The
Flowers & Plants Association
recommends the following simple tips, based on the latest extensive
scientific research, to ensure that your flowers last longer and
look lovelier:
1. Make sure vases are very clean
2. Use fresh lukewarm water with commercial
cut flower food added.
3. Strip all leaves below the water level.
4. Take at least 3cm (1") off all stems,
making a slanted cut with a sharp knife or very sharp scissors.
5. Avoid direct sunlight, heat, or draughts,
which can shorten flowers' lives.
6. Keep flowers away from fruit and remove-faded
flowers as they occur.
7. Top up the water regularly and add flower
food in proportion.
DON'T
Smash or pierce the stems,
or use blunt scissors, as this destroys the water vessels and
inhibits water uptake, and causes bacteria to multiple more quickly
and over a larger area. It also causes the flower undue stress,
which shortens its life.
Mix daffodils and narcissi
with other flowers. They emit latex from their stems when cut,
which is known as `daffodil slime', and shortens the life of other
flowers. Keep daffodils alone in vases, or use the special bulb
cut flower food, which makes them safe to mix with other flowers.
You can place the daffodils in a bucket of water for at least
12 hours on their own and then arrange them with other flowers,
making sure you do not cut the stem again.
Put flowers near ripening
fruit - it releases tiny amounts of ethylene gas, which prematurely
ages flowers. Dying flowers do the same so always remove them
from the vase.
Place flowers in a draught,
which chills the flowers, or in bright sunlight, which encourages
bacteria to breed. Keep them away from over-warm central heating.
Put copper coins, aspirin,
lemonade, or bleach in the water. They're popular tricks but they
don't work, and they can't feed your flowers adequately. Homemade
formulas are messy, time-consuming and do more harm than good.
If you would like to visit the
F&PA web site, then please click on the logo above.
In the unlikely event you are not happy with your flowers, do contact
us immediately.
