want.

 

Can You Create a Dried Bouquet / Flower Arrangement with Dead Flowers?

Can You Create a Dried Bouquet Flower Arrangement with Dead Flowers

While most prefer a bouquet of live flowers, creating a dried bouquet using dead flowers is possible. Once your flowers start to die, you can dry them by laying them out in the sun or hanging them upside down on string by a window with plenty of sunlight. Once your flowers are dried, you can arrange your bouquet however you please.

 

Most florists suggest cutting the stems at varying lengths to create a naturally staggered effect. Plus, it is vital to map out your vision beforehand, from the size of the vase to the colors of your flowers, to determine how you will cut your stems and ultimately design your arrangement.

 

Can You Make Homemade Potpourri?

Once your dead flowers are dried, you can remove the petals and combine them with other dried ingredients such as lavender, rosemary, pinecones, and whatever plants you wish.

 

You can find various recipes online that typically call for essential oil or fixative to be combined with your mixture, after which you will store it in a container for anywhere between four to six weeks.

 

Do Dried Flowers Bring Bad Luck?

Dried flowers do not bring bad luck but have historically been associated with misfortune because they are dead. However, dried dead flowers can still evoke positive energy. Many like to save their wedding or anniversary bouquets to preserve happy memories. Though different from fresh flowers, dried flowers still have a whimsical and beautiful appearance that brightens a room.

 

Conclusion: What to Do with Dead Flowers?

In summary, there are many things you can do with your dead flowers instead of chucking them into the trash can. You can save them to decorate, make potpourri, compost, and even propagate them. In some cases, your flowers may still be able to be saved before wilting for good.

 

While some may associate dead flowers with bad luck, they are still a beautiful addition to your home decor and can be a great way to preserve memories from a wedding or other special occasion.

 

In conclusion, when you are asked “what to do what dead flowers,” you will have plenty of ideas to consider after reading this guide!

 

Similar Posts:

How to Make Perfume from Flowers

How to Make Flowers Last Longer

Hawaii State Flower

How to Get Rid of Dandelions in Your Yard

What Does a Hibiscus Flower Mean?

Clematis Flower Meaning

How to Remove Grass from Garden

How to Prepare Your Garden for Spring

Wat Does a Poppy Flower Mean?

Alabama State Flower

How to Press Flowers in a Book

Narcissus Flower Meaning

Florida State Flower

Bird of Paradise Flower Meaning

Daisy Flower Meaning

What Does a Lotus Flower Mean?

Iris Flower Meaning

What Do Red Roses Mean?