Conditioning & Hardening, Page 3 Conditioning and Hardening of Show Material 1. Watering your flower beds and borders at ground level the day before you start cutting would be beneficial for the condition of the cut flowers. 2. Rinse your flower containers and buckets out with a solution of javex water. 3. When cutting, carry a container of warm water with you and plunge the stems into the water immediately. Water temperature in containers should be a bit above blood temperature. 4. Cutting in late afternoon is best, during the last hours of daylight. This is when the food content is at its peak. Or, cut very early before the dew has dried on the petals. If flower entries have to be in Thursday, most material could be cut Wednesday morning, and then arranged Wednesday afternoon and evening. Foliage for designs could be cut even earlier on Tuesday evening. 5. Flowers for design should be gathered in the advanced bud or nearly mature bud stage. At the tight bud stage, they will not keep well or continue to open. 6. Use a short, sharp knife and cut on a slant as more plant cells are then exposed to water intake. 7. After being brought into the house, stems should be recut under water to prevent formation of air bubbles. 8. Let faucet water stand about ten minutes so air bubbles can escape before placing stems in it. 9. If stems are woody, split before conditioning or smash with hammer. Before arranging, recut stems underwater. 10. Stems which ooze white sap should be burnt or held in scalding water for a few seconds (protect flower head) before placing in water to harden. 11. Never let water touch flower petals as it may spot them, especially delicate fleshy petals. 12. Set containers in a cool, dark room for 6 to 8 hours, preferably overnight. They would benefit from a misting of cold water in the air around them. 13. Exception to the warm water conditioning is baby's breath, bachelor's button and cosmos. Condition overnight in cold water.
Conditioning & Hardening, Page 3 Conditioning and Hardening of Show Material 1. Watering your flower beds and borders at ground level the day before you start cutting would be beneficial for the condition of the cut flowers. 2. Rinse your flower containers and buckets out with a solution of javex water. 3. When cutting, carry a container of warm water with you and plunge the stems into the water immediately. Water temperature in containers should be a bit above blood temperature. 4. Cutting in late afternoon is best, during the last hours of daylight. This is when the food content is at its peak. Or, cut very early before the dew has dried on the petals. If flower entries have to be in Thursday, most material could be cut Wednesday morning, and then arranged Wednesday afternoon and evening. Foliage for designs could be cut even earlier on Tuesday evening. 5. Flowers for design should be gathered in the advanced bud or nearly mature bud stage. At the tight bud stage, they will not keep well or continue to open. 6. Use a short, sharp knife and cut on a slant as more plant cells are then exposed to water intake. 7. After being brought into the house, stems should be recut under water to prevent formation of air bubbles. 8. Let faucet water stand about ten minutes so air bubbles can escape before placing stems in it. 9. If stems are woody, split before conditioning or smash with hammer. Before arranging, recut stems underwater. 10. Stems which ooze white sap should be burnt or held in scalding water for a few seconds (protect flower head) before placing in water to harden. 11. Never let water touch flower petals as it may spot them, especially delicate fleshy petals. 12. Set containers in a cool, dark room for 6 to 8 hours, preferably overnight. They would benefit from a misting of cold water in the air around them. 13. Exception to the warm water conditioning is baby's breath, bachelor's button and cosmos. Condition overnight in cold water.
preparing_cut_flowers___foliage.docx