After taking time and energy to take care of plants for a

while, your garden is

in peak bloom, filled with vibrantly colored flowers. And now it's
time to pick up an article urging you to cut those beautiful blossoms.
This is precisely the time to create a stunning bouquet from the
fruits of your labor, so you can enjoy the sights and smells of the
garden inside your home as well as outside it

When to Cut

Early morning is the ideal time to cut fresh flowers. The flowers have
had the benefit of cool night air and morning dew. Their stems are
filled with water and carbohydrates and so are firm to the touch. As
the day warms up, flowers gradually dehydrate. Midday is the least
auspicious time to cut, as transpiration rates are at a peak and
plants are rapidly losing moisture through their leaves. Flowers
become limp; their necks become bent. If cut, they will not recuperate
well and their vase life will probably be short.

Cutting Tools and Techniques

Always use clean, sharp utensils when cutting flowers. Knives,
clippers, or shears can be employed. Never use ordinary household
scissors. The gauge on scissors is set for paper or fabric, not for
flower stems, which are bulkier. Using scissors will crush their
vascular systems and prevent proper water uptake.

Flower and foliage stems that have been left out of water, even for a
short period of time, seal up and inhibit the absorption of water. Air
bubbles sometimes enter the stem and prevent a steady flow of water.
In order to prevent this from happening, some people cut their flowers
under water before transferring from bucket to vase. However, I have
found this to be awkward. Custom-cutting the flower stem in open air
and immediately placing it in the vase of water is usually fine.

Cut all flowers and foliage about one inch from the bottom of a main
stem. Make the slice at an angle of about 45 degrees. Cutting at an
angle provides a larger exposed area for the uptake of water. It also
enables the stem to stand on a point, allowing water to be in contact
with the cut surface. Remove all the lower foliage that would be
submerged in water. This will retard bacterial growth, which shortens
the vase life of flowers and makes the water smell foul


To read more about cutting technique, Water temperature,
Preservatives, Preparing the stems, Designing the Arrangement and Care
of Cut Flowers in an Arrangement, please click to the link:
http://www.worldofflower.net/worldof...r%20care-2.htm

O My Garden Place to learn more gardening and planting for lovely
garden: www.omygarden.net

Every thing about all flowers: planting, decoration: www.worldofflower.net