Keep Flowers Fresh Longer: An Insider’s Tips for Beautiful Blooms
Every florist faces the challenge of keeping flowers as fresh as possible, for as long as possible. Between styling, arranging and designing beautiful, unique floral designs, flowers can start to appear less-than-fresh before they’re even sent to the recipient. But the best florists have a few tricks up their sleeves to keep those blooms beautiful and long-lasting. Now the experts at Cascade Floral Wholesale are sharing these insider tips with you. Create gorgeous floral designs that will last and delight your recipients with full, lush flowers every time.
Snip and Trim
Before you do anything else with your flowers, the stems should be trimmed. Cutting at an angle, remove about an inch from the bottom. Do this while stems are submerged in room-temperature water. While you have the pruning sheers out, go ahead and remove any foliage that will otherwise be below the water line. This will prevent bacteria from breeding, which can destroy flowers quickly.
Feed and Water
Once flowers are trimmed and positioned in water, add flower food to the water. The sugars, acid and nutrients in flower food are essential to maintaining flowers’ freshness as long as possible. Another simple yet effective trick florists’ employ regularly is to change the water in the vase or container in which your flowers are displayed. Fresh, clean water with new flower food each time keeps flowers and stems healthy, fresh and beautiful. Plus, using the correct container (a size and shape that suits your arrangement well) will help each stem receive the water and nutrients it needs.
Keep Your Cool
Whether you’re storing or transporting your flowers, be sure to keep them clean and cool. Use special refrigeration in darkened rooms to prevent blooms from opening too soon. Be sure the refrigerator you use only contains flowers- fruits and vegetables release a gas that is toxic to flowers. If you store your flowers alongside your fruits and veggies, you’ll likely see brown petals and wilted bouquets quickly. If possible, transport arrangements in a refrigerated vehicle that will keep moisture out of the air and allow the freshest, most colorful and long-lasting blooms to be delivered to your recipient.
Give your customers the brightest, showiest flowers around when you care for blooms properly. Maintaining the health and freshness of your flowers from the start is the best way to ensure their beauty and longevity even after your customers have received their floral design. Allow recipients to enjoy the beauty of buds opening and fill their world with color and freshness when you follow these tips from Cascade Floral Wholesale. Call us with questions about preserving and maintaining your flowers- we’re here to help you create the most amazing floral designs ever.