How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement

  • December 11, 2007
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Sure, all flowers look great tossed into a vase without much fuss—but if you toss them in without conditioning them first, they won’t look great for long.

You Will Need

  • Fresh flowers
  • Some warm water
  • A clean bucket
  • A sharp knife
  • Some bleach
  • And some sugar
  • Hot water (optional)
  • And gardening shears (optional)
How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement: Fill bucket

Step 1: Fill bucket

Fill the clean bucket a third of the way with lukewarm water.

If your flowers are a little droopy, or you want them to open up right away, use hot water—they’ll absorb it more quickly.

How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement: Add bleach & sugar

Step 2: Add bleach & sugar

Add a few drops of bleach and 1 teaspoon of sugar per quart of water, and set the bucket aside. The sugar provides nutrients for the flowers, and the bleach rids the water of any bacteria.

How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement: Remove leaves

Step 3: Remove leaves

Remove any leaves that will end up underwater in the vase. Weak leaves can be plucked by hand. Cut tougher leaves with a sharp knife, being careful not to damage the stem in the process.

Submerged leaves will rot, encouraging bacteria and shortening the life span of the arrangement.

How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement: Remove thorns

Step 4: Remove thorns

Remove any thorns with a sharp knife or garden shears, being careful not to damage the stems.

How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement: Cut base of stem

Step 5: Cut base of stem

Cut at least 1 inch from the base of the stem at a 45-degree angle with a sharp pair of garden shears, making the cut as clean and smooth as possible.

How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement: Place in bucket

Step 6: Place in bucket

Place each flower in the prepared bucket as soon as you cut its stem—the longer it takes, the more likely that air bubbles will seal off the passageways for water.

How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement: Condition all flowers

Step 7: Condition all flowers

Continue conditioning each flower one at a time until they are all in the bucket.

How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement: Set in cool place

Step 8: Set in cool place

Set the bucket in a cool place out of direct sunlight, and away from fruits, vegetables, exhaust fumes, and cigarette smoke—all of which contain or emit chemicals toxic to flowers.

Most flowers—except tropical varieties—will last longest at temperatures between 40 and 50 degrees Fahrenheit.

How To Condition Flowers For an Arrangement: Let flowers drink

Step 9: Let flowers drink

Let the flowers drink for several hours before arranging, especially if they’ve come straight from your garden. Ideally, you should cut them in the evening, condition them overnight, and wake up to beautiful, strong flowers ready for the vase.

An old wives’ tale says that if a single man plucks a dewy bachelor’s button, places it in his pocket for 1 day, and the flower remains blue, he will have a happy marriage.

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Comments (1)

KatieL

so pretty

over 3 years ago by KatieL

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