How to get the most out of your blooms
At Bloomers, we buy flowers from growers who treat them in the most scientific ways to ensure good extended life. Better still, we carry on that process in our store and provide you with the proper instructions so that your blooms offer long-lasting pleasure. With a little extra care, your flowers can last a surprising length of time.
 1. Stems
The stem type dictates the temperature of water to put in the vase. Woody stems such as roses and lilacs need warm water, while softer stems such as tulips need cooler water. Flowers take up water through their pores in the stems so cut the stems cleanly on an angle to expose as many pores as possible to water.
 2. Water
To flourish properly, a flower needs clean water. Bacteria breeds in water, and over time, the level of bacteria can clog stem pores. To reduce the risk of clogged pores and extend the life of your arrangement, trim the stems and change the water regularly. As well, add Chrysal or other flower food and antibacterial products to fresh water.
 3. Flower Preservative
The preservative you receive with your arrangement is very beneficial to your flowers, because in addition to feeding them, it contains an antibacterial agent to help reduce bacteria in the water. It is important to add more plant food every time you change the water in your vase.
Some Myths and Part Truths
Cutting flowers under water has little or no bearing on how flowers will last.
A drop of Gin or Vodka in the water will help the flowers last longer. Alcohol like a drop on bleach will help slow down the growth of bacteria in the water which is a good thing. I would sooner sip my gin that put it into my flowers so if you don't have preservative a drop of bleach is the next best thing..
Step-by-Step Care
1. Have everything ready for your flowers: a clean vase filled with a solution of water, prservative at the right temperature, and a sharp knife or pruning shears to trim stems.
2. Take the flowers out of their packaging and cut stems at an angle. Remember to trim off any leaves that will end up in the water, as they'll decompose and increase bacteria levels in the water.
3. Once you've arranged the greens and flowers in the vase, you will notice that the flowers will drink a lot of water in the first few days, so keep adding water with flower food during this time. An empty wine bottle filled with water and a package of preservative is a perfect way to easily ad water to the vase and a great excuse to have a glass or two of wine.
4. By the fourth or fifth day, you will need to trim
the stems again. This trimming will remove any clogged pores. Change
the water in the vase and add more flower food.
5. Repeat this process every third or fourth day to ensure the long life of your arrangement.
There are times that cutting stems and changing the water is a pain. Often life is too busy. If nothing else, keep adding water with the flower food to the vase. Flowers are about as happy standing in yucky water as you would be!
Are Your Roses Nodding Off?
If your roses are limp and bent at the head, you can fix the problem easily. It's a matter of unclogging the pores in the stem. The clog can be bacterial, which can be fixed by trimming stems and changing the water (don't forget to add flower food). In the case of roses, however, the clog usually results from an air bubble trapped in the stem. This air bubble restricts water from reaching the bloom.
Simply trim the stems and put the roses in clean, very warm water. The warm water will cause the air bubble to expand, which leads to air particles escaping from the stem. You will notice these tiny bubbles surrounding the stem after a moment. When the water cools, the remaining air that might be left in the stem will shrink, allowing room for the water to travel to the flower bloom. |
