Lavender has a variety of uses. However, to get the most out of its benefits, it is often required that you use dried buds. From culinary creations to aromatherapy, dried lavender is incredibly versatile. By preserving your fresh lavender, you can ensure that its fragrance and utility remain for years to come. We get several questions from customers each day inquiring about how you can preserve dried lavender. To help everyone get started, we are going to go through a comprehensive guide on how to preserve your plants. We’ll discuss how to harvest, how to dry from fresh, and how to ensure your dried plants stay vibrant. Follow along below as we go over the 411 on preserving dried lavender!

A Prelude About Lavender Harvesting

Before you can dry your plants, you need to harvest them from the stalk. Lavender’s main harvesting period occurs during the summer. In most climates, the months from June to August are the most ideal for harvesting. This is because lavender is typically in full bloom at this point. When you go to cut back your plants, it is critical that you do so on a dry day. Harvesting your plants after it has rained or when it’s damp out, increases the risk of mould development during the drying process. If you want to learn more about harvesting and maintaining your plants check out the article we wrote! 

Once you’ve got your fresh flowers, you’re ready to start the drying process. There are several ways that you can go about this. From rack drying to vase drying, we’ll take a look at some of the most effective ways to preserve your plants. 

How to Dry Lavender From Fresh?

If you’ve never dried lavender before then take our word because we have experimented with many different ways to dry this plant. We’re always looking for ways to efficiently take care of our plants post-harvest. Since we are a small farm we must develop methods that are efficient and effective at the same time. From our experience, we have listed the most common and effective methods for drying and preserving lavender below. We recommend laying your lavender out on a wire rack to dry it. This is the simplest way to avoid mould. Storing your lavender loose in sealed cardboard boxes out of the sunlight in a cool space is the best way to store it until you’re ready to use it.

Rack Drying Lavender

Rack drying is the most effective way to dry your lavender in bulk. This is how we do it at our farm. We then store it loose in sealed cardboard boxes until it’s time to bundle and ship an order.  To do this, all you need is a wire rack and a temperate, place away from full sun. Start by separating any weeds or debris from the lavender stems. You want to sort through your bundles before you dry them because dried lavender is delicate. Rummaging through the stems after drying could lead to a loss of buds. Once you’ve sorted, you can place your lavender on the wire rack. Do not stack bundles too high or moisture will get trapped between the stems and mould will grow. Leave the plants to dry, untouched for a few weeks or until brittle. 

Drying Lavender In a Vase

If you only want to dry a small amount of lavender, this can easily be done in a vase. Separate your lavender stems from any weeds and place them into a vase without water. Make sure that the vase is big enough that the lavender has plenty of space between each stem. If your flowers go mouldy, it’s likely because there wasn’t enough room between them. Leave them in the vase, untouched for a few weeks, or until they appear brittle! Be warned that sometimes drying in a vase can lead to crooked or curved stems.

Hanging Lavender Bundles to Dry

Another way to dry your lavender is to hang it upside down by the stems. Start off the same as in the above two methods and sort through your stems. Then, get some twine and form small bundles (roughly one inch in diameter or the size of a toonie). You can then hang these by the stems in a temperate, dark place. Similar to drying in a vase, there is the risk that drying upside down can lead to crooked or curved stems.

Fair warning that hang-drying wrapped bundles that are too big will almost certainly promote mould growth. It’s advisable to keep your hanging bundles very small and check them daily. The mould will start on the stems and will be dark and fuzzy. When it spreads to the floret it will take on a pink colour and the floret will be very crumbly to the touch. 

Preserve Dried Lavender With These Tips!

Once your lavender buds are dry, you may be curious about how you can store them so that they remain fresh and fragrant. Although, it’s worth noting that if you’ve dried your lavender properly, you shouldn’t need to worry too much about your flowers maintaining their freshness. 

With this in mind, there are still a few things that can be done to ensure the most optimal conditions. For instance, storing your buds in a dark place. Keeping lavender away from direct sunlight or humidity is essential in preserving its colour and freshness. Placing your dried lavender in a cellar, cupboard or cardboard box is a good idea. You’ll also want to ensure that it’s in an airtight container so that it doesn’t lose its fragrance as quickly. Jars, Tupperware, and vacuum-sealed bags are all great for storage. 

Contact us to Learn More About How to Preserve Dried Lavender!

Stay tuned to our website and socials for more tips about how to use and preserve dried lavender!  You can do so by following us on social media, checking our website, and reading our blog for the latest news and information! As always, if you have any questions about our lavender farm Kelowna, feel free to contact us. Or, if you have any inquiries about Lavender Jack’s, don’t hesitate to reach out.