Re: GWL Conditioning cut flowers

**"* M* <B*@verizon.net>**

Dear Nancy,

It sounds like you have a lot of cut flowers in mind, for a great cause. 
Geri's flower conditioning advice is good. Good conditioning often makes the 
difference between a bouquet that wilts in an hour and one that stays pretty 
for four or more days.

Lisianthus is a very long lasting cut flower, and can stay fresh in a 
homemade bouquet for up to two weeks.

Here are more tips on cutting and conditioning cut flowers:

Before cutting anything, set up some conditioning buckets nearly filled with 
cool water and  floral conditioner and set them in a cool workplace away 
from wind and direct sunshine. You can buy a floral conditioning product or 
make your own by adding a tablespoon of bleach and a teaspoon of sugar to 
each gallon of water.

Use sharp shears to cut the flowers. Carry a bucket of cool water with you 
as you stroll around collecting the blossoms, and add them to the bucket as 
you go. For a lot of flowers you'll need several buckets. Flowers should be 
well hydrated before they are cut, and they may be harvested in the evening 
or in early in the morning with good results.

Thoroughly trim the flowers you have just collected before putting them into 
the conditioning  buckets. Remove all the lower leaves, otherwise they foul 
the water. Recut the stem bottoms on a slant. The purists recut them under 
water to prevent air bubbles from blocking the veins in the stem and 
preventing uptake of moisture. That is rarely necessary with most flowers, 
in my experience, but roses are more sensitive than most others. For woody 
stems, make several shallow slits in the very base of the stem. Do not crush 
them with a hammer the way some books tell you to. For poppies, scorch the 
stem end with a lit match before conditioning. Two days is the most you will 
get out of a poppy so although beautiful it is not so good in gift bouquets.

Add the trimmed blooms to the conditioning buckets and do not crowd them. 
Let them sit and take in water for at least several hours or overnight 
before arranging the flowers.

The vases should be clean enough to drink from. Arrange the flowers and take 
the bouquets to their recipients. A good florist will refrigerate bouquets 
before they go out, but you don't have to go quite that far.

Peace and good wishes,

Betty

Coauthor, "Cutting Gardens," (Halpin and Mackey), Simon & Schuster, 1993
and "A Cutting Garden for Florida" multiple editions, by Mackey and 
Brandies, B. B. Mackey Books

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Nancy Szerlag" <szerlag@earthlink.net>
To: "Garden Writers -- GWL -- The Garden Writers Forum" 
<gardenwriters@lists.ibiblio.org>
Sent: Wednesday, June 20, 2012 12:29 PM
Subject: Re: [GWL] GWL Conditioning cut flowers

>
> In a couple of weeks I will begin delivering cut flower arrangements
> to hospice patients in my area. So, all you cut flower mavens, please
> give me your tried
> and true secrets to timing, conditioning and any thing else that will
> increase the vase life of the flowers.
> When my late partner Jeff became bed bound I kept fresh flowers at his
> bedside. My Griffith Buck roses flourished and he could see them from
> his
> bed. They gave him great pleasure. His hospice caretakers also
> commented on how much they enjoyed them.   Thanks in advance. Nancy
> Szerlag
>
>
>
>
>
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