I heard Barbara Paterson del Sol, Southwestern College Floral Design Instructor, speak at my garden club a couple of weeks ago. It always amazes me that there is always something else to learn!
Barbara talked a bit about cutting flowers. For aged flowers, past season, it’s better not to use cold water. Specifically, water temperature at 110 degrees will get pulled into the flower stem better. If the plants are wilted, hotter (hot enough to make tea) is better.
Flowers like their little trimmed feet in warm water, but they like their air temperature cooler. Storing flowers is typically done around 34 degrees. Sounds like flowers would like a day at a ski resort jacuzzi!
Barbara talked a little about soaking the whole flower because they will absorb through the leave and petals, too, but I don’t have much in the way of notes from her talk about that, and didn’t find anything on the internet so I don’t know what else to tell you on that! Input, anyone?
Stems should be recut every other day. Also, flush out the water at least every other day. Do as I say, not as I do. 
Another interesting tidbit from Barbara was about floral food. Plants need food to have strength to stay upright. The best preservative for flowers is (drumroll, please) half 7-UP/half water. Floral food, i.e. those little packets that usually come with a bouquet, is second best. I bought a jug of floral food a while back, but good to know about 7-UP. I can quench their thirst and mine!
Here are a couple of websites about floral conditioning:
I like this website because it addresses stems and foliage.
This primitive webpage is deceiving. There is direction about quite a few different flowers and how they should be conditioned.
Alright, go. Cut flowers. Condition. Enjoy…..
Tagged as:
conditioning flowers,
floral arranging,
Floral Design,
floral display,
floral friday
