How to Dry Purple Fountain Grass
Tip
A little spray of hair spray will keep the seeds in longer if they seem a little too dry.
Dry them upright in a vase and they will retain a curved shape.
Purple fountain grass is such a colorful addition to the perennial garden, that it is hard to think that such a gorgeous plant is going to die back over the winter. Of course, you can harvest some of the fronds and dry them for an attractive and striking dried flower arrangement.
Collect your purple fountain grass in the morning after the dew has dried. When you are choosing which fronds to cut for drying, choose ones that are the youngest and not the oldest. The seed fheads will continue to ripen after they are cut and s you have waited too long, all the seeds will just fall out and you will be left with an empty grass head.
Remove any blades of grass along the stem by pulling them backyards. As the plant dries out, the blades will just curl and shrivel so it looks nice to have a clean stem.
- Purple fountain grass is such a colorful addition to the perennial garden, that it is hard to think that such a gorgeous plant is going to die back over the winter.
- The seed fheads will continue to ripen after they are cut and s you have waited too long, all the seeds will just fall out and you will be left with an empty grass head.
Gather the cut fronds of fountain grass together so that they are all facing the same direction. Hold all the stems together and bundle them with the rubber band. Make the band snug but not so tight as to break the stems.
Hang the bunch up side down and into an open brown paper bag.They will dry without the bag but if you can dry them in darkness, they will retain more of their pretty purple coloring. It will also prevent dust and spiderwebs from collecting on them. Gather the opening of the bag together so it is bunched up around the stem of the grasses.
Hang up the bundled grasses in a cool dry place such as a closet or garage. The plant should be sufficiently dry within 6 weeks to use in dried flower arrangements.
- Gather the cut fronds of fountain grass together so that they are all facing the same direction.
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Tips
- A little spray of hair spray will keep the seeds in longer if they seem a little too dry.
- Dry them upright in a vase and they will retain a curved shape.
Writer Bio
Maryland resident Heide Braley is a professional writer who contributes to a variety of websites. She has focused more than 10 years of research on botanical and garden articles and was awarded a membership to the Society of Professional Journalists. Braley has studied at Pennsylvania State University and Villanova University.
