You spend all day making that arrangement. And then…ugh! Your flowers begin wilting before the second day of Yom Tov. What did you do wrong?
What do I do immediately after bringing the flowers home?
*Don’t remove the rubber band from the bouquet at first.
*Cut your stems at an angle, 1-inch off the base of each flower stem using a sharp knife or scissors.
*Remove all leaves and foliage which will be under the water level in the vase.
Once I have my arrangements made, how can I keep them alive?
*If your flowers will be sitting in floral foam, add 2 cups of water directly onto the foam before Yom Tov or Shabbos. Do this right before candle lighting and again right after havdalah.
*If hot weather is forecasted for Yom Tov, place an ice cube or two into your arrangement.
*Avoid placing your table piece arrangement directly under a chandelier (at least move it away for overnight).
*Keep the flowers in a cool and well-ventilated spot out of direct sunlight and away from heat.
*Change the water every 2 or 3 days, or whenever the water appears discolored. When you change the water, we recommend you clean the vase and cut the stems again.
*Add 2 drops of bleach to keep bacteria away
Anything specific I should be aware of when caring for my favorite flowers?
*Avoid letting water spill on your roses, they wilt! Only hydrangeas drink water from the actual flower head.
*Use your sink hose sprayer to spray water onto the hydrangeas. As mentioned above, their petals can drink!
*Refill your orchid’s water tubes with fresh water regularly and before Yom Tov or Shabbos.
Thank you for this post! I never knew the ‘rules’ of caring for flowers.
A great trick to revive dying hydrangeas is to cut the stem and immediately place them in boiling hot water . Keep them standing in the hot water for as long as it takes for the flower to revive itself. This takes a few hours but works amazingly
thanks- love this citkne