Cut Flower Care & Handling

To achieve maximum enjoyment from their flowers, our customers should be ready to do their bit too, with proper care and processing of flowers in the home.

Accompanying your flowers will be an envelope of Fresh Flower Food, the product inside this envelope have been specially developed by industry experts to help fresh cut flowers achieve optimum performance and life in a vase. Each 10 gram sachet contains a mixture of 90% flower nutrients and 10% antibacterial agents. Its main function is to assist the flower in opening (thus the high nutrient/sugar content).

Flower food keeps water clear by minimizing sediment at the bottom of the vase, helps flowers maintain their natural colour, shape and fragrance and keeps stems firm and leaves green. It also inhibits the processes in the stem and vase water that cause vascular plugging.

The following steps will ensure that you receive maximum life from your flowers

1. Carefully MEASURE proper amounts of flower food into a clean vase of lukewarm water. Use one 10 gram package of Fresh Cut Flower Food in every litre of water (that's for an 8" vase). When mixed improperly, the high concentration of nutrients (sugar) in food sachets creates a breeding ground for bacteria, that will be worse for the flower than if no food is used at all.
   
   
2. IMPORTANT:  As the water level gets low, you must refill vases with fresh solution made with correct proportions of Fresh Cut Flower Food and water.
   NOTE:  For roses, this process should be performed on Day 1 (when you first purchase product), on Day 3, and again on Day 5 to ensure that you obtain maximum vase life.
   
   
3. Always use the supplied flower food sachets.  Home made substitutes for flower food (soda pop, sugar, bleach, just to name a few) may not be as easily absorbed into the flower and may not contain a bactericide. This in turn can leave a flowers starving for nutrients in a bacterial laden enviroment. The flower food supplied has been developed to maximize the vase life and development of flowers.
   
   
4. Re-cut stems with a sharp knife. After a flower is cut, certain enzymes close off the wound that has been made. Therefore, re-cutting the stem before you place flowers in water (containing Fresh Cut Flower Food) is necessary for the solution to be absorbed throughout the flower.
   NOTE: Using a dull knife or scissors may crush the stems and decrease vase life.
   
   
5. Remove foliage below water level. Natural secretions produced by the flower may obstruct the vessels in the stem. Working hygienically and removing foliage (leaves) up to the water line in a vase will decrease the growth of bacteria in the water. Do Not strip all leaves off the stem, the leaves help ensure the normal uptake of water.
   
   
6. Keep flowers out of heat and direct sunlight. Bacteria, fungi and yeast grow on stem ends and in the water, and multiply very rapidly. These processes are accelerated by high temperatures and may result in premature wilting of flowers and leaves.
   
   
7. Keep flowers away from fruit and cigarette smoke.  Fruit and cigarette smoke produce high amounts of ethylene gas, which speeds up the natural ageing process in flowers.

Bulb flowers have a tendency to drink more water than they need and thus open too quickly. By storing flowers in very little water (only 1 1/2 - 2" deep), you can slow down the opening process and thus prolong vase life. Be sure to replenish preservative solution daily.