How to prolong the life of cut flowers

Flower & Garden Magazine, August-Sept, 1985 by Amalie Adler Ascher

How to Drolong the Lift of Cut Flowers

The life of a cut flower at best is fleeting. So when a bouquet lasts a week or more, it's cause for celebration. But for those who know that there's more to keeping flowers fresh than simply filling a vase with water, such longevity is not so remarkable.

The practice of preserving the life of cut flowers is centuries old. Until it became a secular art in the fifteenth century, Japanese flower arrangement, or ikebana, was the province of perfectionistic high priests who employed the art exclusively for the decoration of temples. Designs were high and intricate, their complexity taking a team of masters days to execute. It was therefore necessary to prepare blossoms and foliage well to ensure that they would not die while the work was in progress or too soon after its completion.

To get the most out of cut flowers, they must be fresh to begin with. So buy or cut them at the stage when they are just breaking into bloom. If you grow your own, take a pail of water into the garden with you and put them in it as fast as you cut.

Gather flowers early in the morning when they are filled with moisture from the dew and have cooled from the nighttime temperature. As the day wears on, blooms lose their perkiness through dehydration from the sun. The Japanese take special pains to ensure longevity. After blossoms are collected, the stems are re-cut under water to prevent air from entering and blocking the uptake of water. The cut is made on a slant to create as large an opening as possible. When stems are cut straight across, they rest squarely on the floor of the container, plugging uptake of water.

Two groups engaged in promoting the tender loving care of their products are the Society of American Florists and the Flower Council of Holland. About 15 years ago, research was begun at Ohio State University under the direction of George L. Stacy, professor of horticulture, to find methods of caring for and handling flowers that would prolong their life. His work resulted in a program called "Chain of Life,' adopted by SAF. By encouraging all segments of the industry --growers, wholesalers and retailers --to practice the techniques, SAF hoped to provide consumers with a longer-lived and thus higher quality product.

The equipment and procedure are not suited to other than professional use, but the chemical preservatives employed are widely adaptable. In fact, florists urge that these life-extending preparations, which contain nutrients and bacteria inhibitors, be added to the water in which flowers are placed when they reach your home. A small packet of one brand or another is usually tucked in at no charge with the flowers. Take note that these preservatives should not be used in metal containers.

Temperature is critical to the lasting ability of flowers. Birds of paradise keep best at 43 degrees, carnations at 31 degrees. Carnations and roses deteriorate three times as fast at 41 degrees as at 30 degrees. Although consumers cannot, in most cases, refrigerate flowers, they can at least keep them away from direct heat, from radiators, registers, sunshine and warm drafts, and avoid placing them on top of the television set. During the night, it helps flowers to move them to the coolest spot in the house.

When you receive an arrangement as a gift, check it immediately for water. Monitor the water level throughout the life of the flowers. Oasis or floral foam, the spongy material that holds stems in place, tends to evaporate moisture quickly, especially when a number of stems are absorbing water at the same time.

High humidity helps preserve flowers. The lower the humidity, the more rapidly flowers transpire moisture, hastening the wilting process. To increase humidity in a dry house atmosphere, take flowers to the sink each morning and evening and mist them with water.

The Dutch breeders and growers, who are mass-producing and exporting types of rare and exotic blossoms normally found only in botanical gardens or the tropics, have begun probing the physiology of plants to formulate special prescriptions to prolong flower life. Tulips, for example, receive slightly different treatment than, say, lilies or daffodils.

Tulips, which we import from the Netherlands in greater quantity than any other flower, like to be kept cool. The way to condition them, Flower Council of Holland scientists say, is to cut off the white portion of the stem so the flow of water won't be blocked. If the seller has already done that, re-cut the stem before placing it in a vase and add some preservative to the water. A tulip continues to grow after it is cut. Stems may increase in length as much as two to three inches in the vase. Therefore, when putting tulips into an arrangement, allow for the stretching by inserting stems a bit deeper than the other flowers. To straighten drooping tulips, cut stems on an angle, roll them tightly in a band of newspaper, and tape it shut. Stand the flowers in a cool spot in a vase of water containing preservatives for three hours.