For growers, bouquet makers and florists alike, careful temperature control at every stage after harvest is essential to maintain flower quality and vase life. Without consistent cooling, cut blooms will age faster – even a brief unrefrigerated period can accelerate their decline.

For example, flowers that are not cooled during storage begin to age faster almost immediately, reducing quality and vase life downstream. Every break in the cold chain matters.

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Direct sunlight and high temperatures should be avoided as much as possible. This may sound contradictory, because light and heat are essential for the growth of plants, for the so-called photosynthesis. For the best growth there should be a good balance in climate between temperature, light and humidity. 

Most households have more than one vase, so the appropriate one may be chosen for the size of the bouquet and the vases will be stored for some time while not in use. Therefore vases are often at least slightly, and sometimes greatly, contaminated by bacteria. For this reason it is always a good idea to scrub and rinse each vase before use. This gives both the flowers and the vase water a fresh and clean start in order to help vase life performance.

Draught can be a problem throughout the plant journey, from grower to consumer. It causes the plant’s moisture to evaporate to a greater degree than it can absorb and it will wilt. The stomata on the underneath the leaf regulate not only the moisture and cooling process, but also the carbon dioxide and oxygen exchange with the surrounding air. If there is little air movement, the air layer around the leaf forms a protective cushion against excessive evaporation.

Have you ever wondered why cut flowers wilt so quickly? Drafts can be a major cause. Drafts cause rapid evaporation of moisture in the flower, causing the flower to dry out faster. This can lead to premature wilting of the flower and a shorter lifespan.

Cut flowers are sensitive to temperature changes and should therefore be protected from cold drafts. Do not place the flowers in a location with a constant airflow, such as near an open window, air conditioning, or fan. This can also affect the color intensity of the flower.

Direct sunlight and high temperatures should be avoided as much as possible. This may sound contradictory, because light and heat are essential for the growth of plants, so-called photosynthesis. For an optimal growth there should be a good balance in climate between temperature, light and humidity. A plant in direct sunlight and high temperatures also need a high humidity, which is often lacking in room conditions.

There are 3 main reasons for cutting the stem:

To protect themselves from drying out, plants and trees drop their buds, blooms and leaves. For cut flowers and potted plants this dropping is often the result of over-production of the growth hormone ethylene; the only known gaseous, naturally occurring plant growth hormone. Ethylene gas regulates the ripening/ageing of cut flowers, potted plants, fruits and vegetable fruits. Ethylene gas is therefore purposely used to promote the ripening of fruit and the blooming of potted plants.

Leaves contaminate the vase water, just like stems do. The stem has to be in the water. The leaf however serves no purpose in the water. In fact, it has a negative effect! Therefore, it is recommended to remove the lower leaves which would otherwise be in the vase water. The additional positive effect of this is that it decreases the amount of evaporation because the total leaf surface is decreased.