General Flower Care - Remember that all flowers will seal up while out of water and will need special treatment to ensure that they drink properly. To do this, cut the stems on the diagonal (to give the greatest drinking surface) and above the ‘node’ with a sharp knife or pair of scissors, taking care not to squash the stems in case you damage the ‘drinking’ structure and place into a clean vase of water.
Roses - As above. The only reason the heads of roses go over is because they are not drinking properly. There are various ‘different’ remedies but as a rule, if the above instructions do not work it is usually because of quality issues or because they have been out of water for too long.
Soft stems - Soft stems such as Gerbera & Calla Lillies will deteriorate more quickly under water. We would advise not putting so much water in the vase with softer stems and recutting and changing the water regularly. Stem deterioration is the reason that Gerbera heads seem to go over so quickly. . . because they are not drinking properly!
Woody stems - Foliages and shrub type flowers such as ‘Wax Flower’ will need some extra help to drink. The stems will need to be split (not ‘bashed’). A hammer is the easiest way but preferably one with a softer head – taking particular care not to crush the stems in any way or damaging the drinking structure of the stems. Hydrangeas & viburnum can be particularly tricky, you may need to try cutting downwards with a sharp stanley knife blade but do make sure that it is ‘above’ the node. Still having problems? Do it all again . . . But ‘under water’!
Food - Flower food is great to help keep the water clean and to give those vital nutrients to flowers that are not yet in bloom. Have fun folks! Nicole.
Flower Subscription Service In & Around Norwich