How to Cut Fresh Flowers
Fresh flowers are cut and removed from a plant once they are in full bloom and all thorns are trimmed. Fresh-cut flowers often are sold at flower and boutique stores for gifts. Popular types of cut flowers include roses, gerberas, chrysanthemums, tulips, lilies and carnations. A fresh-cut flower should exhibit a sweet fragrance of the flower and be properly cut so that vase life of the flower is extended. If a flower is cut improperly, it can decrease the lifespan of the flower and make it less valuable on the market.
Cut your flowers in the morning when the blossoms are freshest and when the content of sugar is highest. If you are unable to cut the flowers in the morning, cut them when it is coolest outside.
- Fresh flowers are cut and removed from a plant once they are in full bloom and all thorns are trimmed.
- A fresh-cut flower should exhibit a sweet fragrance of the flower and be properly cut so that vase life of the flower is extended.
Use a sharp knife start to cut the stem at a 45-degree angle. Cut slowly and carefully, making sure not to slice up the inside of the stem. Make sure to cut at least 3/4-inch from the bottom of the stem.
Immediately transfer the flower to a bucket of lukewarm water. Air bubbles can form in the stems if you don’t do this right away and will prevent water from absorbing into the flower.
Wait for a 30 minutes and transfer the fresh cut flowers to a vase. Make sure the vase is filled enough only to cover the stems. Remove any leaves from the stem before putting in the vase.
- Use a sharp knife start to cut the stem at a 45-degree angle.
Cut the stems again after two to three days as needed. Take the flowers out of the vase and twist a thin rubber band near the top of the stem. Cut the stems again 3/4-inch from the bottom and place into a clean vase with fresh water.
Homemade Flower Food For Fresh-cut Flowers
A biocide in a plant food is a growth inhibitor that destroys harmful bacteria, fungi and yeasts. As soon as flowers are cut, pathogens enter stem wounds from secateurs, air or water in vases and begin feeding on plant sap. As the microorganisms continue to feed, they begin to multiply. In a clean vase containing tap water, Dr. Reid reports that 30 million bacteria exist in each ounce of water a scant 24 hours after introducing a cut stem. Lemon or lime juice and lemon-lime sodas are effective acidifiers. Although most cut flowers rely on a carbohydrate food source for longevity, some flowers, such as chrysanthemums, daffodils and tulips, do not benefit from the addition of sugar. As an alternative to the citrus soda, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden suggests a recipe with 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon bleach and 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice dissolved in 1 quart of lukewarm water. Cut daffodils bleed a slimy sap that is toxic to other flowers in mixed arrangements. To enhance the potency of a homemade cut-flower food, which maximizes the longevity of cut flowers, the University of Massachusetts Amherst recommends changing the nutrient solution daily.
- A biocide in a plant food is a growth inhibitor that destroys harmful bacteria, fungi and yeasts.
- To enhance the potency of a homemade cut-flower food, which maximizes the longevity of cut flowers, the University of Massachusetts Amherst recommends changing the nutrient solution daily.
Homemade Flower Food For Fresh-cut Flowers
A biocide in a plant food is a growth inhibitor that destroys harmful bacteria, fungi and yeasts. As soon as flowers are cut, pathogens enter stem wounds from secateurs, air or water in vases and begin feeding on plant sap. As the microorganisms continue to feed, they begin to multiply. In a clean vase containing tap water, Dr. Reid reports that 30 million bacteria exist in each ounce of water a scant 24 hours after introducing a cut stem. Lemon or lime juice and lemon-lime sodas are effective acidifiers. Although most cut flowers rely on a carbohydrate food source for longevity, some flowers, such as chrysanthemums, daffodils and tulips, do not benefit from the addition of sugar. As an alternative to the citrus soda, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden suggests a recipe with 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon bleach and 2 teaspoons lemon or lime juice dissolved in 1 quart of lukewarm water. Cut daffodils bleed a slimy sap that is toxic to other flowers in mixed arrangements. To enhance the potency of a homemade cut-flower food, which maximizes the longevity of cut flowers, the University of Massachusetts Amherst recommends changing the nutrient solution daily.
- A biocide in a plant food is a growth inhibitor that destroys harmful bacteria, fungi and yeasts.
- To enhance the potency of a homemade cut-flower food, which maximizes the longevity of cut flowers, the University of Massachusetts Amherst recommends changing the nutrient solution daily.
Related Articles
References
- Fresh Flower Care
- Cutting Fresh Flowers
- Cut Flowers
- University of Minnesota Extension: Keeping Cut Flowers and Flowering Plants
- University of Massachusetts Amherst: Sugar and Acidity in Preservative Solutions for Field-Grown Cut Flowers
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Cut-Flower Care -- How to Make Your Fresh-Cut Flowers Last
- Kansas State University: Water Quality -- Why It Is So Important for Florists
- University of Minnesota Extension: Keeping Cut Flowers and Flowering Plants
- University of Massachusetts Amherst: Sugar and Acidity in Preservative Solutions for Field-Grown Cut Flowers
- Brooklyn Botanic Garden: Cut-Flower Care -- How to Make Your Fresh-Cut Flowers Last
- Kansas State University: Water Quality -- Why It Is So Important for Florists
