How To Make Cut Flowers Last Twice as Long
August 2019 Issue
by Mary Hunt
Whether they come from your garden, from the market or as a gift, you can persuade cut flowers to remain beautiful for at least a week—maybe two, or even longer—when you are careful to follow a few fabulous flower secrets.
The first thing is to know the enemy. Actually, there are two: bacteria and drought. Defeat both, and your flowers will last and last. You will be amazed!
START WITH A CLEAN VASE: Scrub it with soap and hot water. Rinse well. And fill with tap water.
DISINFECT: Add 1/4 teaspoon of liquid chlorine bleach for each quart of water. This will slow down the growth of bacteria and fungus in the water without harming or affecting the flowers. Measure carefully! Trying to eyeball this very weak ratio could backfire.
REMOVE LEAVES BELOW THE WATER LINE: Remove any stem leaves that will be below the water line. Submerged leaves will quickly rot and promote bacteria and algae growth.
CONDITION THE STEMS: Cut flowers will die of thirst even when standing in water if the stems have not been conditioned to draw that water all the way to the blooms. That’s because when cut, a flower stem quickly seals its “wound,” preventing it from drawing water.
Just before plunging the stems into the vase, cut stems at a 45-degree angle to allow the greatest amount of water possible to be absorbed.
CHANGE THE WATER EVERY DAY: The moment that water turns cloudy, you know bacteria is present. Cloudy water is proof positive that bacteria are having a field day in that vase. Change it every day, filling back up with the same formula of 1/4 teaspoon liquid bleach per quart of water, and quickly snip a bit from the end of each stem before plunging them back into the water.
WOODY STEMS: Some flowers like lilacs, dogwood, crab apple, azalea, camellia and forsythia have woody stems. They look more like branches than stems and require a specific treatment to help them draw water.
Split the last 2 inches of the stem with a sharp knife. Next, pound that part with a hammer until it is well frayed. Then the stem will allow water to draw all the way to the blooms.
STEMS WITH NODES: Certain types of flowers require different, yet specific, stem treatments. For example, when cutting carnations and similar flowers with spaced bumps on the stems, make your cut between the nodes of the stalk. This allows the flower to more easily draw the water it needs.
LILIES AND THEIR STAMEN: Lilies, particularly the stargazer variety, have orange pollen that will leave a permanent stain on anything they touch, especially clothing and table linens. Carefully remove the stamen with small scissors before conditioning the stems for placement in the vase. This will lengthen bloom time and protect your hands, clothes and linens.
THORNY STEMS: When you purchase roses from a florist, the thorns have most likely been removed. When you purchase cut flowers from a flower mart, or cut them from your own garden, you will need to remove the thorns from the stems with a sharp knife, working from the top down to put less stress on the stem.
AH ... FLOWERS: There’s nothing quite as lovely as a bouquet of beautiful colorful cut flowers. Follow these simple tips and you’ll be able to display cut flowers with confidence and pride for much longer than only a few days. A few weeks sounds a lot better to me. Enjoy!
Mary invites questions, comments and tips at EverydayCheapskate.com, “Ask Mary a Question.” This column will answer questions of general interest, but letters cannot be answered individually. Mary Hunt is the founder of Debt-Proof Living, a personal finance member website and the author of the book Debt-Proof Living, Revell 2014. (C) 2019 Creators.com