Chris’s Essential Flower Tips
- After purchase, do not allow flowers to remain out of water for too long. (If travelling far with your flowers you could place them in a bucket of water or wrap the ends with wet tissue).
- Use a clean vase at all times as any residue can harbour bacteria which will block the tiny tubules that carry water up the stems, therefore reducing your flowers life.
- Use fresh water at all times and add flower food. Top up with fresh water as necessary. Cloudy or smelly water should be removed and replaced with fresh water. Do not be tempted to use the flower food in higher concentration as this will be detrimental to the flowers and will begin the process of reverse osmosis, causing the nutrients to be drawn out of the stems into the water.
- Carefully remove all packaging and trim 3cm from the ends of the flowers at a 45º angle with a sharp knife or florist scissors. This opens the vascular system and enables the stems to quickly take up water.
- Do not hammer, crush or otherwise damage your stem ends as this only destroys cell structure and reduces the possibility of water uptake.
- Remove any leaves that sit or fall below the water level.
- A good rule of thumb is to cut flowers to one and a half times the height of the container.
- Avoid direct sunlight, heat or draughts, as these can shorten a flowers life. Ideally position flowers in a light and cool spot (18–22ºC).
- Do not place flowers near to fruit and vegetables – fresh flowers are highly sensitive to the ethylene gas which mature fruit and vegetables produce. Exposure to this will cause flowers to die prematurely.
- Remove faded flowers as they occur. This will keep the rest of the flowers looking fresh and in certain varieties it will encourage buds to open.
- Take great care with lily pollen as it may stain clothing or furnishing. Use sticky tape to remove – do not use water or try to brush it off.
- Lily pollen can be harmful to pets if eaten.
- Berries may also stain and may not be eaten.
- Never place flowers near electrical equipment and always use a protective matt between the container and the surface on which it sits.
- Always wash your hands after handling flowers as some flowers may be toxic and can cause skin irritation.
