Got Flowers?! Now What:
- Flowers in a vase, check to make sure all the stems are in the water. If not, refill the vase and cut a little off the bottom of each stem.
- Use a sharp cutting tool that will not crush the stems. For most flowers a good pair of scissors or pruning shears will work just fine.
- Make those cuts at a 45 degree angle. This increases the surface area which improves water uptake.
- It’s best to use lukewarm water, it will make the flowers drink more quickly.
- The refresher powder you get from the florist does work. Use it! It contains sugar to feed the flowers and chemicals to slow the growth of algae and bacteria.
- GREAT TIP# 1 – If you run out of the professional freshener, you can make your own. Just mix a teaspoon of bleach and a tablespoon of sugar in a gallon of water.
- GREAT TIP# 2 – Gardening experts say you can pour a 12-ounce can of non-diet Sprite or 7-Up into a half gallon of water. The acid in the soft drink will slow bacteria growth and the sugar will feed the plant.
Nasty water?! Change it!
- It’s best to change the water every day, but don’t go longer than every other day. Even if you use a freshener, bacteria will grow and you want to get rid of it. Refill the vase with warm water.
- Cuts the stems another inch or so.
- Cut flowers last longer when they are cool. So don’t put them any place that gets warm.
You should also keep your flowers away from the fruit bowl. You can’t see it, but that fruit gives off ethylene gas, which will make the flowers deteriorate more quickly.
Roses Need Special Caring:
- If the roses do not arrive in water, you need to treat them like any other flower and cut off about an inch from the bottom of the stems.
- The weird thing about roses is, you need to cut underwater it keeps them from getting an air bubble in the stem that might cause the heads to droop. You can do this in the sink or fill up a big bowl of water. As soon as you’re done cutting the roses go right in the vase.
Daffodil and Tulips
(KEEP THEM AWAY FROM EACH OTHER)
- Daffodil sap is toxic to tulips.
- If you received an arrangement of daffodils and tulips from a florist, they’ve been conditioned to get along. But if someone gives you a bouquet of tulips and a bouquet of daffodils, DO NOT put them together in the same vase.
*For more information on keeping flowers fresh, visit: ConsumerMan
*Tips Tuesdays*
“Without change there is no innovation, creativity, or incentive for improvement. Those who initiate change will have a better opportunity to manage the change that is inevitable.” – William Pollard