A Gardeners Forum Forums Gardening Reference Gardening in 2006 Making Cut Flowers Last Longer

Patty,
Did you know that aspirin has willow in it and willow is a natural rooting compound..

*But Bleach will not hurt the flowers,
most of the time it's a teaspoon or two..
just enough to kill the bacteria when the stem
in the water is rotting..*
but I have clothing like you're talking about
with white streaks down the front too.. :rolleyes: :p

I searched this morning for the info I had,
still can't find it.. :rolleyes:
but will when I get home late tonight...

I didn't know that, Weezie! I've heard of people putting aspirin in cut flower water, but I didn't know why they did.

I know that you're busier than a zoo monkey on Banana day with your Boy Scouts right now, but I do appreciate your looking for the info I want, & for taking the time to post.
(I'm not going anywhere, & will still be around when you slow down!)

On a side note , you can even put chopped up/powderized aspirin in a deep cut to stop it from bleeding until you can get to a doctor...
*and I know you're thinking aspirin has a blood thinning quality when taken internally, but when used on the outside, it heals/coagulates them shut.*

weezie,

Are you a medical doctor too/

dodge?

No, but when my husband was in his early 20's,
he gafted his hand open at the base of his palm to the middle of his baby finger, all the way thru and they could see tendons and stuff..
And his father knew about it, and they chopped up the aspirin, and shoved it in the cut...

When they got to the doctors, the doctor asked them pretty much the same question..
but it's an old timers "mother's cubboard" cure I guess...
Anyways probably shouldn't have posted that here as it is a Cutflower post..

weezie
,

We were talking aspirins.. That went with our story.. Ha ha .


We have sunshine today, and frost last nite. Right on 31 ..Glad I hauled all the plants under the porch last ite.

dodge

I didn't know that about aspirin too, Weezie! Thanx!

Maybe so Weezie, but since we were talking asprin for cut flowers, it is good to know that there are other uses. Especially for those of us who have kids and grands running around all the time.

I have done asprin a lot with flowers but mostly for Christmas trees. Going to have to get some for once I actually get to start cutting flowers cuz even though the bleach may be a good thng, I too am gonna avoid that one.

To each his own......

Aspirin for cuts,

But bleach is far more cheaper to use on flowers. I am a penny saver.

dodge

I read somewhere that the recipe for a homemade version of those little packets of preservatives is 4 heaping teaspoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar in one quart of warm water. I've never tried it (I'm testing out the bleach method with a bouquet of lilacs at the moment) but it sounds good...

Bleach is doing it for me.. My one carnation will be 2 weeks old sunday.. Down a bit but still nice.

dodge

aka barb

Lindsey, I've heard of using the sugar, white vinegar and water too, but I never did know what the exact proportions were! Thanks a lot for the information!

Guess I've always been a little shy with the sugar, I do the others, but not that amount of sugar.. I"ll have to start adding more..

I use bleach cause it is cheapest..

dodge

Hi Weezie

My son just graduated last week and at the grad supper all the grad' mothers got a rose. I put 1 tsp of sugar in my rose bowl and it's still beautiful.

I do a lot of cut flowers all summer long this way and have most of them there for a week or more.

I love cut flowerws, I send them over to my
mom's all the time...
Finding small or smaller vases are the hard part...

weezie

Use empty soda cans.. I rigged up one for memorial day for the graves. Took a flower pot and put can in it filled with water. Put dirt all around it, put in my blooming azalea pieces.Added bubbler wrap to top of can.. Filled it all in like a flower....Presto.....instant Potted Azalea .....Have to hunt the photo for u to see.

dodge
barb

weezie

My fake azalea


dodge

What a versatile topic this has turned out to be!
Great idea for the flower/plant display, Dodge! Looks good!

Necessity being the mother of invention, I solved my problem of always running out of small vases! My Grandgirls & I pick flowers & take them to people that we know who are shut-in at home or in hospitals/nursing homes, & I was forever running out of vases (& so were the thrift stores!) I didn't feel good about asking sick people to save my vases for me (they have more important things to focus on, than my vase), so I started saving all our vitamin & over-the-counter medicine bottles.

On rainy days when my Grandgirls are here, we sit & cut out big circles of pretty gift wrap to cover the medicine bottles with, & tying ribbon at the mouth of the bottle to hold the wrap in place. (cellophane or plastic gift wrap works better than paper, of course, as they do get wet.)


They look nice, & it doesn't matter if they get thrown away, because they cost nothing to make & there are always more where those came from!

Medicine bottles come in all sizes, so there is always an appropriate sized "vase" to fit the flowers we choose. (We're also able to color coordinate our vases to the colors of our bouquets!) If the blossoms are top-heavy for the light weight vases, a few small rocks in the bottles keep them from tipping over.

Since my husband accuses me of never throwing anything away, I hate to disappoint him, so besides hanging onto empty medicine bottles, I save used ribbon from birthday & Christmas gifts, cellophane gift wrap & even solid colored plastic bags that you get from stores occasionally. All the materials are collected in a big box, ready for our rainy-day craft project... that way, we always have a vase handy for when we hear that someone might appreciate a visit & a few flowers to cheer them up!

Yes, the roses are real... the first ones from that bush, this season! I used this opportunity to show them off, although they ARE a bit large for the biggest of the bottles we decorate! (Actually, that one is a plastic mayo jar!) The little blue flowers are my favorite, Nigella damascena (AKA love-in-a-mist, devil in the bush, Jack in the green, ragged lady & fennel flower.)

Patty those roses look artificial in this picture. What good ideas you always have to do with those girls.

Patty,
Those flower vases are beautiful...
And sooo are those flowers, so hugeeeee..
And deep red.. great arrangement for awesome vases..

I love your ideas..

I save those "Juice Hug Jugs" to send the boys with over to Gramma's house.. so, if they accidently trip, they don't break and shatter glass....
Or if I let them sit by the sidewalk and "sell~stuff", I'll stick a couple of flowers in those "hug~jug vases'" and send them home with the people..(of course most of the time it's Gramma and the one neighbor, but that's half the fun of sitting there, is the anticipation..)

Sorta like how this post will ever end up? I am just as guilty for tangenting posts too..

Love the love-in-a-mist too, so pretty...

AHA! Hi Sis! They really ARE real though, & you know they are, because you've seen them in person!

Weezie, that sounds so cute... the kids "selling stuff" at the curb!! The Hug Jug idea is excellent for the kids, so they don't have to worry about breaking a vase or jar, & getting cut (or getting in twubble!)

I have no idea where this topic will end up, Weezie! (I keep wondering if someone is holding stock in a bleach company!) Never the less, when I saw the zig-zag going to the subject of what to use for vases, I decided I'd throw my 2 cents worth in! (I also put it over in the craft forum.)

However, I AM still looking for the name of a commercial cut flower preservative, like what florists send in little packets with cut flowers! I'd already tried all the home "recipes" that people have suggested here, (INCLUDING BLEACH), & am simply not satisfied with the results, as compared with whatever is in those packets!

I know that besides containing sugar, the commecial/professional preservative also contains some sort of a microorganism (bacteria) inhibitor & a "respiratory inhibitor" that work together to "feed" the flowers & aid them in water uptake. Apparently, the commercial preservative is a very illusive commodity, but I haven't given up my quest to find out what it's called & where to get it!

Patty,

Thanks
I loved the idea .......I have been sharing my plants rooted and ready with friend and family.. And seeds....Little 6 year old is planting seeds for grandma and pa......With yours truly influence.. Grandpa would not do flowers till I start whipping seeds and flowers on grandma.. She loves it .......

You girls and children keep up the good work.. We love you for your sweetness.

dodge

Pattys

The only stock have, (Is Livestock)

Ha ha
Cows I live on a fare...Oh well, your half right.

dodge