Presents....
Cut Flower Care
Anthurium
Unpack flowers carefully. Submerge Entire head of flower under fresh water
for 15 to 20 minutes. Remove, cut about 1/2 inch off the bottom of the stem,
and put in room temperature water. Mist the heads of the flowers daily and
keep them away from direct contact with air -conditioning and heating vents.It
is helpful to re-submerge the anthurium heads every three days.
Bird of Paradise
Unpack carefully, immerse the entire flower, including the stem under room temperature water. Cut off 1 inch of the bottom of the stem.Let the flower set this way for two hours while it rehydrates.Remove and place in a Preservative solution.
Sometimes Bird of Paradise need a little "prompting" to open. You can
help them by gently pushing your index finger or thumb in where the flower
starts at the stem ends and flower begins and slowly work your finger forward
to help "push out" the bloom.
Foliages of Tropicals
If using within 2 days, re-cut stem ends and immerse in water for 10-15 minutes.Remove and put in clean buckets with about 2 inches of water in the bottom.If possible refrigerate until needed. Mist daily to prevent dehydration.
If storing greens for any longer than 2 days, place them in a plastic
lined box and keep them moist and refrigerated..
Ginger
Unpack and and remove leaves that have been left as protection in
shipping.Immerse the flower in a floral preservative solution, room temperature
for 20-30 minutes.Re-cut stem about 1/2 inch from the bottom and place upright
in floral preservative solution. Avoid direct sunlight and drafty areas.Re-mist
the flower heads daily and repeat the whole process every 3 days if possible
for maximum vase life.
Heliconias
These unusual flowers must be very carefully unpacked to minimize damage
to the flower. Remove any leaves, cut the stem 1 inch from the bottom, and
immediately place in room temperature water.To avoid early dehydration,
mist the flower heads frequently.Because of their heavily waxed appearance,
heliconias can be lightly coated with a horticultural oil. Avoid and drafts.
Protea
These rugged flowers(with the exception of Pincushion, or Leucospermum
variety) require little care other than re-cutting the stem 1 and 1/2 inches
off the bottom and providing clean water.The flowers should last upwards
of three weeks, changing the water to keep it fresh periodically. Pincushion
protea need to be gently removed from their shipping box and must be misted
regularly every day.
General Flower Information
The process which has given flowers the longest vase life is known as "The Chain of Life". The care involved starts at the growers level. Harvest time, how the flowers are treated and stored, plus the shipping time involved all play key roles in either lengthening or diminishing vase life.
Many flowers grown today are shipped from outside the U.S., because of lower heating, greenhouse maintainance, and labor costs. Depending on the type of flower, they can be shipped in specially designed boxes, almost like overgrown coolers(for roses), to very plain boxes(for mums). The time from cutting to arriving at a U.S. airport can be as short as a few hours, to as many as a few days. This can also affect the ability of a flower to be able to "re-hydrate" itself.
Rehydration begins at either the wholesale florist or at the retail florist if they purchase directly from the growers.Either way these steps are taken:
The flowers are carefully unpacked from their boxes and inspected for any damage that may have occurred in transit.
A Preservative solution is mixed according to the manufacturers directions
Any foliage that would be underwater is removed, as is any damaged foliage
Flowers are cut with a sharp knife, preferably underwater.
The flower bunches are loosened to help the flowers open normally
The flowers are allowed to re-condition themselves for
at least 24 hours.
Alstromeria
Remove excess foliage and cut stems underwater. Put the flowers immediately
in containers filled with floral preservative solution.
Bouvardia
Bunches should be purchased with flowers that are partially open. Use
a warm mixed floral preservative solution, and promptly refrigerate the flowers
after 2 to 4 hours.
Delphinium
Unpack upon arrival and open the bunches for better air circulation. Any
blooms or foliage damaged in transit should be pinched off. The stems should
be cut and placed in a solution of warm floral preservative.
Freesia
Purchase Freesia when the first flower is open and one or two buds are
showing color on a stem. Cut and place in a floral preservative solution.It
is best to use non-floridated water, to ward against the possibility of necrosis
on the petal edges
Gerbera
Gerbera are susceptible to their stems collapsing because of blockage
by bacteria, therefore clean containers are essential. Non-floridated water
also promotes longer vase life of the flowers. While in storage, the flowers
should be supported in the container by cardboard trays or chicken wire,
and the stem ends should not touch the bottom of the container.
Iris
Iris are best purchased when showing color or partly open. The stems should
be re-cut every two days to prevent the callusing over of the stem end. Place
the flowers in a clean solution of floral preservative.
Narcissus
(Jonquils, Daffodils)
These flowers are not friendly to the other flowers in a vase when freshly
cut. Narcissus when first cut ooze a substance from their stems that is deadly
to other cut flowers. These flowers must first be allowed to re-hydrate for
24 hour before being arranged with other stems.
Tulips
The freshest Tulips are showing just a hint of color at the top of the
flower. Unpack upon receipt and place in a clean vase of floral preservative
solution.Make sure that the stem end where it is cut is green, The white
basal area does not drink as well. The heads may need to be supported until
they become turgid.The flowers will need to be cut periodically as they continue
to grow, even in a vase.
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Any Questions about your favorite flower? ASK AWAY!!!
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Authored by: Michael Karl KMFS
e-mail: Mjkarl@aol.com Kevin Michael Floral Service
or: FlowerGuys@aol.com PO Box 35051
(215)482-1866 Philadelphia PA 19128
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