Keeping fresh cut flowers
6 Ways to Keep Cut Flowers Fresh Longer
Photo: istockphoto.com
Science says flowers make us happy, and who can argue with that? Multiple research studies, including a seminal study conducted by Rutgers University in 2005, have demonstrated that flowers can have a profound and positive impact on our mood. The only problem with a cut flower bouquet is that its beauty is fleeting, and it’s usually only a matter of days before the blooms wilt and die. Though you cannot prevent the inevitable, there are a few ways to forestall it: If your florist included a packet of flower food with your purchase, by all means use it—it can help. If, on the other hand, you cut the flowers from your own garden, try one of these time-tested tricks for how to keep cut flowers fresh for as long as possible.
1. Use clean containers.Since bacteria and fungi accelerate the natural deterioration of cut flowers, it’s super important to thoroughly wash the vessel in which your blooms will be displayed. When cleaning the container, use hot, soapy water. Otherwise, disinfect the vase with a solution of diluted household bleach (one part bleach for every 10 parts water). Finish up by rinsing it out with water.
RELATED: How to Clean Bottles and Vases Using Rice
2. Cut your blooms correctly.Photo: istockphoto.com
Clipping flowers from your garden? Try to do so early in the morning, before the heat of day saps vigor from the blooms. Along with your pruner, remember to bring a bucket of tepid water. As you cut each flower, place it into the bath so as to prevent the end of the stem from drying out and sealing off.
If you’re displaying store-bought flowers (or a bouquet that was delivered to you), remove about 1 inch from the bottom of each stem. Make your cut at a 45-degree angle, under a running tap, and use a very sharp, clean knife, scissors, or pruning shears. Shortening the stem encourages the flower to take up water again.
Before setting your bouquet into its container, remove the lower leaves of each stem to minimize decay, and wash the stems thoroughly to avoid introducing any dirt into the water.
Photo: istockphoto.com
Rather than just filling your vase with water, Popular Science advises storing your flowers in a solution of lemon-lime soda, water, and a little bleach will help them stay fresh longer. Don’t use diet soda; the full-calorie sugar provides valuable nourishment to the flowers. The bleach in this DIY flower food keeps harmful bacteria at bay.
RELATED: Buyer’s Guide: The Best Flower Delivery Services
4. Place the arrangement in a cool location.Having taken all the right steps toward keeping your cut flowers fresh, go ahead and set them out on display. Be aware, however, that not all areas of the home are equally conducive to flower longevity. Avoid putting blooms in direct sunlight, near heating vents, or next to heat-generating appliances.
If there’s an area of your home that’s cooler than others, that’s the best place to show off your colorful arrangement.
RELATED: How to Arrange Flowers Like a Floral Designer
5. Refresh the water.Photo: istockphoto.com
After a couple days, the water in the vase might start to look cloudy or murky. It’s a good practice to change the water at least every three days. Remove the flowers from the water, rinse the stems, trim another half inch off the bottom, and set them in a temporary vessel of plain water while you thoroughly clean the original vase. Create another solution according to Step 3 above, and replace the flowers into the newly cleaned vase.
6. Cull the display.However many steps we take to keep cut flowers fresh longer, it’s inevitable that some flowers will wilt before others. Remove past-their-prime blooms in a fresh flower bouquet so the remainder of the arrangement looks good as new.
If you have an unending supply of hydrangeas or other blooms in your garden, you might consider cutting some fresh flowers to replenish your arrangement.
If you prepare your flowers and their water carefully, and continue to take care of the arrangement, your cut flowers may well stay fresh for up to 2 weeks.
How Florists Keep Flowers Alive Longer – Green Fresh Florals + Plants
Extend the life of your flowers with these tips
It doesn't matter whether you’re growing flowers in your garden or purchasing your flowers from a flower retailer we want to help you make your flowers last. We compiled a short article detailing how florists keep flowers alive longer. These simple and easy tips will help you preserve your flowers so they last longer and extend the happiness they bring into your life and home. At Green Fresh Florals + Plants, we pride ourselves in delivering the freshest cut flowers to maximize the life of your arrangement and the joy our flowers bring into your world.
Here are the tricks we share with our customers so they can extend the life of their cut flowers. Some of you may already know and use all of these tricks; some may be new. Either way, I hope you find them helpful in keeping cut flowers alive longer.
1. Always cut the stems before placing in waterIf you purchase your flowers, you should always cut the stems before putting them in water. If you are buying an arrangement from a professional florist, they should already be cut, and your flowers will be good for a few days. However, it’s still important to clip the stems after a few days to allow fresh water to penetrate the flower's stem. It also is helpful to replace the water every couple of days.
2. Cut back or remove the extra leavesBefore you place your cut flowers in a vase, take some time to remove any extra leaves at the base of the stem if the leaves would likely rest under the waterline of the container.
Eliminating the foliage will decrease any bacteria in the water, helping keep the water clean and free of foul odors. This will also allow the focus of the bloom on the flowers, enabling them to stay fresh longer. Pruning fresh flowers and removing leaves is a regular part of our daily flower care at Green.
Picking the correct vase size is an essential element in the life of your cut flower arrangement. Our trained florists can help you choose the right vase or container size to ensure that the clipped stems fit nicely into the opening or mouth. If the opening is too narrow, the flower stems might look cramped or squished so either remove some of the flower stems to create a smaller bunch or find a larger vase to utilize. In the opposite direction, If the mouth of your vase is too wide, the arrangement will not have any form or shape. If you're not sure, ask one of our friendly florists to help you decide from the many options we have available online or in our Hillcrest shop.
Some work best for short and stocky arrangements, while others are better for tall and showy designs. Our team can help you make the right choice.
One option that often scares beginners is using a low vase such as a cube or small bowl because it requires a significant trim to the length of the flower stems. To make the flowers fit you will need to cut the stems down which can cause some anxiety for those just learning.
If you are trying to get your flowers to open up, substitute warm water for cold water. The warm temperature will help facilitate the opening of the bloom. After they open, you will want to use cold water when you replace the water.
4.
Change the water every two daysFresh, clean water will keep your cut flowers alive longer. Remove the flowers from the vase every two or three days, rinse the vase out, and fill it with fresh water. If you have dying foliage, be sure to remove it.
Placing your arrangement in the fridge overnight will also help extend your flower's life.
While this may be a challenge depending on the size of the arrangement, it is a nifty trick that will do wonders for your flower's life, especially in the summertime.
Everything has a season, and there will be a time when some of your flowers will start to fade and turn dark. After several days, you may notice some individual flowers begin to wilt or die.
To continue to enjoy your blooming flowers remove the dead or dying blooms as they detract from the beauty and will begin to grow mold and contaminate the healthy flowers. This will keep your arrangement looking fresh longer.
6. Place your arrangement in the best locationKeeping your cut flowers in the right place can directly impact the life of the flowers. Placing your arrangement in a shaded, cool area that receives indirect sunlight helps preserve the blooms as opposed to bright, direct sunlight and heat. Remember, cooler is better with the exception of tropical blooms which prefer the heat and humidity (like orchids).
One additional tip: If your flowers arrive with a small packet of flower "food,” be sure to use it. While the ingredients vary depending on the manufacturer, most contain sugar to feed the flowers, acid to maintain the pH levels of the water, and a bit of bleach to reduce the bacteria and fungi in the vase water. All three help extend the life of the flowers.
Flower storage
Cut flowers are delicate and fragile goods, and therefore require a particularly delicate attitude. In cut plants, life processes still proceed, evaporation and respiration occur. However, since they are devoid of a root, synthesis almost does not occur, but there is an active decay of organic substances. And the higher the rate of metabolic processes, the sooner the flower will wither and lose its attractiveness. Decomposition can be slowed down and death can be prevented if, after cutting, they are placed in a cool place, while not allowing too sudden cooling. A decrease in temperature significantly reduces the respiration of the plant, which prolongs its life.
Flower storage temperature
Plants must be stored at 15-17°C before being stored. After that, they can be moved to storage, where the temperature is maintained at 1-4°C. It is essential that it has a humidity of 80-90%. Its decrease will stimulate the evaporation of water from the sections, and its increase will provoke the appearance of condensate and mold growth. When keeping cut plants, it is important to take into account that not only average indicators are important, but also their fluctuations during the day: the allowable temperature deviation is 1-2 ° C, and humidity can change by no more than 5%.
Cut flowers can be kept either dry or wet. The first method involves the use of specialized packaging and placement of plants in the flower chamber. In the second version, the stems are placed in containers with nutrient solutions, and the containers themselves are kept in refrigerators in a given thermal regime.
Cut flower storage
The dry storage option is considered more reliable and can significantly increase the lifespan.
However, in this case, it is necessary to strictly observe the thermal regime and not allow deviations of the indicators by more than 2 ° C. In addition, the dry mode is only suitable for high-quality healthy buds that do not have damage. Before laying in storage, the plants are placed in boxes, the inside of which has a polymer coating or is coated with wax. Bulky polyethylene or foil bags are also suitable for this purpose. Increases the efficiency of the gradual cooling of the container with the contents, first to 10-15°C, and then to 0-6°C.
Pay special attention to air exchange. The refrigerator should have good natural or forced ventilation, in addition, flowers with different degrees of maturity need a different approach. Those whose buds have not yet blossomed or have blossomed slightly should be isolated from the external environment, so boxes and bags should be well closed, while the optimum temperature for keeping is 0-1 ° C. If, however, plants with half-blown or fully bloomed buds are sent to the storage, then the container must not be completely closed or holes should be made in bags and boxes.
This measure will ensure gas exchange and allow the moisture that the plants emit to go outside. For maximum preservation, a temperature of 2 to 10°C is required. In no case should hypothermia be allowed in the warehouse, since at temperatures below 0 ° C, the stems and buds receive irreversible damage and become unsuitable for sale.
When removed from storage during dry storage, plants should be warmed gradually, moving from cold temperatures to room temperature in steps. The best result can be achieved by first sending the boxes to the intermediate storage, and then taking them indoors to a warmer room.
The wet method makes it possible to increase the life of the flowers. The use of a nutrient solution, one of the main components of which is sugar, supports metabolic processes, increases the water content in the stems, inhibits the decay of organic components, due to which plants, even with blossoming buds, remain attractive for a long time. In wet storage, it is also important to pay attention to the room temperature (it must be maintained at 0-3°C), avoid hypothermia and control humidity.
With the wet method, biocompatibility must be taken into account. It is known that some species do not combine with others due to the fact that the substances they secrete stimulate wilting and even provoke spoilage in others. It is for this reason that you need to track the placement of flowers and set the vases at some distance.
Flower booth
Flower storage equipment not only extends the life of the flowers, but also allows plants to be displayed to customers at the point of sale. Floristic salons, flower boutiques, shopping centers are equipped, as a rule, with refrigerating chambers created to order. The fact is that in this case the design of the chamber is of fundamental importance - in most cases it is a three-dimensional glass showcase equipped with a cooling unit. When organizing refrigerators, attention is also paid to lighting. Usually they are equipped with fluorescent lamps, thanks to which the life span is extended. Such lamps do not heat the air in the room, so they do not contribute to the acceleration of wilting.
The advantage of a store cooler for flowers is its considerable size - in a large room flowers can be arranged freely, especially if there are plants that are incompatible with each other. A split system that provides the right microclimate is usually placed outside the showcase (for example, on the back wall or in an adjacent technical room). When choosing a modification, it is worth giving preference to devices with low noise. Silent devices will not distract customers from choosing plants or interfere with communication. Today, flower chamber equipment is offered by a number of manufacturers. Friax has long established itself as the creator of high-quality and reliable split systems that can be installed in refrigerators for flowers of different sizes and configurations.
As a rule, in a quality flower store, it is possible to adjust the rate of fresh air inflow into the room. This characteristic is important because flowers require oxygen to stay fresh. It will not be superfluous to equip a tight-fitting door (single or double or even sliding), which will not allow warm air from outside to disturb the microclimate that is optimal for plants.
Some modern models allow you to equip several isolated zones, in each of which the microclimate will be regulated independently. This option allows you to store various types of plants without fear of premature wilting.
Flower storage conditions
Date: 04/17/2017
One of the key aspects of a successful floristic business is the correct storage of a perishable product. To extend the life of flowers, it is important to observe such nuances as the compatibility of different types, lighting, humidity and temperature.
How to preserve the freshness of cut flowers on the street and in a kiosk
For short-term storage of plants before sale, a wet method is used - cut flowers are placed in disinfected containers with water. It should be borne in mind that tap liquid is not suitable for delicate flora. The ions of fluorine, chlorine and carbonates contained in it will destroy the flowers.
It is necessary to use melted, rain water and change it regularly, avoiding turbidity or an unpleasant odor.
To prevent the spread of bacteria in a humid environment, an antiseptic solution is used: potassium permanganate (0.003 g/l) boric acid (0.01 g/l) or silver nitrate (0.003%). Such disinfection is rational only at room temperature; it is ineffective during cold storage.
Separate temperature conditions are required for different types of flowers:
-
anthuriums, vandas, phalaenopsis love room conditions;
-
hipperastrum, orchids, gladioli, gerberas – +7...+10°C;
-
tulips, irises, roses, peonies, lilies, carnations – +2…+5°С;
-
field flora - from +10°С.
If the temperature in a pavilion or kiosk can be adjusted using an air conditioner or refrigeration equipment, then at a street point of sale you have to take care of the flowers with improvised means.
Regular spraying, protection from direct sunlight and updating the cut will help extend the life of the flora.
Choosing the right "neighbors"
Some types of flowers, placed in one container, have a detrimental effect on each other, while others, on the contrary, prolong the life of neighbors. So, lilies will hasten the withering of wildflowers. Roses, lilies of the valley, sweet peas, carnations, mignonette, lilies and daffodils do not tolerate the neighborhood of other flowers. Tulips are also not compatible with daffodils, roses with carnations, violets with lilies of the valley.
Sprigs of cypress, arborvitae, geranium and woodruff will help keep the freshness of the bouquet for a long time.
Wet cold storage of sections
The area of the floristic salon allows to place modern refrigeration units that guarantee the long-term preservation of flowers. Such equipment is configured to maintain the required temperature and humidity conditions, and also provides air circulation.
For wet cold storage use:
Such chambers are made of polyurethane foam sandwich panels and transparent double-glazed windows. The prefabricated structure also provides for a hinged or sliding door, automatic or manually opened. Monoblocks, split systems or compressors with remote condensers and a ceiling air cooler are responsible for air cooling in them.
The compact refrigerated cabinets can also be used in street shops and pavilions.
Dry cold storage of flowers
Dry storage is suitable for large shops and flower wholesalers. Flowers are wrapped in paper or polyethylene, and then laid horizontally in boxes lined with cellophane or foil. So even fragile plants remain fresh for 3-4 weeks. Please note that in gladioli and snapdragons, the stem may be deformed in a horizontal position. They are stored exclusively vertically.
Refrigerators are kept at a constant temperature of ±2°C.
