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| More Answers to Readers Questions  Dear Bridget, How can I grow my own green carnations and chrysanthemums please?- Lorna
 Lorna, It may be easier to change the color of white carnations and chrysanthemums than to grow them yourself. There usually are a few cultivars of chrysanthemums that are off-white (not stark white) that might be considered a pale green. You can change the color of cut flowers by using food dye. Select white or light colored flowers. I like to use standard carnations or even miniature carnations for this experiment. You could also use white or
light colored chrysanthemums.
Select identical vases to hold the different colored solutions. The vases should be clear glass or plastic. Before you add any color, mix a gallon of floral preservative solution. This will help the flowers last longer by providing them with a food source and a biocide to reduce the growth of stem-clogging bacteria and fungi. Mix a floral preservative solution by obtaining a number of packets (8-16) of floral food from the place you purchase flowers. Be sure to follow the directions for the amount of water to add to the packets. Also, be sure to use warm water.
Mix the packets and the measured amount warm water in your clean milk jug. Stir to mix well. Next, pour 8 oz. (1 cup) of the solution into each clean vase. Into each vase, empty one whole container (about 0.25 oz.) of food coloring of your color choice. Stir to mix. Have a small bowl filled with warm water sitting alongside the vases or glasses. Be sure that you re-cut a small amount of the stem off while holding the end under water. This will also help to restart the flow of water up the stem. Simply use sharp shears or scissors and snip off the bottom 1/2 inch of the stem while holding about 2-3 inches of the end of the stem under water in the bowl. Then, transfer the flower to the prepared glass or vase.
You will need to keep all the flowers in the same room to keep them under relatively the same temperature and light conditions. In a 70°F room, you should see some color change within a day or two. You will probably need to add floral preservative solution in a day or so, as the level will go down in each vase. Add the same measured amount (about 1/4 cup) to each vase so you dilute the color equally in each vase. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, Can you recommend to me any good books to me on preserving the life of cut flowers (more specifically roses). I need this book source because I am testing what effect sugar, bleach, and aspirin have on cut red roses.- Emily - Richmond, VA
Emily, I found one article for you at the Find Articles web site. There is one good book that is still available, but in limited numbers. Cut Flowers: Prolonging Freshness: Post-production care and handling by John N. Sacalis (1993) is available on Amazon.com. Postharvest Handling and Storage of Cut Flowers, Florist Greens, and Potted Plants by Joanna Nowak, Ryszard M. Rudnicki is also available. I have the former book (and use it often) but have not read the latter. I suspect it contains very much of the same information. Another avenue you might explore is a guest pass for the Chain of Life network which has nearly all the information published in the last 30 years pertaining to fresh cut flower care. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My daughter is undertaking a project on the affects of leaf damage on cut flowers. The flowers are chrysanthemum. In particular the affects on levels of sucrose, glucose and fructose in both the petals and leaf. May I ask which of these 3 sugars are highest in concentration in undamaged leaf and petal and would this alter after the damage. Thank you for any help which you may be able to offer.- Brenda - North Nottinghamshire, England
Brenda, Glucose is the product of photosynthesis. (http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/photosyn.htm or
http://www.borg.com/˜lubehawk/photosyn.htm) Plants do change glucose into other sugar molecules for different functions. I suspect it should be in highest concentration in undamaged leaves since it is the first product of photosynthesis. I'm not sure what would be in highest concentration in the petals since they use the energy, but don't produce it. Damaged petals will produce ethylene gas which speeds up the senescence (death) of the flowers. Damaged leaves will produce ethylene, too, but not as much as damaged petals. I did a little searching for you, but found little information. There is one place I would suggest you search: the Journal of Plant Physiology. I found some articles that are very technical, but may help you to answer your question (http://www.plantphysiol.org/). I used the keywords "photosynthates" and "chrysanthemum" and found several good, but highly technical, articles. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, What is the growth of a carnation with Advil, Aleve, Tylenol, Asprin, Ibueprofin, Excededrin P.M., and water?- Tinkerbell - Santa Ynez, CA
Tinkerbell, I hope your science project doesn't give you a headache! With all those pain relievers, you would almost think the flowers had a headache. They don't. Neither do any of those pain relievers, when crushed and added to water, help the fresh cut flower. Flowers need a food source and the pain relievers don't have any sugar in them to provide any food for the flower. Also, the small grains that don't dissolve can quickly clog the xylem or water conducting tubes/vessels that carry water up the stem. Water is needed, but doesn't have any food for the flower either. I would suggest you try your experiment after reading our outline and be sure to use a commercially prepared preservative as one of your treatments. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, How does Baking Soda In the Cut flower's water affect it's growth?- Sam - Franklin Park, IL
Sam, Baking soda (sodium bicarbonate) will probably clog the stems, keeping much needed water from going up the xylem. That's bad, but it gets worse. Even if water could go up the stem, there is no food for the flowers in baking soda, either. The flowers probably won't last too long. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I'm doing a science fair project on what solution flowers last longer in and I was wondering, what is in those packets that the florists give to you when you buy flowers?- Alison - Seaford, DE
Alison, The companies that make professional preservative consider the ingredients "proprietary" and don't list them on the package or tell you when you call (as I have). I do know that the packets contain a mixture (that's what is proprietary) of a simple sugar (usually glucose or sucrose) and a biocide. The biocide reduces the growth of stem-clogging bacteria. The packets are very effective at prolonging the life of fresh cut flowers and I highly recommend consumers use them and especially follow the package directions. Too much preservative dissolved in water is as bad as too little (which happens very often), so following the directions is very important. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, How can you change the color of a rose? Some people say that if you put a certain color of food dye in a glass, and you put the stem into the food dye, the rose will change to whatever color the food dye is. Is that true?- John - Torrance, Ca
John, You can change the color of light-colored or white flowers, including roses. They need to be fresh flowers. Roses that are full-blown or very open won't take up as much water (and color), so their color will be hard to change. Dark colored roses are tough to change because they are so dark. Water flows up the flower stem through special tube-like vessels (almost resembling a straw) called xylem. You can follow water being taken up to the petals, if you could see the water. You can see the water travel when you add food coloring to the vase solution.
Paint won't work as a dye for flowers. It will be toxic to the flowers or clog the stem. Food color works well because it is safe for the flowers. Select identical vases to hold the different colored solutions. The vases should be clear glass or plastic. Before you add any color, mix a gallon of floral preservative solution. This will help the flowers last longer by providing them with a food source and a biocide to reduce the growth of stem-clogging bacteria and fungi.
Mix a floral preservative solution by obtaining a number of packets (8-16) of floral food from the place you purchase flowers. Be sure to follow the directions for the amount of water to add to the packets. Also, be sure to use warm water. Mix the packets and the measured amount warm water in your clean milk jug. Stir to mix well.
Next, pour 8 oz. (1 cup) of the solution into each clean vase. Into each vase, empty one whole container (about 0.25 oz.) of food coloring of your color choice. Stir to mix. Have a small bowl filled with warm water sitting alongside the vases or glasses. Be sure that you re-cut a small amount of the stem off while holding the end under water. This will also help to restart the flow of water up the stem. Simply use sharp shears or scissors and snip off the bottom 1/2 inch of the stem while holding about 2-3 inches of the end of the stem under water in the bowl. Then, transfer the flower to the prepared glass or vase.
You will need to keep all the flowers in the same room to keep them under relatively the same temperature and light conditions. In a 70°F room, you should see some color change within a day or two. You will probably need to add floral preservative solution in a day or so, as the level will go down in each vase. Add the same measured amount (about 1/4 cup) to each vase so you dilute the color equally in each vase. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I have a question about preserving cut flowers. Some time ago a friend of mine was using sugar water(?) to preserve/maintain some fresh cut flowers she received. The flowers themselves took on an almost "sugary" look on the outside, making them look quite pretty & different. I believe all she did was place these flowers in a vase with sugar water, however, after reading other questions on your web page, I see that sugar water can be potentially harmful to cut flowers.
I haven't seen this friend in over 15 years and I'm not able to contact her. Do you know what I am describing and can you advise me how to do this? I have some roses and would like to use this effect on them.- Vita
Vita, The sugar itself isn't harmful to flowers. Our challenge is getting the right balance of sugar (food source) and keeping the stem-clogging bacteria and fungi from growing quickly and clogging the stems. What your friend may have done was paint a sugar solution on the petals. This is done sometimes for flowers used as cake decorations. Superfine sugar needs to be used along with a good-quality paint brush. I found some directions to do this on-line
(http://www.baking911.com/howto/crystallize_flowersfruit.htm#To%20Make%20Crystallized). I know people tend to use larger petals so there are just a few surfaces to cover, not hundreds of petals. Most often, I've seen this technique used on pansies. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, A long time ago I was sent a mum with a smiling face made on it. It had a pipe cleaner for a mouth and wiggley eyes can anyone tell me how to make one?- Linda - Salvisa, KY
Linda, You will sometimes see smiling faces and other times school logos on large, standard chrysanthemums. If you select the color of pipe cleaner you want, you can use florist wire (thin gauge #32) to hold the pipe cleaner on the top of the mum. Cut a smile the length you want from a pipe cleaner. Make a U-shaped or hairpin shaped bend in the florist wire and insert both ends through the head of the flower, holding the smile to the top of the flower head. The materials should be available at most craft stores. Make a small ball or knot with another pipe cleaner and insert it into the flower head the same way to make eyes. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I did your experiment of the florist addative, sugar, and the water. I concluded that the florist addative worked the best, then sugar, then the water. The water was the first to wilt I used daisies. Do you think that my experiment would nave turned out differnt if I had used a different flower?- Tracey - Virginia Beach, VA
Tracey, Most of the time, the commercial preservative will work best. Why? Because scientists helped to mix an ideal food source but keep the nasty stem-clogging bacteria and fungi from growing. Yet, there are lots of variables in any experiment. You could do the experiment 10 times with daisies of different ages or put daisies in rooms with different air temperatures or not re-cut stems under water and get some different outcomes. I suspect, however, that you followed our recommendations and you probably would come up with the same results using another flower. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, What are some hardy cut flowers for outdoor party....in Las Vegas in June?- Renee - Rochester, NY
Renee, I hope you have shade and plenty of water for your guests and your flowers! The big challenge in June in Las Vegas will be the heat and low relative humidity. I would suggest daisy chrysanthemums or mini-carnations or a combination of the two. They both come in many colors and look good together. They are smaller sized flower heads, so that may reduce the transpiration of water from each flower a little. I would suggest you use a vase and fill it with an ample amount (several cups) of solution of water and floral food. Be sure to measure the water you use for each packet of preservative as too much is just as bad as too little.
Vases, as opposed to floral foam saturated with water and preservative solution, should keep the flowers hydrated longer. There is a larger water supply and some of the water from the vase may evaporate to increase the humidity of the air right around the flowers. Keep the flowers in vases chilled (in a refrigerator) until the very last minute. That should give you a few hours of enjoyment! - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, What are some facts about carnations? I am doing a science fair project about them. What are some details? I know they take about four hours to be done with the whole thing, but what is the hypothosis and conclusions?- Sarah - WA
Sarah, Carnations are in a beautiful and diverse plant genus called Dianthus. According to Hortus III, a book containing a description and background of nearly every cultivated plant, there are about 300 species of annual or biennial or perennial plants in this genus. They were originally from the geographic area where Europe and Asia come together (called Eurasia) but are also found in South Africa. They come in lots of common names from carnations, to pinks, to sweet William. Some have a light fragrance but others don't.
The four hours you mentioned might be the length of time it takes for them to show they've taken up dye (if it is in a high enough concentration). Certainly, they last for many days longer than four hours as they are one of the longer-lived fresh cut flowers. My hypothesis about dye being taken-up by flowers might be the length of time (instantly, 1 hour, 2 hours, etc) or where the dye will be see first (petal tips, petal base, stems, leaves, etc). Your conclusions would then be based on whether what you observed matched your hypothesis (or not). The real tough question to answer is why did (or didn't) your observations match? - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, Is it possible to preserve flowers for life?- Erin Kapolei, HI
Erin, Well, let's limit the time to something less than infinity. You can preserve most flowers for a long time, but they were living once and the total cessation of decay would be quite an accomplishment. Pressed flowers, properly pressed then mounted in a sealed frame or case, can last dozens of years. Damage often results when the frame is moved, dislodging petals or pieces of petals. Freeze-drying, hanging upside down to dry, and desiccating in silica gel will remove water and preserve the flower for a long time. Damage results most often from moving the preserved flowers. So, there are ways to preserve the flowers along with the memories. The memories, however, seem to get a bit better with age whereas the flowers may decline a bit over the same time frame. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My mom is looking to dye some carnations to the color blue for a baby shower. She wanted me to find out what it is you add to the water? Is it fabric dye or food coloring?- Kim
Kim, Your mom should use food coloring. Start with white carnations, but before you put them into the vase, prepare the flowers and prepare the solution. Prepare the flowers by removing about 1/2 inch from the bottom of the stem while holding the end of the stem under water. Next, mix the solution. You should first mix a packet of floral preservative with warm water (about warm enough to take a shower or bath comfortably). Be sure you measure the water to add to the preservative and follow the directions on the back of the package. Then, pour about 1/2 cup of that solution into a drinking glass. It's narrow enough that the 1/2 cup of solution will be about an inch or so deep in a drinking glass.
To that glass, add the entire contents of an entire vial of food coloring (about 0.25 oz). Then, add the carnation stems and hold at room temperature until you achieve the color you want. Warm up the preservative solution you didn't use and take another 1/2 cup and add another vial of blue dye to refill the glass with carnations. You'll probably need to refill that glass daily. I would suggest trying different dye concentrations to see how light or dark your carnations will be - it will also give you a good idea of how long it will take to fully color the flowers. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, What can I spray on hydrangeas to give them a longer vase life? Also can you use them in floral foam by doing what to them so they dont wilt?- Judy - Salt Lake City, UT
Judy, Hydrangeas wilt because the petals occupy a large surface area in comparison to the amount of water the small diameter of the stem can take up. I've used hair spray and other fixatives to help dried flowers retain their appearance (once dried) but they would probably be toxic to the fresh flowers. You can insert hydrangeas into floral foam and it can help them last. If you soak the foam properly and keep it very moist, hydrangeas should last just about as long as if they were in a vase full of water and preservative.
One of the problems is that the foam can dry a bit near the top and some people don't keep it as moist as they should. I've also seen folks improperly soak foam by pushing blocks into water and preservative. The blocks should be allowed to sink down into the warm water and preservative mix (not pushed down) so the air bubbles escape. Also, put the side with the small pinholes up to facilitate the air escaping.
For the hydrangeas and other woody flowering stems, I've also seen folks mash the ends of the stems in the hope of increase the surface area where water can be taken up, but I'm not sure if this technique added hours or days to the life of the flower. I think the keys are to get woody flowering stems (including hydrangeas) as fresh as possible, condition them in warm water and preservative but keep the head as cool as possible (to reduce water loss). - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, Hi my name is Krystal and I have a question. My question is "Will a flower survive the longest in a vase filled with cold water or in warm water". I cant seem to find the conclusion of this question.- Krystal - Long Beach, CA
Krystal, The water will slowly change temperature to rise or fall to the room temperature, so the effects of hot or cold may not be as noticeable in the same room together. Cooler temperatures will slow down biological processes, including transpiration (giving off water). The flower in cooler temperatures will use less energy and water, and therefore, should last longer. Warmer temperatures generally speed-up biological processes, therefore they would use more energy and water and, in theory, last a shorter period of time. The hard part will be keeping cool water cold (and the air isn't cool) and hot water hot (and the air will be cooler than the water.
My best educated guess is that you will still see some effects from the water temperatures, and cooler should last a bit longer than warmer water. Also understand that temperatures below freezing will cause freezing damage and temperatures above 120 would cause another kind of damage; so it would not be wise to use boiling water or ice cubes. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, Why does the color of flowers change when you put them in food dye?- Kaitlin - Strasburg, CO
Kaitlin, The flower can change color because the dye travels up the stem with the water. It gets deposited (or stops) at the petal edge, since the water can transpire out the petal (move into the air) but the dye cannot. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I'm doing a project on yellow roses. I put 3 roses in a plastic bag and put them in different areas, one was in the refrigerator. Why did that one last the longest?- Brittany - Davie, FL
Brittany, Another great fresh flower experiment! The flower in the refrigerator lasted longest because you reduced the amount of water that flower transpired. Many biological processes are slowed during cooler temperatures, including transpiration. Flowers give off water in the process of transpiration. It also helps them to bring in more water and nutrients. In warmer temperatures, some plants naturally need more water and nutrients to keep growing. Cooling the air down acts in reverse. Processes slow down; the plant isn't growing as fast; less water and nutrients are needed so less water is given off in transpiration. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, Do you have any suggestions for me on how to arrange fresh flowers on a wedding cake and how to keep them looking fresh for the 4 hours of the reception?- Jolene - Mechanicsburg, PA
Hi, Jolene, Fresh flowers add such a great accent to a wedding cake! I would cut the stems a few hours before the wedding and simply arrange them dry. Don't mist them or try to keep them in water picks. If the cake will tolerate refrigeration, I would suggest you keep the decorated cake there. The flowers should last at least those four hours before wilting, depending on the type of flowers you use.
I would suggest you use mini-carnations and sweetheart roses. The sweetheart roses come with several buds on a stem. They are a bit smaller than standard hybrid tea roses and should fit the scale (size of flowers to size of cake) for most several-tiered wedding cakes. You may want to let a few sweetheart roses open up in the morning of the wedding by allowing them to stand a room temperature, but still in a bucket or vase with water and preservative.
Mini-carnations will be of a similar size of the sweetheart roses, but a bit different shape and texture. If you use greens, you might simply give the foliage a rinse under warm water so no pieces flake onto the light-colored icing. I also like dais chrysanthemums - or any shape mum for that matter. Using daisy mums would give you a less formal feeling than using the roses. There are lots of colors of all three flowers from which you can choose. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, How are roses packaged and how are roses used?- Krista - Sevierville, TN
Great question, Krista! Roses can be shipped in water (wet) or in a box packed with ice (dry). Either way, the bunches come with 25 stems. Research has shown it is better for roses to be shipped in water with a floral solution; but they recover well when shipped dry but have the stem re-cut under water at their next destination. Ice is added over the bunches before shipping to keep the roses shipped in boxes cool. There is no easy way to add ice to the roses shipped in water.
The cooler the temperature, the less they will open and the less they will transpire (lose water). Most professionals will take the bunch out of the bucket or box, strip the bottom 1/2 of the leaves and thorns away (there is even a great tool for speeding up this leaf & thorn striping) and recut the stem under water. They are always placed in a fresh solution of floral preservative. Then, they are recut again and arranged or put into water tubes (with floral preservative) if they are sent to a consumer in a box. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, Hi i just wanted to ask a question for my science fair project. My project is if flowers will last longer in a vase alone or with a lot of them. And im searching the web and cant find a thing. please help me.- Zack - Trevor, WI
Zack, More flowers in one vase would absorb water at a faster rate than one flower in the same vase. The flowers will not compete with each other to take more "food" from the water. They will, for the most part, take up water and any dissolved minerals at a similar rate. Larger flowers may absorb more water than smaller flowers. But, with an identical flower size, they should last the same whether alone or in a bunch. The real determining factor will be the food supply. If you use a measured amount of floral preservative in warm water, they will have food for about a week. Without that food source, they will die within a few days. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My wedding is in September and my color theme is burgundy, but I'm not sure what type of flower would accent this choice, and possibly if there was a burgundy rose or lily. Any tips would be appreciated.- Jolene
Jolene, There are burgundy roses and lilies, but you would need to check with your professional florist to see what cultivars their suppliers use to really know for sure. If your attendants are wearing burgundy and you select burgundy flowers, they will "blend in" if not disappear from the photographs. You might consider a lighter shade or another color that would contrast. The same is true for your bouquet. What about pink? You would certainly be able to find pink lilies that would coordinate with burgundy dresses; the same is true for pink roses.
Also, pink flowers would stand out against a white bridal dress, but not as dramatically as red roses. You could still select red roses for the groom and his ushers. Lilies, roses, and carnations are good flower choices that come in burgundy, pink, and white. Perhaps your floral professional has some samples for you to see or photographs that show how the flowers look together. I wish you much happiness! - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I wanted to know if it's possible to change half of a chrysanthemum (white)to red and the other half blue. If so, is the transformation faster? Also, is it possible for the process to happen within a day? Thanks.- Aisha - Brooklyn, NY
Aisha, While it is possible to change the color of a white or very pale colored fresh-cut chrysanthemum, the process may take a bit longer than a day. You would need to cut the stem in half up the length of the stem, but not quite to the top. Your cut would need to be long enough to put one half of the stem in one vase and half in another vase by its side. Into the vase on the left, add red food coloring and floral food plus water. Into the vase on the right, add the blue color and floral food plus water. Keep the vase in a warm room; the warmer the air temperature the faster you'll see the color change. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My daughter is getting married in May. We were thinking of using a glass bowl with a floating fresh flower for the centerpieces. What are the best flowers to use? Thanks for your help.- Linda - Bethel, CT
Linda, I would encourage you to experiment with several flowers and see not only which ones float, but which look best in terms of color combinations and display. Use the container and see which petals stay above water. Less dense flowers make better candidates than more dense flowers, because they are lighter and would float more easily.
Linda, I would encourage you to experiment with several flowers and see not only which ones float, but which look best in terms of color combinations and display. Use the container and see which petals stay above water. Less dense flowers make better candidates than more dense flowers, because they are lighter and would float more easily.
Orchids aren't flat, and they may not give you the look you want. Smaller, open mini-carnations will float more easily than the larger heads which may be too dense to float. Several small but open mini-carnations may appeal to you floating in a moderate-sized bowl. You may even be able to mix the colors if you used mini-carnations. Be sure you use floral food in the bowls to keep those flowers looking fresh as long as possible. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I'm doing a science fair project on how fast does dye travel if the flower is kept in the refrigerator vs. at room temperature. I'm using carnations and I found that food coloring travels faster in room temperature but I dont no why. could you be able to help me? Thanks.- Michelle - Nappanee, IN
Hi, Michelle. Many biological and chemical processes are influenced by temperature. The rate of color change seen in your cut flowers in a vase with dye added is one of those processes. The transpiration rate of a flower is how quickly or slowly the flower gives-off water, somewhat like perspiration in humans. We perspire to cool our bodies and keep them from overheating, but that is not the reason why flowers transpire. Just know that transpiration is the process of water leaving the flower. Transpiration will happen faster when the temperature is higher. It will also occur more quickly when two flowers are held at the same temperature, but one has a lower relative humidity. Flowers transpire faster in drier air compared to flowers in more humid air. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My daughter is doing a science project on preserving the life of cut flowers. She is using 12 fresh cut long stem roses. What she is doing is on 6 of the roses she is going to cut the stems off 1 inch on a daily basis for 8 days and leave the other 6 as they are. Can you give us any information that would help her as far as research goes, making her hypothesis, why cutting the stems would be good or bad, etc, or even why this would be a good project to do. Thanks for your help!!!!- Kelly - Port Lavaca, TX
Kelly, The hypothesis is (and scientists state the hypothesis in the testable null) that there would be no difference in the life of fresh cut flowers that are cut or not. What you might do is to cut all of the flowers once; five flowers twice; four flowers three times; three flowers four times; two flowers five times; and one flower six times. This should show you that it is that first cut that is really important. Be sure you make all the cuts under water. Hold the end of the stem under several inches of water while cutting off only one inch. This will insure that the flow of water is restarted (or continued) up the stem. I would also encourage your daughter to use a measured amount of floral preservative dissolved in warm water. Use the same solution (temperature and preservative concentration) in each vase. This way, the stem cutting will be the only difference. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I am 11 years old and I am doing a science fair project for school. The project I decided on was will cutting flowers daily cause them to live longer. I wondered if you could give me any information to help with this. Thank you.- Abby - Springfield, IL
Abby, Cutting a small portion off the stem daily probably won't add much to the life of the cut flower after the first cut. When packed or shipped dry, fresh cut flowers need to be re-cut under water to restart the flow of water up the stem. It is important to have floral preservative in the vase water, and this is more important than any second or third cut. If you use something like sugar water to extend the life of the flower, recutting the stem daily may reduce the problem that sugar dissolved in water causes. The sugar water, while providing a source of food for the flower, also helps stem-clogging bacteria and fungi to grow. If you cut the stem daily (and you use sugar water which I don't recommend), you may extend the life of the flower a few days. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I have some beautiful calla lillies. Can you preserve them by dipping them in wax?- Christine - Lousiville, CO
Christine, I don't believe this would be a good method of preservation because the hot wax will likely burn delicate petal tissue. Silica gel may be the best alternative for you, since callas are thick flowers (not good candidates for pressing or drying). Silica gel can be gently added around a cut calla lily placed upright in the bottom of a plastic cup. The silica gel will remove moisture from the flower while preserving its shape. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I am required by my school to do a science experiment. I came up with the idea to use plain white mums and red food dye. I planned on adding enough red dye to the water so that the water turns red, and whenever the mum needs to be watered, to just pour the red dye/water mixture in the pot. It has been a little under two weeks and I have not seen the slightest difference in the color of the white flowers. Is my experiment not going to work? Does it take longer than 2 weeks for the dye to reach the flowers? Will newer buds start to change color? Is a mum a bad plant choice? Is there any other information that would help me successfully carry out my experiment?- Marissa - FL
Marissa, The chrysanthemum is not a bad choice, nor is the color red. The uptake of dye by fresh cut flowers depends on four things: the concentration of the dye, the color of the flowers, the temperature of the water, and the temperature of the room (air temperature). I suspect you may not have enough dye in the vase solution. Even though you can see the red color, it may not be concentrated enough to show a change in color in the mums. I'll assume you started with white chrysanthemums. Adding the contents of an entire food dye container (1oz) to about 4 oz of warm water (that also contains a measured amount of floral preservative) should be concentrated enough to show a color change within two days.
If you started with warm water in that preservative solution and kept the flowers at room temperature (70°F or close to that) they should show a color change within a day or two. Be sure you also have recut the chrysanthemum stem under water (to restart the flow of water up the stem). My best educated guess (not seeing the flowers) is that you didn't have a high enough concentration of dye in the vase to show much of a color change. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, Hey! I am getting married in June and I have to pick up ten dozen roses the day before the wedding, do you have any tips or secrets to keeping them fresh looking and alive for the next day? Like should I refridgerate them, or put them in a special kind of water? Thanks so much!- Alicia - Greensboro, NC
Alicia, Congratulations on your impending nuptials! Care of roses is much like care of other fresh flowers. First, I'm sure you're purchasing them from a reputable floral professional who will be sure they are not too far open and will give them the best care before you ever see them. Secondly, get them as close to the wedding time as possible, later in the day before the wedding the better. You won't have a floral cooler in which to keep the roses (these are about 36°F with 95% relative humidity). A refrigerator such as we keep food in would be okay for a few hours, but these cool by drying the air (removing moisture), which is bad for petal tissue. The cooler the spot the better. A basement will do in a pinch. Even 60°F is better than 70°F or 80°F.
Next, recut all stems under water (to restart the flow of much needed water and preservative). Also, purchase preservative from your floral supplier a few days before you get the roses. They sell it in small buckets; otherwise you'd need too many packets. I'd use a small basin or sink to cut stems using new sharp shears (you need a clean cut) under water. Buy some new plastic buckets and mix warm water (about as comfortable as for a shower or bath) with a measured amount of preservative.
Then, after you bring the roses home, immediately cut the stems under water, then insert the stems into the buckets with about 2-3" of the warm preservative water solution. Take them to a cool spot ( refrigerator or basement) and hold them there until the day of the wedding. Anytime you take the rose stem out of water, you should recut some (even a half-inch) off the bottom while holding it under water. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I'm doing a science fair project on roses and how they can last longer and I wanted to ask you if by putting pennies in the water it helps it to last longer?- Jason - College Park, MD
Jason, The amount of copper in pennies was substantially reduced in the 1950's. When there was a higher percentage of copper in pennies, some people believed you could put one in the water and it would help make flowers last longer. This belief was based on the fact that copper could dissolve and potentially reduce the growth of stem-clogging bacteria and fungi. But, pennies today simply have too little copper to dissolve and provide any benefit to fresh cut flowers. You should check-out our experiment page and see some other home remedies that simply do not work to extend the life of fresh cut flowers. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I am looking for a flower for Prom. I would like it to be different than the all the time used Rose or Carnation. The dress is Royal or Navy Blue. Can you tell me a flower that would be a deep blue. Thank you.- Vicki
Vicki, Dark blue flowers may be a bit hard to find. One of my favorites is lisanthus. It is shaped like a bell. The reason florists use roses and carnations is they are easy to create small designs for petite wrists or corsages. Perhaps your florist could find a orchid that would compliment your dress. There are some with a touch of purple. Dendrobium is a more petite orchid and would not be as common as roses and carnations. Most are white and some have a touch of purple. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I am doing a Science Fair project and I am studying about flowers and how chapstick affects them. Can chapstick moisturize rose petals. How do petals moisturize themselves?- Tara - Lowell, MA
Tara, This is an interesting study you are undertaking. Some plants, especially the leaves on some plants, have a waxy cuticle. The cuticle is a thin layer of cells at the top and bottom of the leaf that offers protection from too much sun and, at the same time, too much transpiration. Transpiration is roughly equivalent to human perspiration. You may often see a waxy leaf or cuticle on succulent plants. Those are plants that can hold a lot of moisture to prepare for periods of drought. Not all plants with waxy cuticles are in desert conditions and not all plants in desert conditions have waxy cuticles.
Do you know what a Jade tree looks like? That has a very waxy cuticle on each leaf. So, what does all this have to do with chapstick? That chapstick could simulate the waxy cuticle on a leaf or on a flower petal. It would reduce moisture loss, keeping it (the leaf or the petal) more turgid (full of water). I suspect a thin coating of chapstick may help a flower live a bit longer than petals without chapstick. It may be tough to apply, but it should be an interesting study.
I would encourage you to keep both flowers with and without chapstick in the same vase filled with warm water and a measured amount of preservative (commercially made) so you can give them "ideal" conditions to see if the chapstick really did
make a difference. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My husband gave me the most beautiful fire and ice roses. He mentioned that there's a way that I could use the cut flowers to make them root so that I could plant them in my yard. Is that true?- Gia - Santa Ana, CA
Gia, For some plants, that is possible. I believe it will be a great challenge for roses. The woody stem doesn't produce roots easily and there probably isn't enough light to sustain the stem with what few leaves likely remain. I would suggest you contact a local garden center or look on-line to see if you can find a similar cultivar and then acquire that plant for your garden. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I am doing a Science Fair project on the speed of transpiration with white carnations. I put in sugar red dyed water and one in plain red dyed water. The carnation flower in sugar change to pink faster than the plain water. The flower in the plain red water also didn't turn color all the way. Why, did this happen? Did the sugar speed up transpiration and how?- Craig - Rockwall, TX
Craig, Great questions! The sugar itself may not have hastened (sped up) the translocation as much as it gave the flower energy (food source) to enable more liquid to be translocated longer. Some color change was seen in the vase without sugar, indicating the flower did (and could) take up some dye. However, it quickly used up all its energy reserves. So, indirectly the sugar sped up translocation - but it did so by providing the flower a source of energy. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My daughter is doing a Science project for school. She picked how to change the color of carnations. The book says to add food coloring to the water and with in 30 minutes or so we should see a change in the color. It took 3 days before we saw a change. Any idea why it took longer that the research. Any idea on what else she could try.- Tina - Manvel, TX
Tina, You might have seen a color change in 30 minutes if the dye were very concentrated, the water was very warm, and so was the room. I've found it takes about a day to begin to see the change and several days for it to fully occur. You could try different water temperatures (with 110°F being ideal). Too hot and it could damage the stem, too cold and it will take longer to be absorbed. You could also vary the air temperature in the room. That's a little harder to do, but at the same water temperature (and I'd recommend using 110°F), flowers in the warmer room should show a change faster. Dye concentration is the third variable to change. This would be tougher, but count the number of drops you add to about a cup of water (use the same amount of water in each vase). I would double the drops from one vase to the next (8 in the first, 16 in the second, and 32 in the third). You should see some differences, keeping the air and water temperature the same. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My husband gave me beautiful roses for Valentines Day after 23 years of marriage! Can you please tell me how to dry them out and save them? Thank you.- Vicky - College Park, MD
Vicki, What a great memory to preserve! I would simply tie the roses together in a loose bunch and hang them upside down in cool, dark area. If you have a dry basement, that would be ideal. A closet will work well, too, if you can leave them undisturbed for a month or so. Alternatively, you could press some petals. Roses are too thick to press well, but you can press some petals. I like to use the telephone book (an older one) since the pages will absorb water and they are thick, providing lots of weight to press the petal flat. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I am doing a project on photosynthesis and need to find out what a florist can do to provide conditions for photosynthesis to take place and also explain how the environment in a florist outlet can be controlled to give plants the best conditions for photosynthesis to take place. Can you help me please?- Brenda
Brenda, The plant needs light, water, and carbon dioxide to make food through photosynthesis. The florist does provide light. Often, natural sunlight comes through the window. The florist also supplements that with artificial lights in the store. They even have some lights in the cooler to provide flowering plants that might be kept there for a short time with some light. Florists water plants regularly and cut flowers are kept in water-filled buckets or vases. The florist won't often supplement the natural level of carbon dioxide in the air for plants and flowers. However, some commercial greenhouses will add some carbon dioxide to the air, especially when they are trying to produce more flowers or speed up the flowering process. They will often add more carbon dioxide when they are also providing more light (or longer period of light) and water. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I am planning a wedding for October 1st and I am on a very tight budget. I have purchased some silk flowers but am considering growing some of my own as well. I am using a variety of different pink flowers. I was wondering what pink flowers would still be in bloom and the difficulty in growing them myself. Thanks!- Crystal, TX
Crystal, This is a tough question, because so much depends on your plant & flower knowledge, growing experience, and dedication to the process. Flower production is not as easy as baking a cake (and some individuals are challenged to use a cake mix to produce a cake). In Texas, you will still have plenty of sunshine to produce flowers for October. Timing them is another issue that challenges professionals.
I know money is tight, but you want to create some beautiful memories (not headaches) with your bouquet and other flowers. I strongly encourage you to not try to grow them yourself (and set up the potential to be disappointed and need to find a florist in a hurry). Most florists are professionals and will work with every budget. A simple pink rose can say so much more than no flowers at all. Talk with several and see who can be the most creative with some flowers, staying within your budget. It may be easier to do the some of the food yourself than some of the flowers. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I have a question out of curiosity. You know that milk gives humans' bones many nutrients and is very good for you. Well, is milk good for any kind of flower too?- Katina - Springfield, MA
Katina, Lactose is a sugar in milk that, unfortunately, flowers can't utilize. They need glucose or sucrose sugars. So, the more direct answer to your question is no. Milk won't help cut flowers last longer. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I am doing a science fair project on does sugar prolong the life of flowers,and I need an interview. I was hoping you could answer some of the following questions for me.
- Which of the following to you suggest to use?
- regular water
- sugar
- salt
- lemon juice
- Which one works the best?
- What made you begin to start studying flowers?
- Why did u start ask bridget?
- When did u start ask bridget?
- Felicia - Colts Neck, NJ
Felicia, I'm very happy to help budding scientists and am happy to answer your questions. Here goes: Which of the following to you suggest to use? Regular Water - No, because it provides no food source. Sugar - No, because it will also promote growth of stem-clogging bacteria & fungi. Salt - No, because it is toxic to flowers. Lemon Juice - No, because it has no food source.
Which one works the best? A commercial preservative contains a balance of simple sugars and biocide to inhibit the growth of stem-clogging bacteria.
What made you begin to start studying flowers? I fell in love with plants through the joy they brought both of my grandmothers. Their love of plants fueled my passion for them, science, and (eventually) a career teaching horticulture at the university level. I can remember being in their gardens as young as kindergarten (age 5).
Why did u start ask bridget? I began working with them about two years ago. A great idea (to have "ask an expert") and I'm certainly thrilled they
asked me! - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, Can a plant grow faster in sugar water or plain water?- Joseph - Bronx, NY
Joseph, Plants produce their own food (simple sugars) through the process of photosynthesis. These sugars provide nutrition for all plant parts, including flowers. Once removed from the plant, however, we need to provide a good substitute for the food once provided by the plant. Sugar water is not a good substitute because it will promote the growth of stem-clogging bacteria and fungi. The best solution is a commercially prepared preservative dissolved in a measured amount of warm water. The preservative often comes free or at a nominal charge when you buy fresh flowers. Be sure to measure the water as too much preservative is as bad as too little. This solution will provide the right nutrition and also inhibit the growth of bacteria and fungi for a while. Plain water will provide flowers with much needed water, but the flowers will die quickly when they have depleted any stored sugars in the stem. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, I need jasmine flowers for my south indian wedding in July in New Jersey. Do you know a source that will ship to us?- Sumathi - Madisonville, LA
Sumathi, Most professional florists can order jasmine flowers for your wedding. I would ask several, to see who gives you a combination of the best service and price. Knowing this far in advance, they should be able to give you accurate information. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, What factors improve the longevity of cut flowers and could you please tell me what temperature of water helps a cut carnation live longer?- Dana - Schiller Park, IL
Dana, There are seven main factors that contribute to the longevity of fresh cut flowers (in order of importance): flower type or genetics, handling from grower to home, re-cutting stems under water, air temperature, relative humidity, food source, and water temperature. First, some flowers live for a day on the plant while others may live for weeks. Flowers were engineered to attract pollinators, so once their job is done (and the flower is pollinated) the flower will die. Some flowers are programmed to die quickly, probably when there are lots of pollinators in the environment.
Good care by all professionals who touch the flowers is next most important. Each needs to do the best job with the remaining five factors or days are cut off the enjoyment time consumers have. Each person who handles a cut flower should be sure to re-cut the stem under water, removing the bottom a bit to restart the flow of water and food up the stem. Air temperature for the flowers is important. Ideally, the air temperature should be close to 34°F, but no lower. Most floral coolers keep the air temperature around 36°F. Yet, most homes aren't kept that cold, so the cooler the air temperature (down to 34°F), the longer the flowers should live. Obviously, this isn't true for tropical flowers.
Most fresh cut flowers also need relatively high humidity (about 90%) but with no free water or water drops on the petals. Free water or water drops can invite bacteria and fungi to cause big problems. Food source is also important. Simple sugars produced by the plant are no longer available once the fresh flower is cut off the plant. Commercially prepared preservatives are the best substitute since they have an ideal combination of food and biocides. The food is a simple sugar. The biocide keeps fungi and bacteria from growing quickly and potentially
clogging the stems. Water temperature is also important. If you dissolve the preservative in warm, the flower can easily begin to take it up. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, How come most flowers die before others...is it because of the water?- Andrea
Andrea, Yes, water has a great deal to do with how long flowers live. Without water, especially for an extended period of time, flowers will wilt and die. Another contributing factor is how long the flower is expected to live on the plant in the first place. Genetics contributes a great deal to how long the flower is supposed to live. And, thirdly, a substitute food source is needed if the flower is cut from the plant. We humans can best supply this through a measured amount of commercial floral preservative dissolved in a measured amount of warm water. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My daughter just had twins. I'd like to put one flower per arrangement she got while in hospital and put in the babies scrapbook I'm making for them. I don't know how to flatten them out and be able to keep the color of flower. I think one of the flowers is a small carnation.- Bonita - Lottsburg, VA
Bonita, First, I'd find some clean white paper, like typing paper or copying paper. Using one or two sheets of that, insert the flower in between the clean paper. Find some large books to use as a press. I like to put fresh flowers in paper and insert that in a thick telephone book (the pages are thin and somewhat water absorbent). Add some weighty books you don't use often (about 5-10 pounds) to flatten and dry the flowers. Leave them untouched for two weeks and they should be ready to mount in a scrapbook.
This works best for thin flowers, like daisies. Roses or thicker flowers, are very difficult to press. Mini-carnations should press fairly well. Don't stack too many in a book (use separate books for each flower). You may want to spray them with some agent to "fix" the petals in place. Hair spray will do in a pinch (let it dry well before you put it in the scrap book) but I like the spray on polyethylene best. It makes a bit of a sheen and keeps petals in place. Realize that the color will fade; there is no good way to keep the bright color they once had. If you want, spray paint them after "fixing" them to add color. I would not recommend that (you may get a color you don't want and then it's too late to take it off). You might consider just using the naturally faded color in the book to keep the flower in more of an "original" state. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, How can u use roses in four different ways.- Nicky - New Providence, Nassau
Nicky, You could use them in a vase as a table decoration. You could use them in a hanging arrangement called a swag or, if it is circular, a wreath. You could use them as a corsage (for women) or boutonniere (for men). You could wear some in your hair. Just about any place you could think to decorate with a small arrangement, you could use a rose. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My daughter is doing an experiment with cut flowers and the question is this. What effect does sugar have on making them last longer as opposed to just water? Can you provide some scientific answers and info to this subject please and thanks.- JJ
JJ, The scientific answer for why some people use sugar dissolved in water as a "floral food" is that plants produce simple sugars during the process of photosynthesis. Since the cut flower no longer has the plant to provide food, we humans do that with professional floral food. That's the best alternative to the plant. Some home remedies that really don't work include dissolving sugar in water to provide a substitute food source for those simple sugars. Flowers are mostly comprised of water, so having the water available for uptake keeps the flower turgid (full of water). The flower can then live on stored food (sugars in the stem and flower) for a few days. When those are depleted, the flower fades and dies. Given a good substitute (commercial preservative), we can enjoy those cut flowers for many days. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, My daughter is doing a science project on coloring flowers with food coloring. She wants to know if the flower at room temperature will change faster than a flower in the refrigerator? How long will it take to change, and will the flower change completely? We did the experiment once, but it didn't change completely. We are trying it again and using more food coloring (30 drops)of blue. I thought it would change within a day.- Florine - East Chicago, IN
Florine, The flowers at room temperature should show a color change faster than those kept in the refrigerator. Flowers at warmer temperatures transpire faster than those at colder temperatures, thus the flowers at a warmer temperature will pull more water up the xylem and, with it, dye. I don't think it will change completely as it would take many days (probably longer than the flower life) to show some concentration of dye in the inner portions of the petal. Using more color or dye, producing a higher concentration, will show results faster. - Bridget
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Dear Bridget, Your site is very educational about flowers. My 6 year old daughter has to do an experiment and she wants to do it like so: She wants to take 2 separate cups of water (1- with red food coloring and 1 - blue coloring) and then take Carnation milk - (1 cup with red food coloring and the other with blue food coloring) and see if "A Carnation flower can still survive in Carnation Milk) and will it change colors. What do you feel will happen.- Teana - Hazelwood, MO
ALSO my suggestion to her was still use the 2 cups of water with coloring and lets get 2 cups of juice (RED juice and BLUE juice) and see if the flowers will change colors. What do you think about this also? Should we put them in the frig or keep them out??
Teana, The carnation milk will provide some sugar (food source) but you should see a lot of growth of bacteria and fungi which will clog the stem. The dyes should be absorbed and you should be able to see some color change on the petals. I suspect you won't see much, if any, color change in the juice water combination. The color won't be as concentrated and you may not have a color change. Keep the flowers at room temperature, not in the refrigerator. Water and dye will be taken up faster at room temperature. - Bridget
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