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Harvesting
and Handling Cut Flowers
Your flowers will look better and last longer in the vase
if you cut and handle them properly. Remember that a plant
with its flowers is a living, breathing organism. When
harvesting you must learn to think like a flower,
empathize with the flower, and try to understand the
physiological processes at work in this creature.
WHEN:
Flowers should be
harvested either early in the morning or evening when the
sun is low in the sky and the air is cool. The temperature
should be under 80°. Both heat and sunlight speed up the
plant’s metabolism and cutting under those conditions
causes greater shock to the plant. Flowers cut when it’s
hot start to die much more quickly. In the morning the
plants are full of water and less likely to wilt, and in
the evening, their tissues are filled with carbohydrates
and their vase life will be longer. They should not be
wet, because moisture leads to disease.
TOOLS:
Sharp scissors or pruners, bucket with clean, tempered
water, and vases for arranging. Everything
should be CLEAN. Sanitize the cutting tools and
all containers. Bacterial growth causes the cut stems to
clog up and the flower can’t take up water. You can use
liquid detergent and a drop or two of Clorox in the
water—scrub and rinse.
WHAT
TO PICK. Choose flowers carefully. They should be
undamaged by insects or disease, and at the proper stage
of maturity. This varies widely according to variety.
Generally, if a flower is shedding pollen, or looks more
than fully open, it is over-mature and should be avoided.
Most flowers are good if they have just opened. If you
have questions about this, please feel free to ask us.
HOW:
Follow the stem down to the length you desire, or to a
main branching. If you have to cut off more than ¼ of the
plant to do this, STOP and check with us. Make a clean,
diagonal cut. (This helps the plant to heal more quickly.)
Strip the leaves off the lower stems up to where they will
be in water. Put flower in bucket immediately. After
cutting is completed, fill the container up to the top
with cool water and allow flowers to soak (and take up
water) for several hours to overnight in a cool, dark
place. Use floral preservative for this "conditioning"
process. The preservative that we provide should be mixed
about 1 to 2 tsp. for every gallon of water
ARRANGING:
"Keep your vases as clean as your teacups". Prepare water
with floral preservative (1 to 2 tsp. per gallon of water)
and clean the vase. Cut each stem again diagonally then place quickly in the vase. Do not let flowers
lie on the counter and wilt. Put in the tallest stems
first, and then the ones that form the sides. Next, fill
in the back and front.
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AIR DRYING
OF FLOWERS
Air drying of flowers is the easiest, “old fashioned” way.
All you need is a dark, warm, dry, ventilated
place.
Too much light will fade the flowers, and lack of
warmth will cause browning and fading.
Pick flowers in late morning, after the dew has
dried, but before the day is too hot.
Strip off all the foliage, and gather them in small
bunches fastened with a rubber band.
Hang upside down in the drying area.
Drying is complete when a stem at the bottom is
bent and snaps.
You can leave the bunches where they are or store
them wrapped in newspaper and placed in closed boxes in a
warm, dry place.
Selection:
Flowers for drying should be free of damage and
cut as they first come into full bloom when their color is
most intense.
A few varieties are exceptions to this rule, so
check with us if you have questions.
Varieties:
Many of our flowers are suitable for air
drying.
Most are small sized and are available in August
and early September, but a few are only blooming early in
the summer.
The varieties that are best for air drying have
been marked with a red dot on the variety sign post, or
just ask us, we'll be happy to assist you.
Early
Summer
June 15 to July 15.
Acroclinium,
Ammobium,
Coral Bells,
Plumed Thistle,
Gold and Millifolium
Yarrow,
Thrift, Annual Gypsophila,
Bachelor Buttons,
Larkspur,
Astilbe,
Pearl Everlasting,
Sea Holly,
Sea Lavender,
Globe Thistle,
German Statice,
Liatris,
Perennial Gypsophila,
Chives.
Late
Summer
July 15 to frost,
about September 15.
Bachelor
Buttons,
Gypsophila,
Larkspur,
Salvia,
Millifolium Yarrow,
Statice,
Celosia,
Strawflower, Globe Amaranth,
Sweet Annie,
Goldenrod,
Joe Pye Weed,
Xeranthemum, Amaranthus.
There
are often interesting plant materials for drying around
our pond.
We invite you to take a walk with your eyes
“peeled” and your imagination at work!
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