Prepping Gerbers!

MAKE SURE THE HEADS ARE SUPPORTED. WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE HOW IT'S DONE.

Prepping Gerbers!

MAKE SURE THE HEADS ARE SUPPORTED. WATCH THE VIDEO TO SEE HOW IT'S DONE.

Conditioning Flowers

Once you've purchased flowers, there is a step to take before you start to arrange with them. It's called conditioning and it is VERY important to do this whether you've received your flowers in buckets from your local farmer or if they were shipped to you overnight from a flower farm far away.

All flowers will dehydrate during the transportation process and need to be re-hydrated before you start to work with them. They are just like us! After a long journey, they need to rest for a while and have a nice long cool drink of water.

Conditioning should last at least one and preferably several hours. Overnight conditioning is even better.

For flowers brought in from the garden or purchased from the florist, do the following:

1. Start with clean containers.
2. Have the containers of room temperature water ready. Although warm water is better than cold, many flowers are not “fussy” and take up cold water readily.
3. The water should be about 4 inches to half the depth of the entire stem length, preferably containing a floral preservative or bacteriacide. There are exceptions for some flowers which do not like lots of water in the vase (for example: Gerberas, Calla Lilies).
4. Recut the stems at an angle. This is so the stems do not sit flat on the bottom of the container which would prevent them to take up water. Remove one to two inches with a sharp knife (or shears). Then immediately place the stem into a container of warm water with preservative before the stem end dries. NOTE: STEMS SEAL UP IN ABOUT 10 SECONDS! PLACE IN WATER QUICKLY.
5. When the stem is handled for re-cutting, remove any leaves that will be in the water.
6. Keep the blooms dry and out of the water.
7. Store the containers of cut flowers in a cool, humid place, free from drafts.

Keeping Flowers Fresh after they've been arranged:

• Remove excess foliage that would fall below the vase water-line. Decaying leaves and foliage left on stems contribute to bacteria build-up in the water. This bacterium then blocks the stems from drinking the water and will shorten the life of your flower arrangement.
• Use a commercially-prepared floral preservative to ensure long-lasting flowers.
• Display your arrangements in cool spots in your home. Avoid drafts, hot spots and television sets.
• Never store fruit and flowers together. Apples produce ethylene gas, a hormone that causes aging in flowers.
• Use a clean vase or container and check the water level daily. Every 2 or 3 days, re-cut the stems and change the water for maximum flower life.

As some flowers fade in the arrangement, don’t throw out all of the flowers!