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10 Tips for Long-Lasting Floral Arrangments
1. Floral preservative prolong vase life by 50%. Have it ready before harvesting blooms so that stems can be placed as they are cut. James Johnson, (Benz School of Floral Design) recommends mixing 2 cups of warm water, 2 cups of Sprite/7-Up and 1 teaspoon of yellow Listerine mouthwash.
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2. Always recut stems underwater on a slant after harvesting. Slanted stems take up more water.
3. Roses with thick petals make the best cut flowers. Harvest blooms at the right stage of development. Cut blooms with:
60 - 90 petals – when three to four of the outer petals have separated from the bud
30 - 40 petals - when one or two of the outer petals have separated
20 petals or less - when the petal color is just beginning to show. These have the shortest vase life.
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4. Bacteria in vase solution shortens the life of flowers so remove any foliage that may be underwater. Containers should be squeaky clean and sanitized with a 50/50 mix of bleach and water and allowed to air dry. Change out the vase solution every 3rd day.
5. The finished height of the arrangement should be one and one-half times the height of the container.
6. Some plant material can last up to 10 days in a vase if prepared properly (heavily petaled roses, Oriental lilies, carnations, alstroemaria).
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7. Use wettable floral foam. Properly wet the foam by floating the foam block in a bucket of water. When the block sinks it is totally saturated. Floral foam can hold up to 2 quarts of water.
8. Consider combining fruits and vegetables in the arrangement. Use wooden barbecue skewers to secure them in place.
9. Fully hydrate (minimum 4 hours) freshly cut flowers before using. Purchased flowers should have the bottom inch of stem removed and allowed to hydrate for 1 - 2 hours).
10. Anything that will hold water can be a container. I keep a supply of painted green bean cans on hand for quick give-away arrangements.
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Gaye Hammond is a member of the Houston Rose Society, a lifetime member of the American Rose Society and a Master Consulting Rosarian. She recently received the Whitaker Award for her contributions to the ARS.