#66 - March 2023 - Garden Stuff - © Sandy Lang - slang@xtra.co.nz VASE LIFEApril/May: Mid/late autumn. Cool, short days. Time to tidy up. Plant leaf vegetables/lettuces. Pretty flowers: Flowers evolved to attract pollinators (insects) but Neanderthals were attracted to flowers aesthetically, placing them with their dead 70,000 years ago. It doesn’t stretch the evidence too far to suggest they’d also have known a dish of water would make them last longer. We’re better at it now. Based on mother’s wisdom and some www hacks, you should get 7+ days out of most cut flowers. But let’s apply some ‘vase-life science’ and see what really increases their vase life. Species: Some cut flowers last longer than others - tree blossom 3 days, carnations 8, roses 9, sunflowers 12, many orchids 18 days. Picking: When picking, choose blooms that are not quite open. Cut stems long. Pick early or late in the day - not around noon. Key is re-establishing their water supply by straightway putting the cut ends in water. Indoors, remove most leaves (never immerse leaves in the vase water). Airlocks: Flowers get their water from the plant. When you cut the stalk the little tubes (xylem) that carry the water, suck in air causing an-airlock (air-blockage). As soon as possible, re-cut the stems (take 4 cm off) to remove the air-locked xylem and immediately place in hand-hot water. Any residual air expands and bubbles out. Bugs: Cut stems leak nutrients - good for bacterial slime. Slime too will block the xylem. So, surgical cleanliness - a sterile, dishwasher-clean vase and clean water. Placement: Choose a spot with good light, but no direct sun. Cool, not cold, not hot. Still air, not near a heat pump or open door/window. Flower aging is accelerated by ethylene, so avoid proximity to ripening fruit which give off the hormone ethylene. Nutrients: Flowers get their nutrients (sugars) from the plant. They will last longer if you feed them. Elixir of vase life: A vase solution that both feeds flowers (3% sugar) and kills bacteria (bleach) will make your flowers last longer. To 3 L of water, add 1 L of fizzy lemonade (e.g., Sprite - contains 10% sugar + citric acid) and 10 drops (¼ tsp) of bleach (a bactericide). Maintenance: Every 2 or 3 days recut the stalks, replace the non-sterile vase solution, replace the non-sterile vase. ___________________________________