How to treat cut flowers

Title

Language

English

Year

1938

Rights

In Copyright - Educational Use Permitted

Fulltext

Manila, January, 1938 WOMAN’S HOME JOURNAL 45 IF people could be made to realize that flowers are living, breathing things thriving Mnder proper care and fading and dying with neglect, the problem of how to keep flowers fresh for a reasonably long period would be solved. Like human beings, they respond to attention, and through the observance of some simple fundamental rules paralleling those of human health, they can be made to live longer than if permitted to shift for themselves like neglected children. Thought should be given to the method of cutting them from the plants if you have a garden. Different kinds of flowers have their own requirements and should be cut at the stage of their development : gladiolus when the fist bud opens; peonies as the outer petals unfold; roses when the buds are fairly soft; poppies the night before they open; asters when about half open; and most other flowers just before reaching full bloom. Cut the stems with a sharp knife, not with dull scissors; many blossoms do not last well when broken from the plants. Flowers which are susceptible to wilting should be cut in the morning or evening, when the tissues are filled with sap. Having cut a flower and thereby wounded the stem, treat the wound as you would that of a human—but with a difference. When you cut your hand, nature begins to heal the wound or bruise, by sealing it .A cut flower, permitted to have its stem exposed to the air even for a few minutes, might almost as well never be placed in water, for the healing or sealing action of nature begins to work at once. Therefore, plunge the stems into water almost to the base of the blossoms immediately after they are cut. Do not attempt to arrange flowers for at least two hours. Certain flowers, like poinsettia, “bleeds”. In this case, it is well to sear the ends by passing them through a flame or dipping them in boiling water for a moment before putting them in water. How To Treat Cut Flowers In placing flowers in a container be sure that it is spacious enough to permit circulation of air and proper absorption of water. Jamming them into a narrow vase “chokes” the flowers and shortens their life. Flowers should not be kept in the draught of an open window or door, or an electric fan. Nor should they be exposed to bright sunlight. Water in vases or other containers should be changed daily to prevent accumulation of bacteria making the water foul. It can be kept pure by adding a bit of charcoal or three drops of formalin to every quart of water. When changing the water, cut half an inch or so from the ends of the stems with a clean, slanting cut. This reopens the water absorbing vessels and enables the flowers to take in a new supply. Stems cut squarely are likely to rest flat on the bottom of the container and defeat this objective. Leaves which would be submerged should be removed INSURANCE FIRE—MARINE AUTOMOBILE—ACCIDENT—PLATE GLASS WORKMAN’S COMPENSATION Atlas Assurance Company, The Employer’s Liability Limited Assurance Corporation, Ltd. Continental Insurance Co. Orient Insurance Company Insurance Company of North America E. E. ELSER, INC. GENERAL AGENTS Kneedler Bldg. No. 400 Telephone 2-24-28 from stems, especially in the case of such flowers as dahlias, which become foul quickly. If low, broad vases or containers are used, fresh water should be added frequently to make up for the increased evaporation. If it is possible to place the vase in a refrigerator over night, do so, for the low temperature will keep the flowers from opening too quickly and thereby prolong their life. Many times flowers which have been kept out of water longer than usual and which, as a result, show signs of wilting, can be revived by a simple method. Place the stems in water in a broad receptable such as a pail or the sink, and cut the stems an inch or so back under water and with a sharp knife; then do not remove them from the water until they have revived. Another method is to plunge the stems into deep, cold water, almost up to the blossoms but not so as to wet the flowers. Then place the container in a cool, dark draughtless room for several hours. Corsages, bouquets and other made up flower arrangements to be worn or carried should be left in the florist’s box as received until time to use them. The box should be kept in a cool place or, if possible, in the ice box. Mango’s Taste, To a Foreigner WHENEVER I ate a mango I racked my brain to define the flavor of the fruit. At last I came to the conclusion that the yellow, very juicy and rather slimy pulp has a flavor of gherkin, apricot, and egg, with the addition of just a dash of turpentine. After eating mangoes one must not drink milk or alcohol, or serious illness may result. It is best to be cautious in eating all tropical fruits, and the newcomer will do well to acclimatize himself for six months before eating mangoes, or jacas, or abacaxis—as the pineapple is called in Brazil. Further it is important that both the fruit and the eater be cool. It is dangerous to eat fruit hot from the sun on the tree. The Brazilians prefer to eat fruit in the morning, even in their bath: a custom which has its advantages, for then the juice of the fruit cannot spoil their clothes. The juice of the cashew-fruit, a relative of the mango, leaves an indelible stain. —Konrad Guenther

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