Conditioning
LEARNING THE BASICS - CONDITIONING FLOWERS
Conditioning refers to the preparation of plant material to help it retain its freshest possible state for the longest period of time. You will be able to enjoy your arrangements longer if you condition the plant material properly. Over the years, arrangers have found tricks for conditioning individual types of plants and flowers. The volume of information available can be overwhelming. If you are just beginning , I suggest you approach this information by levels. Get comfortable with one level of information at a time and then come back for more.
LEVEL 1 WATER and CLEANLINESS
Gerbera daisies conditioning in cornstarch and water with their collars still on.
The first thing to remember is that your goal is to keep the plant material fully hydrated. When you cut a stem, you have separated it from it's source of water and nutrients and it will quickly wilt.
- Cut early in the morning or early evening, when water content is high or the plants have recovered from the heat of the day.
- Take a clean bucket or tall container of water with you to the garden. It should be 2/3 full of warm water.
- Use a sharp shears or knife. Household scissors can crush the water absorbing cells.
- Cut long stems since you will be cutting them again later.
- Cut and immediately submerge the stems in water.
- Trim foliage that would be underwater.
PLAN AHEAD! Cut the day before you plan to arrange. This gives you overnight to fully condition materials. If you cannot do this, plan to leave the materials in water in a cool place for at least a few hours. Place a dry cleaning type bag over the flowers lightly to retain high humidity.
Use clean containers to avoid bacteria that will compromise the materials. For woody stems, make cuts in the end up the stem up about 1", or scrape the bark off the bottom 1-2". Do NOT crush or hammer stems.
Always cut the stems on an angle. Flat cuts allow the stem to sit flat in the bottom of the container and prevent water uptake.
A tablespoon of household bleach in the water will help prevent bacteria buildup and assist in keeping stems open.
If you buy flowers...
Recut the stems under water to prevent an air bubble from forming and keep the stems submerged in water. Mist the flowers or buds to raise the level of humidity. You might choose to wrap the vase loosely in newspaper, extending the cone around the flower heads to hold the humidity. Keep in a cool, dark place. You need not refrigerate them.
Are you ready for Level 3 specific flowers
© 2009, AFY All rights reserved
Home | Shopping | Affiliates | About | Ideas | Learning | Feedback | Links | FAQ | Privacy Policy | Contact Info
