Take Proper Care of Your Wedding Flowers Before Your Arrange Them

If you have chosen to make your own wedding flowers, you will need to know how to look after the flowers and foliage when you get them. You want to give them a special treatment before you use them so that they will take in the most water and nutrients, which will allow them to last longer in a vase, bouquet, or arrangement.

There are many different types of flowers and foliage which can have different types of stems. Some stems need different treatment than others. Carefully look at your stems and decide which category each type of flower and foliage belong in.

Soft Stems

Most of your spring flowers will have soft stems. These include tulips, grape hyancinths and daffodils. Daffodils give off a sticky sap and should always be conditioned and arranged separately from other flowers. (Their sap will shorten the life of other flowers). Alstromeria, anemones, and gerberas are other well-known flowers that have soft stems.

Soft stems should have the warm water conditioning treatment. This is when you put about 3 in (8 cm) of warm water in your bucket or container. The water should be warm but not not. Cut the stems at an angle underwater and leave the flowers in the warm water for 5 minutes. Add cold water to your container so that the water becomes tepid. Leave the flowers in this tepid water for at least 2 hours before using them.

Firm Stems

These stems have a bit more substance than the soft stems described above. Examples of flowers with firm stems are carnations, most orchids and chrysanthemums.

Follow the same warm water conditioning procedure as listed for the soft stems above. Put 3 in (8 cm) of warm water in your bucket, cut the stems at an angle under the warm water and leave them in the warm water for 5 minutes. Add cold water to your bucket to bring the temperature down until it's tepid. Leave your flowers in this tepid water for 2 hours before using them.

Treating your firm stems with warm water works well because the warm water is taken up the stem more quickly, lowering the risk of an air lock in the stem. If you get too many air bubbles in the stem, not much water will get to the flower and it will wilt.

Woody stems

Woody stems require different care than other types. Flowers with this stem type are rhododendrons, lilacs, outdoor-grown chrysanthemums, herbaceous flowers such as Michaelmas daisies, and most trees and shrubs.

Protect the flower heads and young leaves with tissue or other paper to protect them from rising steam.

Fill a heat resistant container with 1 -2 in (2.5 - 5cm) of boiling water.

Cut each stem at a sharp angle and scrape away the bottom inch (2.5 cm) of the bark and immediately place the end of the stem into the boiling water.

Leave the stems in this boiling water for 30 - 60 seconds.

Add cold water to the container to bring the water down to a tepid temperature.

Leave the stems in this tepid water for at least 2 hours before using them.

Hollow Stems

When flowers with hollow stems (such as delphiniums, lupins, and dahlias) are cut, they have problems taking up water.

Turn the hollow stemmed flowers upside down, one at a time, and fill them with water.

Plug the end with a tissue, cotton ball, or anything that will act as a wick.

Place a rubber band around the end to keep it from splitting.

Put the filled (and plugged) stems upright in about 6 - 8 in (15 - 20 cm) of tepid water.

This procedure is very time consuming, but it allows the flowers to develop fully and last much longer.

Bleeding Stems

Some stems give off a milky sap when they are cut. Plants that have milky stems are euphorbias, including pointsettias, poppies, and rubber plant foliage.

To be on the safe side, wear gloves when working with bleeding stems because some people are allergic to the sap.

Cut the stems at an angle and dip them into boiling water for 30 seconds and then allow them to sit in tepid water.

You can also cut the stems at an angle and then sear the end of the stem with a candle or match until the end is blackened. As you sear it, rotate it to make sure all the sides are seared, then place them in tepid water for at least 2 hours.

Since you've decided to make your own wedding flowers, be sure to follow the appropriate conditioning treatments to your flowers and foliage. You want it to be a success, so take the time to condition your flowers to get them looking (and lasting) their best.

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