TIPS

We can say that most home remedies try to solve some of the post-harvest problems of cut flowers, but there isn’t one among them that optimally supports leaf and flower development. All home remedies lack clear instructions regarding accurate dosage and composition. Also, the composition of nutrients is too small to support the natural development of flowers and leaves as it would occur on the plant.

• Chlorine: an aggressive product for plant tissues, clothing and human skin. Dosage must be very precise in order not to damage both flowers and leaves. Even if applied properly, its effect is very short-lived, because household chlorine stops working after half a day, while the cut flowers require support during their entire vase life.
• Soft drinks: the amount of food supplements in soft drinks is too small to support natural leaf and flower development as it would occur on the plant. Any positive effect of this remedy is because of the sugar content and the pH level.
• Sugars: they are a good food source for micro-organisms and ensure quick contamination of the vase water. This remedy is too one-sided to be effective for normal leaf and flower development.
• Copper coins: copper only affects the vase water. The release of copper from coins, (few coins still contain any copper these days) is very slow and therefore not effective.

Of the above ‘home remedies’, only soft drinks have any positive effect at all, but this is expensive compared to commercially available cut flower food. Consumers should always ask for flower food with each bouquet bought in order to get even longer lasting enjoyment from their flowers.

• After the grower has cut the flower from its mother plant or the roots, the stem wound immediately begins to heal itself, much like a wound on our skin. The cut off flower stem protects itself against infections and drying out through the cutting wound by sealing it. This means that when cut flowers are put into a container or vase solution, the water absorption is greatly decreased or even completely stopped, resulting a premature demise of the entire flower.
• Wounds on the stem bark are an excellent food source for micro-organisms. Micro-organisms only grow if they have something to feed on in the container or vase. Large amounts can cause loss of quality in some cut flowers, because they can partially plug the bottom of the stem. This is one of the main reasons to cut off a piece of the stem after a ‘dry’ period and it also prevents contamination of the container or vase.
• Contaminated and organic materials plug up the cut surface, just like air bubbles in a dried out stem-end. This also causes the premature wilting of the cut flowers. By cutting the bottom of the stem (by at least 1-3 inches) these blockages are removed.

Advice
If cut flowers have been dry for more than 30 minutes e.g. on their journey from wholesaler to shop, or shop to home, or simply the vase has become empty, cut off 1-3 inch before placing them in a container or vase. This applies to all phases of the flower’s life. Working in a clean environment, removing contamination and avoiding stem damage all help to prevent waste, save money and ensure normal flower development as well as a satisfied customer!