We typed "how to care for cut flowers" into the Yahoo! search box and harvested a bushel of tips and tricks to keep a bouquet looking fresh longer.
First, before you put the flowers in a vase, cut the stems. Hold the stems underwater, and use a sharp knife to cut them on the diagonal. Don't use dull scissors because they can crush the stem and prevent the flowers from soaking up as much water as they need. Make sure to remove all the leaves and thorns that will be underwater in the vase. Leaves under the water line can cause bacteria and algae to form.
Next, prepare the water. Most flowers prefer lukewarm water, although spring flowers (such as tulips, irises, and daffodils) survive best in ice-cold water. A floral preservative can help the flowers last longer. You can use a store-bought preservative or make your own. Some recipes mix lemon with a little bleach, while others recommend a teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of bleach. However, some experts advise against any home concoctions because they don't provide the complex mixture of nutrients and preservatives that cut flowers need to survive.
Once your bouquet is in the vase, keep it out of direct sunlight and place it in a cool spot. Remove flowers as they wilt so they don't contaminate the rest of the bouquet. Change the water at least every two or three days, if not daily. Make sure to add more preservative to the water every time, and you can re-cut the stems to allow the flowers to absorb more water.
Some types of flowers benefit from special care. When lilies open, they show their pollen-covered anthers. To make cut lilies last longer (and prevent staining), remove these anthers. You can keep cut rosesfrom drooping by poking a pinhole in the stem right below the blossom. Don't mix daffodils and narcissi with other flowers because their cut stems emit a slime that's toxic to other flowers. And don't mix flowers and fruit in the same arrangement -- the fruit will make the flowers wilt faster.
If you follow these suggestions, most cut flowers will last about a week. Gladiolus, statice, liatris, and lisianthus will last up to 10 days, and carnations have been known to last 21 days with proper care.
One can easily apply Florafresh by following these simple steps:
- Mix one part of Florafresh to 10 parts of water.
- Use a clean sharp knife or shear in cutting the stems. This is necessary to prevent crushing the stem and to facilitate water/solution absorption in the cells. Remove leaves that are submerged in the solutions. Dead leaves trigger the growth of fungi and bacteria.
- Soak the cut flowers in about 1-inch deep solution. Florafresh is guaranteed as more effective compared to using plain water or other holding solutions because it lengthens the vase life of flowers two-folds or more. One can expect normal opening of flowers and better color retention of petals even if the flowers are harvested immaturely.
Aside from being easy to use, Florafresh is affordable. Growers need only to spend P3.50 to treat a dozen of cutflowers.
Ethylene adsorbent
Ethylene is a gas emitted by any harvested commodity. It causes ripening and deterioration in fruits, vegetables, and ornamentals. In cut flowers, when ethylene gas concentration is high, the petals start to fade and fall.
Ethylene adsorbent (EA) in sachet form is made up of indigenous waste materials that directly absorb ethylene gas from a storage space, transport container, or pack of various horticultural produce. One can experience its optimum results when used with modified atmosphere packaging and storage (MAP).
EA is effective in delaying the deterioration of important cutflowers such as chrysanthemum, gladioli, and white dendrobium. EA is so easy to use and is applicable both in treating small or large bulks of postharvest produce. When used with MAP, one should use the specified numbers of EA depending on MAP requirement. When dealing with large bulk loads, EA sachets should be evenly distributed within the shipment.
