What to do, how and why...
all explained!
For Bouquets, Posies, Hand Tied Bouquets, and Cut Flowers
-Remove all wrapping and tying material except for hand tied bouquets. -Remove leaves that will go under water.
-Where design allows, remove leaves that will be inside the vase.
-Even if flowers arrive wet-wrapped, always recut the stems at least 2cm off before placing them in a vase. This is very important to remove air bubbles in the xylem vessel which causes blockage. It is best done under water but you can have the vase of water ready and place them immediately in water after cutting.
-Change water and recut the stems as required. Using flower preservatives reduces the need for changing water.
For Arrangements in floral foams
-For transportation, we can not add much water to your arrangement. Flowers will be fine with the water contained in the floral foam for several hours but please top them up with water as soon as possible. If they were delivered to your work or you are taking the arrangement somewhere else, it is fine to top up the water after they arrive where they will be displayed.
-Floral foams need to be kept wet because once they dry out they won’t re-wet properly. Drying out can occur to the top part only so give them deep water and check the water level daily. Floral foams are hidden but the corners are cut for ease of putting your finger in to check the water level.
-Please use flower preservative solution to top it up.
For Vox arrangements
-We have added flower preservative to the water. If you are transferring flowers to your vase, use the solution. Please use the sachet of flower preservative attached when you change or add water.
-Change water and recut the stems as required.
Where to display flowers
The ideal place to display flowers is the least ideal place to dry your washing. This means no direct sunlight, low temperature, high humidity and no draught. Also, they need to be kept away from sources of ethylene, a gas that works as a plant hormone and which can reduce vase life of cut flowers significantly.
Humidity
Bear in mind the microclimate around the flowers is often different from the room they are in. Unless the air is very dry, you don’t need to worry about humidity too much because it is a quite tricky subject. Excess humidity is harmful to many flowers, notably roses. If this is the case, encourage ventilation. When it is very hot, a fine mist of spray (but never wet) helps reduce their respiration rate resulting longer vase life.
Sources of Ethylene
-Ripening fruit and vegetables - notably apple, banana, melon, mango, peach, pear, persimmon, avocado, broccoli, capsicum and Brussels sprouts
-cigarette smoke
-exhaust gas
- Flowers themselves - especially when they are old, damaged or stressed (e.g. dehydration, high temperature or being exposed to the wind).
To reduce ethylene affecting cut flowers
-Remove finished flowers, yellowing and fallen leaves.
-Encourage ventilation in and around the vase. Because ethylene is mainly emitted from the leaves, removing leaves which would be within the vase helps.
-Keep temperature low and maintain humidity around the flowers
-Use flower preservatives
Cutting stems under water
This method has been used in Japan for hundreds of years. You can condition most plant material in this way.
-In a clean bucket or a bowl, cut stems aslant to take at least 2 cm off under water. Give it at least a few seconds before taking them out of the water.
-If the flowers are dehydrated (if badly dehydrated wrap them in newspaper first to support them), use deep water and repeat this 2 or 3 times (can be less than 2 cm this time) and leave them in water in a cool place for an hour or longer. The deeper in water you cut, the better because water pressure helps water uptake. Be careful not to wet the flowers.
Aslant or straight?
It is often said to cut the stems aslant but provided that they are well-conditioned, some flowers are best cut straight.
These include:
flowers with hollow stems - e.g. gerberas, amaryllises, anemones, bells of Irelands, daffodils, delphiniums
flowers with fleshy stems - e.g., calla lilies, tulips, hyacinths
Flowers that have no difficulty in taking up water such as sunflowers, irises, lilies, carnations and celosias are better cut straight as well to make them last longer.
How much water?
Generally, flowers with hard or woody stems such as roses, lilacs and hydrangeas require deeper water.
Flowers with ‘hairy’ stems such as sunflowers, gerberas and poppies are better given shallow water, especially when the temperature is high, to avoid the stems rotting. When using little water for sunflowers check the water level often as they can drink water at a surprising rate. You may need a weight inside the vase to prevent it from tipping over when using little water for long stems or heavy flowers.
Anthers (pollen sacs)
- To avoid stains remove anthers (pollen sacs) from lilies as the flowers open. It helps to prolong their vase life as well. You can treat amaryllises in the same way. Flowers are programmed to shed their petals once fertilized to move to the next stage of their lives - reproduction.
-Never rub or try to wash them off with water. It only makes the pollens cling on to the surface more.
-The best way is to leave the stain to dry completely (no heat please), then dust it off (where possible, from underneath) or vacuum. Sticky tapes can be used at this stage.
-Because pollens contain oil, kitchen detergents can be used to remove stains. Apply it directly and let the detergent draw up the stains. Do not rub.
Recovering wilted flowers
If you see signs of wilting, take action immediately! The flowers are more likely to recover if treated sooner. Remove more leaves, new growth and unnecessary buds (too small ones won’t open in a vase). Wrap them in newspaper and try cutting stems under water.
Water temperature
Hot water treatment to come