Comments on: Cut flower tips

By: maxine

maxine — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 09:00:37 +0000

Could you please tell me if there is a way to stop hydrangeas from drooping. I am ordering some for a wedding from a wholesalers but need to place them in an arrangement – possible using oasis or alternatively just laying bracts from the head depending on size. I want them to last 24/36 hours and have also considered drying. Are you able to help please?

Hi Maxine
Here’s a hydrangea site that should help. Good luck with the wedding flowers. The wholesaler may also have some suggestions.

By: Alex

Alex — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 02:42:49 +0000

Hi, I have a lot of bougainvillea in my garden and love to have it inside in arrangements, but whenever I do it seems to start wilting almost immediately, and never lasts more than a day. Am I just doing something wrong, or is there a trick with bougainvillea? Thanks!

Hi Alex
Bougainvillea have a short vase life and seems to be affected by ethylene. There is some research on treating the stems with ethanol which inhibits ethylene production in order to increase the vase life. I have not been able to find any “secret” to keeping the “flowers” from wilting but will continue to search. It may need a longer conditioning period. Re-cut the stem,remove the lower foliage, place it in lukewarm water and cover it with plastic to increase the humidity for a few hours. Perhaps someone out there will have some input.

By: Amanda

Amanda — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 07:07:39 +0000

I used ginger in a flower arrangement and the next day it started turning a dark burgundy. And just got darker from there. When I was arranging it, I had cut it. Could that have been the problem? Because I have seen shorter stemmed arrangements where the ginger must have been cut. What did I do wrong?

Hi Amanda, Cutting the ginger stem would not have caused it to turn dk burgundy. Most likely, it was caused by improper storage such as too cold. This tropical flower needs to be stored at 50-55F. Another possiblity was that it was exposedf the ethylene gas from fruits & vegetables or just past its prime.

By: Kris

Kris — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 14:29:40 +0000

I was wondering if you could tell me what the best way to care for cut stargazer lilies. I was told you have to take the center out of them but i am not sure. I would appreciate any feedback you could give.
Thanks
Your site is very helpful and informative. I have bookmarked you for all my future needs.

Place your cut flowers in cool water with some floral preservative. To keep stargazer lilies longer you should remove the anther(male part of the plant)with the yellow pollen on it. Leaving it on shortens the life span of the flower. This is done with most lilies. Take care not to get the pollen on your clothes as it will stain. If you do, brush it off with a dry paper towel, that should remove most of it.

By: Suzanne

Suzanne — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:20:46 +0000

I am just starting to garden and would like some suggestion on what to plant. I want to plant a cut flower garden. I live in zone 17 and have a12 foot square area to garden. It has a south west exposure. Thank you very much for any help you can give me. Suzanne

Hi Suzanne
You can grow lots of cut flowers in zone 17 (S.F?) especially with a southern exposure. Look for plants that like full sun such as alstroemeria,cosmos, delphinium, dianthus, geraniums, gerbera, liatris, snapdragons, zinnia etc. What you need to do is pick out your favorite flowers. A garden center should have a good selection fo plants that do well in your area.Grow plants with varying heights and shapes make great cut flower bouquets. Also choose staggering bloom times so that you will have something in bloom all season long. Plant perennials (ones that come back each year) and annuals. Plant the taller growing plants in back of the flower bed and shorter ones up front so that they don’t get shaded. So when you go to buy your plants check for 1. Sun exposure 2. Height (tall, low growing)& shape 3. bloom time 4. hardiness. Another important factor is to make is to make sure the soil is well drained to allow for good root development. Add compost or organic material if needed. Try all kinds of flowers and see what works best for you. As with most gardens it is a never ending experiment.

By: Alice S.

Alice S. — Tue, 15 Jan 2008 22:11:00 +0000

The long stems of my Gerbera bent and looked a bit wilted. I slit drinking straws lengthwise and wrapped around the stems. Now they stand up straight and looking beautiful

By: Judi

Judi — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 22:48:59 +0000

My daughter is getting married in late September and wants her flowers to be Gerber Daisies. If I plant them myself, how can I guarantee that I will have flowers for the wedding? I don't have the greenest of thumbs! Thank you!

I think you should leave it up to the experts to grow the gerbera daisies for her bouquet. You can run into all kinds of problems not under your control during the growing season that would not guarantee the best flowers. Plant them and plan on using them as extras, but plan on buying gerberas for her bouquet.

By: Lisa Foley

Lisa Foley — Wed, 10 Jan 2007 23:04:21 +0000

My daughter is doing a science fair project on keeping cut flowers alive longer. We had six glasses: the ones that did the best were the plain water (oddly enough), the one with vodka (1 tbsp. - but it never opened up, preserved in bud-state.), and Jerry Baker's tip of corn syrup (1 tbsp.) and pinch of clorox. My question is why did the vodka and clorox preserve the flowers? Can you answer in layman's terms (for elementary 5th grade project.) The glass was a 16 oz. and we will be repeating the experiment, so should we try less vodka this time?

In order for buds to open, they must have a gerimicide (clorox) and sugar along with warm temperatures 70-80F and high light, with moderate humidity. To preserve cut flowers you need to provide sugar, bactericide and acidify the solution (lower the ph). The vodka may have all three properties-( try less in the next experiment) but you may not have provided the other environmental factors (temp.light & humidity). All variables have to be the same in an experiment when you're comparing one to the other. Sometimes it could just be the flower and the pre-condition it was in, so a re-do is a good idea. Let me know what happens. Kris

By: Chelsey

Chelsey — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:37:55 +0000

I cut my lilac yesterday and they are already drooping. I don't have any preservative. Is there something else I can use in the water.

Here's a recipe 1 tsp. sugar, 1tsp bleach, 2tsps. lemon juice to 1 qt. of lukewarm water. for fresh flower preservative. Cut flowers early in the morning and have a bucket of water ready. I know I mentioned not smashing the stem but try splitting the stem with a knife to keep the vascular tissue intact and give more area for water absorption.

By: Anne

Anne — Thu, 14 Dec 2006 00:34:41 +0000

Any tips on keeping cut lilacs from drooping after only about 1 day?

Cut lilac have a longevity of 3-5 days at best. Cut half open flowers just above a leaf node early in the day. Fill your vase with luke warm water and add a floral preservative, remove any any lower leaves that will be in water and then recut your lilac stems (if possible under water) at a 45 degree angle. Place immediately into the vase and keep in a cool spot away from direct sunlight. Research has found that smashing the stems of lilacs can destroy the cells that take up the water and therefore is not recommended. Hope this helps. Kris