Cut Flowers

How can you ensure that cut flowers from a flower shop or the garden will last as long as possible?

Some factors, such as the temperature at which the flowers were cut and shipped,  the time it took to reach the retail outlet ,can shorten their life and are not under your control.

Most people simply put flowers in water and hope for the best,with out realizing they have some control over vase life.

Because cut flowers age faster than those on the plants, it is important to understand the conditions that affect the length of their life.

Water and temperature play important roles. If flowers wilt and cannot takeup water, they die. Reducing the temperature in which they are kept will slow their aging. Lowlight intensity, low relative humidity and fast air movement will shorten their life.

Flowers need food even after they have been cut and they can still take in in.

Put them in water containing flower food. A number of flower foods are available commercially. Their effectiveness appears to be influenced by local conditions. Since no one flower food has gained universal acceptance, it is best to contact a flower shop for a suitable product.

But ! You can make your own too.

They all have the same basic ingredients:

For a plant sugar is food, that is what the leaves make through photosynthesis

Flower food should contain sugar,

And something to kill bacteria  . .  a regular household bleach will do (see below)

and an acidifier to help prevent blocking of stems by material produced by the flowers.

You can use Vit C for that, but a little vinegar will do just as well. (see below)

The following steps can increase the life of your cut flowers:use a sharp knife or shears to trim one to two centimetres from the bottom of the stems. This will help them take up water by exposing a fresh surface. The cut can be straight across or on a slant:

-remove foliage that would be below the water level to eliminate a possible source of decay.

-use cold water on a hot day but for wilted flowers use warm water (45 degrees C) in a clean container. Warm water will move into the stems faster than cold. Don't do it with  roses unless they're tight budded, they'd open too quickly (they "blow")

NB: Vases that have been used before (most of the time) you should really disinfect the vase with a little bit of bleach and sunsequently rinse thoroughly.

-put flower food in the water. If you don't have any put at least some citric acid, (VitC will do) and a bit of sugar in the water.

-place the flowers in the warm water. If they are limp, cover

-place the flowers in a location that is bright, but out ofdirect sunlight and away from heat sources and drafts.

-when the flowers are not on display, their life can be lengthened by putting them where the temperature is lower than room temperature. Locations as cool as two degrees C can be used. A refrigerator or cold room will be fine as long as unsealed fruits and vegetables are not present. They produce ethylene,which will shorten the life of the flowers.

-if the flowers start to wilt, these steps can be repeated.

This procedure also can be used to extend the life of floral designs arranged before delivery. It will give you the challenge of dismantling and rearranging the display, as well as lengthening the time you can enjoy the flowers.

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Sustainable horticultural information, offered free of charge to the public with the support of the University of Saskatchewan Extension Division, the Department of Plant Sciences and the Provincial Government

Several different kinds of Chrysanthemums that make excellent cut flowers

A Variety of excellent cut flowers

Delphinium

Gypsophila

Helianthus

Hydrangea

Statice

Liatris

Lillium

How to keep the water as clean as possible and still not having to replace it every second day?

Put a germicide in it. Nothing fancy, just regular household bleach.

If your bleach is the regular 4% bleach,

(most no-name brands are 1%, while Our Complimenst is 3%) make your germicide by putting 15 drops (1/4 teaspoon) in one litre of water. This gives a concentration of between 10 and 30 parts per million. This won't harm the plants and will extend their vase life

Alstroemeria, Peruvian Lily,    Inca Lily

Still, the water should be replaced every three days

If you can, cut the stems under water. When a stem is cut, tiny airbubbles move into the tiny xylums (water vessels) and make it difficult for the water to pass. The good news is the air does not move far and cutting off an inch will get rid of the air.

Research  has shown that especially roses, chrysanthemums, gladiolus and snapdragons, when wilted will recover quite dramatically when an inch is cut off the stem underwater

Once re-cut under water, you may then hold them out of the water for a few minutes without harm, for transfer to a vase or floral foam

Always cut at an angle : more exposure and less chance of  bottom restriction.

Smashing woody stems - as was formerly recommended- is an absolute no-no.

What kind of water do cut flowers  like?

(apart from being germ free)

The pH of tap water is usually on the high side for flowers so a little acidifying would help

5ml of vinegar per litre of water would do that (one teaspoon).

And since the leaves don't produce the sugars anymore in cut flowers you'd have to add a bit of sugar. Regular sucrose (cane sugar) will do

Two teaspoons per litre will make a good food. But never put sugar in the water without a germicide and without some acidification. Without a little acidic environment it is difficult for flowers to take up the "sticky" solutions

Home & Garden

A Quick Guide to a Long Life for you cut flowers

So really three things are most important:

  SugarFood

  Bleach      Kill Germs

  Vinegar.     Prevent the plant from killing itself