Cut Flower Care Instructions

Cut Flower Care

Almost everyone would agree that the real joy of growing your very own plants in your garden comes when you can actually see the fruits of your labor. It takes time and a lot of work to make your garden reach its peak. It is not an easy process that leads to you seeing flowers bloom on your plants, and it’s only natural that once you have successfully led your garden to that point, with flowers of all colors and shapes a living testament of your hard work, you would want to keep it like that forever.
Alas, that is not possible. There comes a point when you will have to see those flowers being blown away by a strong gust of wind, or getting scorched by too much sunlight. It is inevitable, and it is not an easy thing to watch. So why not cut those flowers and use them somewhere while you can?
A lot of people have a negative reaction to this suggestion. But they need to understand that once their flowers reach their peak, it is the precise time to cut them and arrange them into a beautiful bouquet that can be enjoyed every day sitting on their living room’s windowsill or in a loved one’s house.

As mentioned before, one reason to cut flowers is to save them from getting destroyed by an unseen change in the weather. Cutting them ensures that some of them are safe and can be enjoyed for a longer period of time.
The second reason is that cutting encourages further growth. It promotes the growth of more blooms before the fruits start coming, so you can have more flowers in no time.
The last reason to cut your beautiful blooms is so that you can enjoy them every day. Creating a bouquet out of your hard work gives you a sense of achievement and encourages you to take care of your flowers. You don’t have to cut all your flowers at once though; you can add foliage to the arrangements to fill them up.

The reason that many people hesitate to cut flowers is that they think their blooms will die in a day or two. That is not true at all. There are ways to take care of your cut flowers that will ensure a long life even after you separate them from their parent plant. Here are a few of the tips and tricks you can use to ensure longevity of your cut flowers:
There is a Right Time to Cut
Sometimes it’s the small things that can make the difference. In the case of cutting flowers, it’s the time when you cut. Cutting your flowers in the early morning is the best you can do. The reason is that flowers have been exposed to the cool night air and morning dew, which makes their stems full of water and carbs. Cutting flowers later in the day means that the flowers have started to lose their moisture and are becoming limp as the day progresses. When such flowers are separated from their parent plant, you cannot always be sure that they will react positively to it. This may lead to a shorter vase life.
When cutting, be sure to have a bucket of water ready next to you. Place your flowers in this water immediately to keep them healthy. Otherwise, they will die in no time.
Use the Right Tools
There is a right tool for everything, and cutting flowers is no different. Tools that are made to cut flowers should be used. They should be clean and sharp, so that the separation of the flower from the plant is quick and the vessels used for water transfer are kept intact. Many people don’t realize this and use kitchen knives, which are usually blunt and not sharp enough. This causes the vascular system of the stems to be crushed, causing a lack of water transfer once in the vase.
Temperature Matters
The fundamental thing that needs to be kept in mind when caring for cut flowers is that you need to make sure that water and nutrients get to the top of the flower as quick as possible. Warm water works better in this case, as the molecules move faster than in cold water. The ideal temperature of water is 100-110 degrees Fahrenheit.
Something to keep in mind is that there are bulb flowers, like tulip, which need cold water to live. These will not survive in warm water.
Use Preservatives to Feed the Flowers
While attached to a plant, the flowers get all their nutrition from it. But once cut away, they have nowhere to get their essential nutrients from. There are three things that flowers need.
• Carbohydrates are needed for cell metabolism.
• Biocides are required to keep the flower healthy by fighting off bacteria.
• Acidifiers are needed to keep the pH of the water in check.
The best alternative to these nutrients is to use a preservative. Preservatives for cut flowers have sugar that gives nutrition, bleach that acts as a biocide, and citric acid to acidify the water to the flower’s need.
Keep an Eye on them
After you’ve taken care of all the major things, it is important to keep a close eye on your flowers once you’ve placed them in a vase. Here are some tips to ensure longevity:
• Make sure that your vase is not overcrowded with flowers. Give each flower some breathing room.
• Keep an eye on the water level in the vase. Change the water frequently.
• If you notice a flower going limp, it means that it’s not getting enough water. Recut it at an angle of 45 degrees to ensure maximum surface area to capture water.
• Keep your vase away from direct sunlight and drafts.
Following these steps, you can be sure that your flowers remain fresh and healthy even after being cut away from their plants. There is nothing that should hold you back from cutting your flowers after going through this guide, and we hope our readers learned something new about caring for their cut flowers.