How to Maintain the Freshness of Cut Flowers

 

Cut flowers are one of the interesting alternatives used to decorate the room.

Having cut flowers at home placed in a transparent vase will of course give a cool and beautiful impression. Especially if the flowers used are flowers that spread a fragrant aroma , it will definitely make people feel comfortable and at home in the house. But unfortunately, the existence of cut flowers did not last long. Usually only a day, the next day it's dead. This of course makes you disappointed and even annoyed, and finally many choose to switch to artificial decorative flowers because they are considered more durable.

In fact, according to many experts, putting fresh flowers in the house will reduce the risk of stress because the coolness will function as an anti-depressant for anyone who looks at it. So, try to keep taking advantage of the freshness of cut flowers in your home. To make it last longer, in this article we will provide tips and ways.

The appearance of the room in the house looks cooler, comfortable and fresh with the presence of cut flowers.

The things you should pay attention to are as follows:

Selection of cut flowers and cutting methods

The durability of cut flowers can be influenced by the way they are cut. Usually if the cutting method is correct, the flowers will also last a little longer than flowers with careless cuts. For the correct cutting of flowers should be done in the morning before sunrise.

Why in the morning? because in the morning, flowers, stems and leaves of plants contain a lot of water. So when cut, the water contained in it will provide freshness for longer. Cut the stems that are strong and fresh. For flowers with branching stems and consisting of several flower buds, leave 1 bud that has not yet bloomed. While the stems are with single flowers, let them fully bloom.

Before placing in the container, the stems of cut flowers are cleaned of dirt, as well as plant moss, then the size of the stems is aligned with each other.

Selection of containers for cut flowers

The container used should be a clear, transparent pot or vase. The transparent type of pot will show the look of cut flowers that are really alive and natural. For the size of the container, adjust it to the size of the cut flower you want, while for the shape, you should choose a beautiful and unique shape. In addition, make sure the pot is clean, free from dirt that can bring disease to your cut flowers. Fill the pot with clean water with a temperature of about 43.5°C. Hot water can make flower stems strong. When the container and water are ready, put the flower stems in the container and place it in a room that is at normal temperature.

Then do the following treatments:

• Change the water in the container every day because the bacteria may have started to appear. Clean the container and give it back clean water. This is so that the cut flowers are fresh again.

Changing the water in the container is important to maintain the freshness of cut flowers.

• At the time of changing the water, pay attention to the condition of the stems. If there is rot, immediately cut off the rotting part. Even on non-rotting stems, it is best to cut 1 centimeter at an angle at a 45° angle. This aims to facilitate the absorption of water by the stem.
• Then if one of the flowers wilts or dies, throw it away or move it. Because flowers usually wilt in a chain, giving the effect of other flowers in the vicinity to immediately wither as well.
• Set the placement. Do not place it in a place exposed to direct sunlight and blowing wind. Do not place it on top of the television because the radiation disturbs the freshness of the flowers, also keep it away from fruit because the ethylene gas released by the fruit will have a wilting effect on the flowers.
• To make the appearance last longer, give flower preservatives (as flower food) which can be found at flower shops or gardening supply stores. You can make your own cut flower preservatives too. The method is easy, we will discuss in the following paragraphs below.

Making a simple cut flower preservative

It's easy and you can do it yourself, with ingredients that are very easy to get. Yes, it is true that preserving cut flowers is as simple as that, let's learn how, there are three (3) alternatives that we provide, you can choose:

1. The first way is to use soda, lime and bleach. Mix the water with the soda, then add a few drops of lemon juice and add the bleach. This composition will provide nutrients in the form of acid and sugar levels in the stems as well as anti-microbial substances possessed by bleach that can kill microorganisms in water and flower stems.
2. The second way is to use orange juice, sugar, and bleach. This composition is mixed into water in a cut flower container. This will provide the nutrients the flower stalks need to keep them fresh.
3. If no bleach is available, just replace it with vodka. The content of vodka can also function as an eater of microorganisms and fungi and bacteria in the water. Vodka can also remove the production of ethylene gas, which is the gas that causes plants to wilt.

It should be noted that the use of bleach for preservation should not be excessive, use only a small amount. Then there are some materials that have been thought to be able to preserve plants but actually that assumption is wrong. For example, the use of white vinegar, aspirin and copper in the form of coins. The use of these materials will only make the stems of your cut flowers turn gray. And it doesn't last long.

An example of using clear hydrogel on cut flowers. Look prettier.

Finally, to beautify the appearance of your cut flowers, you can use hydrogel . Hydrogels are colorful spheres in the form of crystals (like marbles) that are able to absorb and release water, serve as water and nutrient reserves for plants (read more in the article about hydrogels and how to use them ). So that in addition to beautifying the appearance, hydrogel can also make cut flowers last longer.

By paying attention and following some of the reviews above, hopefully the cut flowers in your home can last a long time. good luck

We also provide a variety of ornamental plants that can be used as cut flowers. Get flower ornamental plant seeds (live plants) here and other ornamental plant seeds here .