Evening star., 1948-05-09
By w. n. Younqmon

The life Of 4 cutfower Is very
short ut best. but there are 4 few
practices that help to prolong that
period, keeping the flowers In q
fresher condition. The appearance
Of q cutflower depends for the most
part on the amount Of moisture IN
the cells. An ample supply keeps
them turgid; lacking moisture they
become limp and the flower droops.
One other point which we COM
monty ignore Is that flowers have
q function In life, to set seed for
It is held by some
theorists that We should prevent
pollination so as to prolong the life
of the flower. Only few 60 to the
trouble to remove the stamens or
the pistil, and then usually to pre-
vent the pollen from discoloring the
flower. Some florists contend that
by removing the pollen bearing an
thers of the Easter lily they pro-
long the life of that flower. Most
gardeners apply this theory by re-
moving the spent blossoms from the
plants of the animals 20 that they
will keep on setting flower buds and
blooming.
Blocked Cells Stop Water.
To return to the problem of keep
ing our cutflowers fresh, We need
to remember that they secure the
moisture that keeps the cells turgid
through the stem. Nothing should
be done which will restrict the flow
Of moisture. The first consider
alton is cutting the stems so as not
to block the tubelike cells through
which the water flows. Obviously
anything that crushes the cells will
have the effect Of restricting or
closing the tubes. A sharp knife
or shears are best for cutting.
Secondly, the cut should be on the
slant. This relates primarily to
having much OF the moisture-ab-
sorbing surface open and free. A
square cut might be absolutely use
less II the stem were to rest square,
ly on the bottom of the container.
Likewise any support in the bot
tom of the flower container that
constricts or crushes the cells will
have the same effect.
Another important practice is to
shorten the stems each time the
water is changed. Bacteria and
foreign matter may, and often do
collect in the tube-like cells that car
ry the moisture to the flowers. II
a new cut is made each day the
tubes are more likely to remain open.
The ability to carry moisture to the
flowers seems to improve as the
length of stem is reduced.
Strip Leaves Below Water.
Foul water is well supplied with
bacteria so gardeners for long time
thought that the addition of .
chemical would tend to sterilize
the water and prevent the bacteria.
Many chemicals were tried such as
aspirin, listerine. vinegar, salt, ETC.,
but they were not strong enough to
be effective. Consequently flower
arrangers found that the daily
changing of water and washing of
vases was more effective than chem
icals. The removal of most. If not
all, of the foliage that might come
in contact with the water is help
full. Some foliage, such as mari
gold, dahlia and chrysanthemum
tends to foul the water very quickly
so it should always be stripped
from the lower part of the stem. v
Contrary to the general belief,
the depth of water has nothing to
do with the keeping quality OF the
flowers. An inch of water in q con-
tainer is just as effective as 10. The
exception to this rule seems to be
the carnation. They last longer and
keep better in = vase containing
several inches Of water.
Allow for Development.
The time of cutting of flowers
seems to have less to do with their
keeping qualities than the stage at
which they are cut. In general
flowers should be cut early in the
morning or late in the evening when
they are full of moisture and the
cells are turgid. The stage Of de-
yelopment of the flower not only