Almost anything will suffice as a vase, as long as it holds enough water for several days for the flowers.Ĭhange the water as needed. Make sure all flower stems have access to water. Use a Clean VaseĪrrange the flowers as you see fit in a sturdy, clean vase. This means you will need to change the water more frequently. Leaves that are submerged in water will likely rot and quickly discolor the water. If you don't have a floral preservative – skip it – clean water without additives is second best. In fact, some of these materials can shorten the vase life of cut flowers. Sugar, aspirin, tea, pennies, rusty nails, bleach, citric acid, and other ingredients do not work as well as a floral preservative. Floral preservatives are designed to help keep the water clean, provide carbohydrates or sugars to the developing flowers, and generally extend the vase-life of almost all flowers. Purchase a floral preservative from a florist or garden center. After removing the stem from the plant, cut the bottom inch of the stem again, crosswise this time, prior to placing it in the vase.Ĭare of Cut Flowers Use a Floral Preservative Stems of woody plants like lilac may need to be cut twice to ensure adequate water uptake. Simply hold the cut end over a candle flame for a few seconds until the flow of sap stops. Stems that exude a milky sap, may need to be singed or burned slightly to prevent excess sap loss. Some Species Need Special CareĬertain plant species involve special treatment. A refrigerator can work well for short-term storage of many cut flowers. For longer-term storage, 33° to 35☏ is the ideal temperature. ![]() If it will be more than a day or two, cooler temperatures will be even better. If they will not be used or arranged right away, store cut flowers in temperatures between 40° and 60☏. Keeping blooms as cool as possible (without freezing) will extend their vase life. The faster the stems are hydrated, the longer they will last. If you are cutting flowers from your garden – take a vase or bucket of water with you. Place the flowers in water as quickly as possible. Many cut flower growers harvest early in the morning – near sunrise – for best blooms. Flowers are most turgid in the morning before the heat and stress of the day. Some flowers should be cut in the bud stage, while others should be fully open. The appropriate time to cut flowers depends on the species of plant. Harvest at the Right TimeĬut flowers at the proper stage of development and when they are most turgid (fully hydrated). You want to cut the stems cleanly without crushing them. Use a sharp, clean knife or shears when cutting flowers. Use these tips to get the most out of flowers harvested from your garden. Harvest & Conditioning | Care | Good Species from the Garden for Cut Flowers | More Information If you cut flowers from your own garden, there are several things that can be done to condition those flowers to ensure they stay fresh, colorful, and vibrant for as long as possible. No prior experience is necessary to harvest flowers for bouquets. Spring, summer, and fall are a great time to bring the garden indoors with cut flowers.
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