NOW THAT AUGUST is finally here, lovely flowers should be everywhere in your garden. Fresh cut flowers bring joy and make every room beautiful. So why not harvest them as gifts?
Be it a gift to yourself or to the house, for your neighbor or your coworkers, spreading flowers around is a great attitude booster. But don’t simply put your flowers in a vase and hope for the best.
When and how you cut flowers make all the difference in their longevity.
The right conditions
Early mornings, late evening, or on a overcast or lightly rainy days when plants are full of water are the best times to gather bouquets.
Use clean pruning shears (they should feel comfortable in your hand) to cut the stems.
Don’t pluck the flowers by hand, since you can easily damage or uproot your precious plant.
Do not cut the flower off at the place where it is perfect length for the vase — that comes later!
Try to pick them when they are in bud or before they have opened fully. When picked at this time, the flowers will last longer and be more fragrant.
Always harvest flowers at a place on the plant that promotes new growth in the direction desired.
Flowers like roses, dahlias and especially snapdragons are seldom taken low enough on the plant. Failure to do so results in strange, top-heavy plants with less-desirable flowers.
More than cutting
I like to carry a bucket of water into the garden so I can immediately immerse the cut stems.
The faster the flower stem gets into water, the better.
The water itself should be warm. Water at 100 degrees is preferred — it moves quickly up the stalk.
After picking, drip all the lower leaves and branches that would be underwater in a vase.
Remove any thorns or underdeveloped buds. Plant material put under water will rot away, discolor your water and breed bacteria.
Lower leaves and buds also take the moisture moving up the stem, and we want it all to go to the flower’s preservation.
Next, cut the stalk at a very sharp angle at the length desired.
Cutting at an angle will open the veins in the stem to allow more water to pass through.
Condition flowers
I do a little “basic conditioning” with my flowers the day before arranging them.
The flowers look better and last for at least a week.
To condition most kinds of flowers, such as perennials, annuals and bulb flowers, plunge the stems neck deep in a pail of warm water (never cover the flowers)!
Let them soak overnight or all day. You can do this indoors or in a shady spot.
Now they are ready to arrange.
Re-cut your stems and place in vases for a magnificent array of colors.
Make sure your vases are clean! Bacteria breeds in old water and dirty containers, plugging up the water-conducting tubes in the stems.
Clean and wash your vases after each use.
Don’t forget — every day re-cut the stem and change the water.
Keep the flowers away from very warm, hot areas.
Remove spent blossoms to keep the bouquet fresh.
So get out your buckets, cut a few flowers and tomorrow at work, spread your wealth around.
And please … stay well all!
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Andrew May is a freelance writer and ornamental horticulturist who dreams of having Clallam and Jefferson counties nationally recognized as “Flower Peninsula USA.” Send him questions c/o Peninsula Daily News, P.O. Box 1330, Port Angeles, WA 98362, or email news@peninsuladailynews.com (subject line: Andrew May).
