How to properly care for bouquets? 10 questions for the florist

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When a person receives flowers as a gift, he tries to prolong the life of the bouquet as much as possible. On the Internet, you can find many different methods and advice on this topic, some experience was passed on by mothers and grandmothers. However, are they all effective?

Lesya Romanyuk, champion of Ukraine in floristry, told “UP.Zhyttia” how to determine the freshness of flowers and shared life hacks on how to extend the life of a bouquet at home.

How to determine the freshness of flowers?

It is almost impossible to determine how fresh a flower is. As Lesya Romanyuk explained, quality depends on suppliers, orders, preparation of flowers for sale and – honesty of florists.

“It is very difficult for an untrained person to understand whether this flower is of good quality. It used to be a myth that the freshness of a rose, for example, can be determined by the elasticity of the bud. But now in bouquets different varieties of this flower are used, and not all of them naturally have a hard bud , because there is a different density and number of petals”– notes Lesya.

Photo: AndrewBedrov/Depositphotos

The absence of “greens”, that is, leaves and thorns, is a sign of quality, because in water it will only contribute to the processes of fermentation and decay.

“Leaves generally harm bouquets – the more leaves on a flower, the less nutrients the bud receives. This is due to the fact that the plant lives thanks to photosynthesis, which occurs in the green mass, and in order to survive, it will soak the leaves with water.

In mixed bouquets, experts almost always cut the leaves and remove the thorns from the stem (for the convenience of the client). For expressiveness and contrast, small flowers, twigs with leaves, etc. are added to the composition“, says Lesya Romaniuk.

Read also: Familiar and exotic. How well do you know spring flowers? TEST

She advises you to find a florist or shop that you can trust just like a hairdresser or a dentist, because the freshness of flowers in a bouquet is the most important thing.

Lesya adds that in order to prolong the life of a bouquet in a vase, three conditions must be met: wash the vase, trim the flowers and collect water. But each of these points has peculiarities.

Is it necessary to disassemble the bouquet and remove the packaging?

Most bouquets in florist salons are made using the spiral technique. That is, the stems of the plants diverge in one direction at an angle from the conventional center from the point of connection (the ribbon by which we can wrap our arms around the bouquet).

“A bouquet of roses is not always a bouquet. If it is a bouquet of only one type of flowers, you can untie it and arrange it as you see fit.

But if it is a mixed bouquet that has its own character – airy, playful, different heights, romantic – then it is not necessary to spray it. In such compositions from the florist, the flowers seem to “vibrate” in the bouquet. If you untie such a composition, the architecture of the bouquet changes, and it will not have such a perfect appearance.” – explains the specialist.

Photo: AntonMatyukha/Depositphotos

The florist notes: if there is no spiral in a bouquet of different flowers, and the stems are tied chaotically, then it should be disassembled. It is also worth untying a bouquet (even a spiral one) if it has poorly stripped stems from leaves.

Flowers can also break at the moment of “pushing” the composition into the vase. The florist notes that these injuries on the flower may not be immediately visible, but at the same time, water will become less suitable for the bud.

Lesya also advises to remove the packaging, because its only function is to protect the bouquet from mechanical damage during transportation, as well as from an unfavorable external environment (for example, frost).

How to prepare a vase for a bouquet?

Florists store flowers in special refrigerators at a temperature of 2 to 8 °C. Specialists also monitor the cleanliness of vases for flowers every day wash tanks with disinfectant liquids.

“Cut flowers die not from time, but from infection by fungi and bacteria. Therefore, the person who received the bouquet as a gift should wash the vase. You can, for example, in the dishwasher or with agents that kill microbes and bacteria“, says Lesya Romaniuk.

At the same time, an important point is the shape and size of the vase, because it is a temporary “home” for the bouquet.

Photo: AndrewLozovyi/Depositphotos

“There are such fashionable vases with a narrow bottom and a wide neck, in the shape of an inverted triangle. It is suitable for a small number of flowers of one type – roses, tulips, hydrangeas, etc.“, Lesya emphasizes.

She advises finding a vase in the form of a cut drop – wider at the bottom and narrower at the top, or a vase-jar.

“It is desirable that the vase should be more than 15 cm in diameter and about 30 cm in length at the neck. Then spiral bouquets, which resemble an inverted trapezoid in a vase, will be able to fit in it and feel good there. An aquarium vase may be appropriate for small bouquets“, the specialist adds.

How much water should be poured into the vase?

The florist says that most flowers warm water is needed, not coldbecause it clogs the vessels of the flower.

“To extend the life of a bouquet of flowers with woody stems (roses, hydrangeas, lilacs, etc.), you need to pour warm water from the tap. In addition, it already contains antibacterial additives in the form of chlorine (but it will not harm the flower). There should be enough of it in the vase – somewhere up to a third of the length of the stem or two fingers below the place where the bouquet is tied,” – she explains.

Another rule applies to bouquets of bulbous plants: they should be given a small amount of cold water.

“Tulips, daffodils and irises can continue to grow in water. Overnight, the bouquet can increase by 5-7 cm. Therefore, the less water and the smaller the surface area of ​​the cut, the slower the flowers will develop.

I will reveal a secret: bulbous plants can live without water and can be stored for a long time without it.”– says Lesya.

Photo: serezniy/Depositphotos

How often do you need to change the water and what to feed the flowers?

According to the florist, the water in the vase should be changed every day. Along with changing the water, you need to cut the stems. But if you add fertilizer to the water, then you should not change it. It is a special powder in bags, which is sold in flower shops or given as a gift to a bouquet.

“One such bag is designed for 1 liter of water, so if you have a larger vase, you should throw it away and feed it more. You don’t need to change such water, so you won’t have to cut the flowers again either.” – explains the specialist.

If there is no fertilizer, then it is worth it change the water every 1-2 days and cut the stems each time. If necessary, you can add water to the vase with fertilizer if the plants drink it quickly.

“You should not use grandmother’s recipes. Sugar, citric acid, activated carbon affect alkalinity, and not always in favor of the flower. Such additives will rather create a good environment for the reproduction of bacteria and will “kill” the flower faster. – notes Lesya.

Read also: Not only Christmas tree and orchid: which indoor plants bloom in winter and how to care for them

How to cut flowers correctly?

For cutting flowers, the specialist recommends having a tool with a sharp and clean blade.

“The first cut should be made with secateurs. If you don’t have it at home, a sharp knife or scissors for cutting meat or fish will do. The main thing is to cut off the dried “crust” and give the flower the opportunity to drink water. After all, while the bouquet is going from the flower shop or the bazaar to you home, the stem sections are drying.

If you put an uncut flower in water, it will not be able to drink it. Therefore, when restaurants put bouquets in a vase, it does not make sense“, the florist explains.

Photo: AndrewLozovyi/Depositphotos

Lesya advises to cut almost all flowers should be 1 cm at an angle of 45°C.

The exception is bulbous plants – tulips, lilies, irises, gladiolus, crocuses, daffodils and amaryllis. Their stems need to be shortened at right angles.

Where should you not put flowers?

In order for a bouquet to last a long time in an apartment or house, it is worth considering the conditions that shorten the “life” of flowers.

“When I make a bouquet, I always emphasize that you should avoid direct sunlight and do not place flowers close to heating devices (especially UV or other lamps)“, the florist notes.

She adds that it is worth considering that the air in the room should be humidified, not overdried.

Read also: Dangerous indoor plants: hiding bright petals and small needles

Spray or soak: what to do if the buds have faded?

“Water harms flowers. Buds can never be immersed in water or sprayed – they die from that. Moisture in the buds begins to cause rot“, says Lesya.

She explains that the petals dry up because the flower does not drink water well. The reason may be a contaminated section or water, or insufficient amount of liquid in the vase.

How to take care of flowers in a pot (basket)?

A basket with flowers or a planter is a convenient way to present flowers in a beautiful design. This is a good alternative to a bouquet if it is not possible to put the flowers in water and cut them. For example, for a wedding or a birthday party in a restaurant.

“But when you have the opportunity to give a bouquet on your own stems, it will always live longer than flowers in an oasis. After all, it is not possible to replace the water or cut the stems in a planter.”– warns the florist.

Photo: dmitriy.ozhgihin/Depositphotos

The basket with flowers should be watered once every few days. The volume of liquid should not be large – up to 100 ml, something like an espresso cup.

“If a flower fell out of the floristic sponge during transportation, it should be put in another place. That is, not in the hole from which it fell, but somewhere nearby, where the capillaries of the plant will be in close contact with the environment of the sponge“, advises the specialist.

Are the wires in the bouquet ok?

The florist notes that there should be no wires in an ordinary bouquet.

“There are justified mounting techniques, for example, to create a wreath for a wedding or a boutonniere.

Wires for supporting flowers in ordinary bouquets are inappropriate. This technique was used many years ago to “strengthen” the stem of a flower with a large bud. Currently, there is no reason to further strengthen the flower, unless something is wrong with it“, says the specialist.

She notes that in practice the wires harm the plant – they injure the stem, bend, press the capillaries, so such flowers cost less.

Victoria Andreeva, UP. Life

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