Cut Flowers: Making Them Last

Let's walk though the process together for getting the most flower power from your cut garden flowers this season!

First, early morning before the sun rises too high is the best time to cut your flowers since they will be fresh and revived from the previous night's rest. When heading into the garden be sure to carry a clean bucket of warm water with you to hold any cut material as you choose your blooms and/or foliage. Having clean vases and buckets is #1 priority, a good rule is if you wouldn't drink out of the container yourself then it's not clean enough! So wash all vases, buckets and clippers beforehand with hot soapy water. Even wiping the clippers down with rubbing alcohol is a good idea to kill any potential viruses and bacteria that may infect and shorten the life of your flowers.

Step 2, fill your clean bucket with warm water and look for blooms that are just starting to open with colour showing on the tips of the buds. If the bud is too closed the outer sheath may dry after cutting thus preventing the bloom from opening. If the flower is too opened it may have already been pollinated and thus its life will be much shorter as its goal will have been accomplished. When selecting your blooms also look for flowers with straight stems as they will be easiest to arrange. If you are looking for more of a challenge try using blooms with curved or twisted stems as well since they will add much character to your arrangement. When cutting your flowers cut the stem on the sharpest possible angle as this will provide the most surface area for water uptake, then place immediately into the bucket of warm water.

An added tip, if you plan on using greens in your arrangement it is best to cut them the night before and submerge them completely in cold water overnight. This will make them fresh and vibrant and also help prevent them from drying out inside the home.

Step 3, once you have cut your flowers you may choose to stand them in a cool place for several hours to condition and adjust before arranging them in your vase. At this step it is best to remove any leaves or buds that will be below the water line as once they are continually submerged they will begin to rot and breed bacteria. It also helps to add floral food to the water in your vase which will help prevent bacterial growth and feed the blooms as they no longer have root systems to uptake nutrients. Once your flowers are ready to be arranged it helps to put any branches and greens in the vase first to provide support for the thinner stems of the flowers. Second, add any larger flowers that will be the main part of the display then fill in between with smaller flowers and lastly any fillers such as Baby's Breath. "Fillers" are an important part of the arrangement as they help to fill in any space between the larger showier flowers and provide a place for the eye to rest. Before arranging any flowers or greens always re-cut all stems on a sharp angle. You don't need to cut much off, just enough to refresh the end of the stem.

Lastly, be sure to change the water in your vase at least every third day, if not every other day, washing it out at this time with hot soapy water and re-cutting the stems on a sharp angle. Keeping the vase clean will discourage bacteria and re-cutting the stems will allow the flowers to take up a continuous supply of fresh clean water!

For ideas and tips on growing and choosing the best cut flowers visit the Turquoise Sun Growers Database HERE!