How to Grow an Everlasting Dried Flower Business

Air dry the flowers. Wait until they have bloomed before harvesting. Pick them in the late morning when the blooms are fully open and the morning dew has evaporated. Tie them together in small bunches with string or rubber bands and hang them heads down in a dark, dry place for a few weeks. A dry shed or barn is ideal. Humidity in any form will cause mold to grow on the flowers.

Wrap each bunch, once dried, in tissue paper and store in a cardboard box. Seal with tape to keep bugs and humidity out.

Dry roses and other fleshy flowers in silica gel. Place the blooms upright in a bed of silica gel in a plastic container. Cover them gently with more silica gel. Close the lid and leave in a cool place, checking periodically until they are fully dried. These flowers are more delicate than the other type and must be handled with great care once dried.

Investigate potential markets. Visit florists to find out if they have a need for dried flowers. Make appointments and meet with wedding planners, funeral homes, plant nurseries and wholesalers. Research dried-flower sales on the Internet. Take a booth in a local farmer's market and enter craft shows. Selling is the hardest part of any business, but if you persevere and are not impatient, your business will eventually grow.

Locate extra growing land. If your business expands to a point where you cannot keep up with the demand, you may need to lease land in which to grow more flowers. The other alternative is to purchase the flowers from a wholesale market and dry them yourself. This may make your profit smaller, but will save you the costs of growing the plants.