FIRST AID FOR FLOWERS

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 22344, 15 February 1936, Page 6 (Supplement)

FIRST AID FOR FLOWERS

HOW TO PROLONG THEIR LIFE JUDICIOUS DOSING HELPS The vast difference in the keeping qualities of various kinds of cut flowers depends largely upon their capacity for absorbing and retaining water. Those with fleshy stalks are best. Everyone is aware of the merits of the faithful carnation. However, it is not without its bad habits, one of which is known as going to sleep. This occurs when it is placed in too warm and close a room. Even though perfectly fresh, the petals curl inward and give it a stale appearance. If this condition is noticed early it can easily be remedied by plunging the stalk in water almost up to the head and standing the container in a cool dark place for several hours. Another failing is its aversion to being sprinkled; wherever drops of water touch the petals they cause discolouration. Easter, calla and other varieties of lilies are similarly affected. The chrysanthemum, from the mammoth to the small pompon or button variety, is one of the most long-lived

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of any cut flower from the greenhouse, the larger blooms lasting as long as three or four weeks in the vase when properly cared for. Occasionally they will droop in spite of everything one can do; in consequence, the florist is often accused of selling stale flowers. The real trouble is that they have been handled tco soon after they have been cut and before they have been in water a sufficient length of time to ripen. Even theEi an occasional blossom will refuse to absorb enough water to keep :it alive. This may frequently bo overcome by clipping the stem otf very short and placing ; the stalk in water almost up to the head. These mammoth incurved varieties are easily damaged. If a singlet petal is plucked off. the entire blossom is apt to shatter. There isi a considerable difference in the lasting properties of the various roses on the market, and, strange to say, it seems to lie chiefly in the colour. The red rose, which has come to be known as the "florists' grief," is the most hazardous choice. Many flowers, to hold their vitality, require an abundance of water. Stocks and snapdragons should be placed in water as deeply as possible after they have first been cut, using caution not to let any of the flowers become water-logged. Allow them to remain for several bours before arranging in the vase; otherwise the tips will quickly droop. If sweet peas are treated in this manner, by the next day, when they have become turgid with the ftioisture, they will be even handsomer than they were when on the vines. Carnations, roses, chrysanthemums, violets and African daisies demand an ample amount of water. If the water is changed every day—clipping the stems and removing all soggy foliage—flowers will long retain their fresihness. Woody stalks will absorb the moisture much more easily if slit with a sharp knife for an inch at the ends. Overheated rooms and lack of pure air often cause premature wilting. Where artificial heat is used take the flowers out of their vases during the night and stand them in deep receptacles in the ice box or some cool, well-ventilated spot free from draughts. They will appear as fresh the next morning as when newly cut. Another good method is to put them in mild suds made from a pure soap. Remove the flowers daily, snip the ! stems and wash them in clear cold ■ water before placing them in new suds. It is wise to dissolve a small amount of ammonium chloride, potassium nitrate or sodium carbonate in the water into which the stalks are to be inserted; this will prevent"the flowers from losing their rigidity by stimulating the cells to action and by opposing germ growth.