Care and Handling of
Cut Plant Materials

By Jim Johnson, AAF, AIFD, TMF
Director of the Benz School of Floral Design, Texas A & M University,
and Kimberly Williams, SAIFD.

1. Harvest garden flowers during the coolest time of day when they are crisp and turgid—early morning or late evening. However, if the flowers have been purchased, remove the wrappings and bindings so the stems can be separated.

2. Remove lower foliage that would remain underwater in the storage container.

3. Cut stems with a sharp instrument, making the cuts underwater if possible. This prevents air bubbles from 'clogging' the stems.

4. Place the materials in clean containers of lukewarm water with preservative added (room temperature up to 100 degrees F.).

5. Always keep cut material in water while designing. This will prevent wilt due to the loss of water through transpiration.

6. Always design in clean containers that have been filled with preservative water.

7. After each use, clean storage containers, vases, liners, and needle point holders with a soapy Clorox7 solution, to kill all bacteria.

8. Use a floral preservative to provide nutrients and to prevent bacterial growth.

The formula for floral preservatives is simple. It consists of three prime ingredients:

• Sugar (dextrose, not table sugar). It provides a carbohydrate energy source so flowers can carry on the process of respiration. This helps buds to develop into flowers.

• Biocide (controls the growth of bacteria). Without it, the addition of sugar to lukewarm water would increase bacteria which would plug the stems and shorten the life of the cut flower.

• Acidifier (lowers the pH of the water and improves water uptake).

Special Treatments

Plants vary in composition and growth habit; therefore, care and handling techniques may vary.

• Avoid using the tender new growth of most plants, as it has not developed a cell structure sturdy enough to keep it from wilting.

• Short-lived blossoms such as daylilies, hibiscus, iris, lotus, magnolia, and passion flowers should be cut in the bud stage and allowed to open in the finished design.

• The long standing practice of crushing woody stems is not recommended, because this damages the cell structure and actually impedes water uptake. Make a clean cut instead.

• Blossoms with tremendous petal surface area compared to their small stem size benefit from being submerged in water at room temperature.

• Depending on their petal substance and color, blossoms can remain underwater for a few minutes (white and pastel camellias, gardenias, orchids and roses) to a few hours (anthuriums gerberas, hydrangeas, lilacs, dark colored roses and most other tropical flowers). Wilted flowers can be revived by cutting the stem underwater and submerging the entire flower until revived.