The fresh flowers are perishable in nature and have limited life, due to this we can’t keep these flowers for very long time but now the charm of fresh flowers can be maintained and preserved from few months to years by the technique of drying. Such dried flowers become free from bondage of season. In Indian flower export dried flowers have been contributing nearly 70% of the total export. Bottle brush is a small evergreen tree, grows up to 7-8 meter height and bears bottle brush shaped crimson-red inflorescence on drooping branches. Its flower generally blooms during October-November but its inflorescence has very limited life, therefore we can’t enjoy their beauty for long time or round the year. But now it is possible by preserving its beauty by the technique of drying. Therefore for study of drying techniques and their effect on different ornamental parameters of bottle brush flowers, experiments were conducted at the Department of Vegetable Science and Floriculture, CSKHPKV, Palampur. In these experiments inflorescence of bottle brush were taken for study and subject to drying in twenty treatment combinations of five embedding materials viz. open drying (E₀), boric acid (E₁), silica gel (E₂), sand (E₃) and saw dust (E₄) and four drying methods viz. room temperature (D₁), hot air oven (D₂), microwave oven (D₃) and solar drier (D₄) at different temperature level and for varied duration. Standardized temperature level and time duration for drying were recorded in each treatment and then these standardized techniques were evaluated for knowing best drying techniques for this plant. Evaluation of best drying techniques and their effect on different ornamental parameters of bottle brush flowers were performed on the basis of evaluation of different ornamental parameters of flowers viz. colour, shape, texture and overall ornamental value and best drying techniques have been worked out i.e. (I) embedded drying in silica gel and hot air oven at 45^o C for 18 hours. (II) embedded drying in silica gel and room temperature for 9 days; (III) embedded drying in silica gel and microwave oven at 450 wt for 2+2 minutes. It was also found that dried flowers of bottle brush can be used in preparing various dried floral crafts e.g. flower arrangement in vases/ pots, swags, wall hangings, floral jewellery, rangooli etc.

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