On the many holidays throughout the year, as well as birthdays, the house is filled with bouquets of flowers. To ensure that these cut flowers stay fresh for longer, you should follow a few rules that we will introduce to you today. The shelf life of flowers depends on the species, variety and many other things. The flowering phase in which they are picked is determined by their characteristics. For example, the flowers of some decorative flowers picked as buds may open after being placed in a glass of water. These flowers include the gladioli, poppies, lilies, peonies and others. Others, such as large-flowered chrysanthemums, lilacs and others, should be picked when they are already in bloom.
The best time of day to pick flowers is early in the morning when the flowers, buds, leaves and stems are at their freshest, or in the evening when they contain the most saccharin. On cloudy days, the flowers can be picked at any time of the day.
The flowers should be cut off just below the shoot axis with a sharp knife. If they are separated by hand, their tissue is crushed, making the stem more likely to rot. Crushed stems absorb water more poorly, so the flowers wilt more quickly. The cut on the stem should also always be diagonal. The reason for this is that if it is cut straight, it will rest directly against the bottom of the vase and will be less able to absorb water. You should also remove the lower leaves on the stem before placing the flower in the vase so that theyCut flowers stay fresh longerremain. Because if the leaves rot, the stems also rot faster and this shortens the shelf life of the cut flower. However, the leaves of chrysanthemums and roses are not removed because these flowers also absorb water through the leaves. The gerbera is only placed in a little water. The flower stems should not be more than 5 cm deep in water.
A bath to freshen up
Various methods are used to refresh flowers that have already wilted. For example, you can cut off the bottom part of the stem and place it in hot water (90 to 100 degrees) for 20 to 30 seconds. Before doing so, you should wrap the leaves and flowers with paper to protect them from the water vapor. In this way, the stems absorb more water than the untreated ones, so the cut flowers stay fresh longer.So you can chrysanthemumsand freshen up gerberas. The forsythia and lilac, on the other hand, do not like treatment with hot water. Flowers with softer stems, such as tulips, lilies of the valley, cyclamen and daffodils, can be quickly refreshed by immersing them in warm water (25 degrees) up to the flowers themselves. After 6 to 10 hours you will feel fresher again. Stems of plants that secrete a white sap when cut are placed in 30 to 35 degree water for a few minutes. This will prevent the drying sap from clogging the opening of the stem. Then they are placed in water at room temperature.
Renew the cuts
To keep your cut flowers fresher for longer, it is important that you change the water and renew the cuts every day. It's also best to do this underwater. This means no air gets into the supply vessels. This is particularly important for flowers, which secrete a slimy fluid that quickly clogs the vessels. These include irises, poppies, tulips, carnations and others. Also remember that the water in the vase should be at room temperature.
