The Rule Of 3 To Make Cut Flowers Last Longer
It's as easy as 1 2 3
The Rule Of 3 To Make Cut Flowers Last Longer
Lets start with a quick and simple overview of the essential parts of a flower stem you should be aware of:
A flower stem contains 2 main types of ‘tubes’ for transporting water and food from the root system and leaves. The ‘xylem’ or water transport tubes are essentially very small bundles of drinking straws and the ‘phloem’ that help with food transport - mainly plant sugars and nutrients from the roots and leaves.
1 - Maximise water uptake It may seem obvious but cut flower stems have been removed from the root or main water uptake system so need to be immersed in water urgently or they will wilt.
If the cut stem is left out of water for more than a minute or so the small tubes will start to fill with air and form air locks within the stem. This will severely restrict water uptake so remove an inch or 2 (25-50mm) to avoid that part of the air locked stem. Cut the stem at a 45° angle. It’s just like cutting a straw: You don’t want the stem to sit flat on the base of the vase restricting water uptake and you want the tubes to have the maximum surface area in contact with the water. Use a sharp knife. Crushing the stem with scissors may reduce water uptake by nipping the base of the stem. Immerse in Warm Water Boiled water cooled to about 40°C contains virtually no air to form bubbles within the stem. It should also be fungus and bacteria free. Most tap water is alkaline so is too ‘hard’ to allow good water uptake. It is an advantage to adjust the pH to make the water slightly acidic. A simple starting recipe is given below
2 – Provide Food The green parts of a plant contain chlorophyll that prepares food by a process of photosynthesis. Cut flowers are unlikely to make sufficient food so need a source of carbohydrate. Sugar is a good source and a simple starting recipe is given below.
3 – Prevent Bacteria and Fungus When preparing cut flowers remove any leaves that would remain below the water line. They will be a breeding ground for bacteria that will penetrate and block the stem tubes allowing water uptake. If the water turns murky due to excessive bacterial growth, it is wise to remove the flowers and trim the stem slightly before replacing them in a clean vase with fresh water, food and preservative. That’s about it for the first Rule of 3 so here’s a recipe to make your flowers last longer.
Recipe of 3 for Cut flowers (makes 2 pints – approx 1 litre of water):
Acid – Best plant source – lemon juice – 3 teaspoonsful Food – Best plant source – Sugar – 1 teaspoonful Preservative – bleach – 1 teaspoonful (be careful!)
Just dissolve the ingredients in the water and add your flowers. If you’re feeling experimental why not split a bunch of flowers between 2 vases and only add this mixture to one. Let me know the flowers you chose and how long each vase lasted and I’ll publish a list. Many Thanks, Ian Muir 360 flowers.co.uk
"Copyright © 2006, Ian Muir, www.360flowers.co.uk All rights reserved. I hereby grant permission to reprint this article on your website without alteration if you include this copyright statement and leave any hyperlinks intact."
About the Author
Ian is dedicated to bringing the creative talents of florists to a much wider audience and is based in North East England.
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