How to store lilacs in a vase? Secrets of florists and experienced flower growers

In spring, a beautiful and fragrant bouquet of lilacs can decorate any home. It will fill your apartment with freshness and fragrance. But unfortunately, many housewives do not know how to preserve cut lilacs in a vase, because under normal conditions its lifespan is short-lived, and a luxurious bouquet can sadly droop the tops of the inflorescences the very next day.

Experienced florists claim that there are secrets to prolong the life of magnificent flowers, and we are happy to share them.

How to cut lilacs correctly?

If lilacs grow in your garden plot or on the territory of your house, then you need to cut off the branches for a bouquet, following some simple rules:

1. This must be done early in the morning (before sunrise), or in the evening, after sunset.
2. Cut the branch only after the fragrant clusters have bloomed - this will prolong the bouquet's stay in the vase.
3. The best option is brushes with 2/3 of the flowers open.
4. Cut the branches at an angle, making the longest possible cut. If you have already been given a bouquet, make a cut like this on each branch.
5. Do not use scissors: they crush the vessels of the branches and subsequently prevent water from being absorbed. Use a sharp knife, or better yet, a blade.
6. Remove all leaves that will be in the water: this will not affect the appearance at all, and without them your bouquet will last longer.
7. Immediately wrap the cut branches in a damp cloth and the bouquet itself in soft paper. This way, you will deliver the bouquet to its destination in perfect condition.

How to save roses

Delightful roses are the most popular flowers among gifts for women. Roses are given in a bouquet of one or more flowers, in baskets, boxes and even hats. There are many master classes on creating crafts with these fresh flowers posted on the forums.

Therefore, it is important to know how to preserve roses. Preserving roses is divided into several stages:

Preserving roses is divided into several stages:

1. Cutting

Cutting begins with the selection of roses. Preference is given to slightly loose buds with leaves bent down. Cutting is done early in the morning. The roses are then sent into storage until the next stage.

How to store cut roses before transportation? Cut roses are stored in a cool place with an air temperature of +5 ºС for no more than 5 days. Roses are wrapped in paper and immersed in water to the level of the buds.

2. Transportation

Before transportation, flower stems are wrapped in paper or a damp cloth. Then the roses are packaged. On the road, flowers are transported in such a way that the flowers are not exposed to sunlight or cold air.

3. Preservation in a vase

Having received a bouquet of royal flowers, every woman thinks about how to keep roses in a vase for the longest time.

This question “How to keep roses in a vase” is answered by professional florists. Floristry experts advise the following:

• Cut the stems diagonally under water to 3 cm;
• Tear off the lower leaves to the level of placing in water;
• Use disinfected water;
• Add special flower products or sugar to the water;
• Place the bouquet in a cool, draft-free place, avoid direct sunlight;
• Change the water every day, while rinsing the stems;
• Spray the leaves and outer petals of roses;
• When wilting, place flowers in cold water for 10 hours.

4. Drying

Having received roses as a gift, you can try to keep them as a keepsake. The main method of preservation is drying.

Roses are dried using the following methods:

• Natural - hanging roses on the stem with buds down in a ventilated place;
• Sand - each petal is sprinkled with sand in a cardboard box;
• Glycerin - roses are preserved by slow immersion in a solution of glycerin in a ratio of ½ to water.

Dried roses will not lose their beauty even if you go on vacation.

In addition to roses, the bouquet contains many other flowers that need to be preserved.

Preparing the stems

If you're wondering how to keep lilacs in a vase longer, don't ignore preparing the stems before placing the flowers in the vase. Split them with a sharp blade: this way they will absorb moisture better. Some housewives use a hammer for this purpose, breaking three centimeters of the lower part of the branches with it.

If the branches are cut from a very large bush and have rough and dense bark, cut it an additional three centimeters along the grain. All these procedures are carried out immediately before immersing flowers in water, since “naked” tissues quickly lose their absorbing ability when exposed to air. This simple treatment guarantees the active absorption of oxygen and liquid by the plant’s vessels.

Autumn pruning of lilac bushes

The main activities for pruning lilac bushes are most often carried out very early in the spring before the buds swell or immediately after flowering.

Lilacs are usually pruned immediately after flowering or very early in the spring.

In the fall, sanitary care is usually carried out, which consists of pruning:

• branches that are broken, dry and have signs of damage by insect pests or diseases;
• very old shoots with cracked bark and covered with lichens;
• branches directed to the center of the bush, as well as thickening, twisted and unnecessary ones;
• shoots crossing, rubbing and interfering with each other;
• thin and immature young growth;
• old dried flower brushes that were not trimmed in a timely manner (after flowering).

When sanitary pruning, not only old inflorescences are removed, but also dry, damaged and diseased branches

But there are no absolute contraindications to carrying out other pruning schemes in the fall, so it is permissible to carry out rejuvenating and crown-shaping procedures. Some gardeners prefer to prune lilac bushes exclusively in the autumn. The only condition is the need to complete all activities 3-4 weeks before the onset of a steady cold spell, otherwise the plant’s wounds will not have time to heal and it will hurt.

You can prune lilacs in the fall

The formation of the crown of a lilac seedling begins only after three years . This is done like this:

1. Select 4-5 powerful skeletal branches that are directed outward from the center of the bush. Their tops are shortened by a third, approximately the same height. Everything unnecessary is mercilessly cut out.
2. The next year, fresh shoots on the main branches are thinned out, leaving only the strongest and best located in space. Unnecessary root shoots and branches inside the bush are also removed.
3. Then, over the next 3–4 years, similar procedures are performed, trying to create a uniform crown without thickened areas and noticeable sparse voids.

Water

To prevent lilacs from withering in a vase, it is necessary to use melted or purified water. If it is possible to use spring or well water, the lilac will delight you with its appearance even longer. Let the water sit for a bit and warm up. It should be at room temperature or even a little warmer (about two degrees).

Many gardeners know how to preserve lilacs in a vase using acidified water. If you add citric acid or a few drops of vinegar to it, the water will soften and this will definitely extend the life of the bouquet.

A bouquet of lilacs in a vase will last longer if you prepare another life-giving solution: dilute a tablespoon of sugar in a liter of settled water. A universal lifesaver for cut lilacs is an aspirin (acetylsalicylic acid) tablet. In this case, the water in the vase is changed daily.

Interesting facts about lilacs

Lilac flowers contain a glycoside, syringin, which gives them a bitter taste. This substance in large quantities can be dangerous to the child’s health, so you should not give your baby five-leaf clover, even if his wish comes true after that.

Lilac leaves have pronounced antimicrobial and healing properties. Apply cleanly washed leaves to a poorly healing or rotting wound, cover with cotton wool and wrap with a bandage.

Traditional healers actively use alcoholic infusions of lilac flowers for toothache, gout, cough, bronchitis, etc. However, it is strictly not recommended to use such drugs to treat children, and adults also need to be careful, since excess syringin can cause serious problems. Evidence-based medicine does not recognize the healing properties of lilac.

Hot water: benefit or harm?

Even our great-grandmothers knew how to preserve lilacs in a vase. Flowers will remain fresh and beautiful for a long time if you use the old and proven method:

• cut off long and thick branches;
• boil the required amount of water (depending on the volume of the vase);
• pour a little water into the bottom of the vase (so that the container does not crack);
• Pour the required amount of hot water and immediately place the bouquet in it.

Thus, it will be stored for at least five days.

Cut lilacs quickly wither: methods of resuscitation

Lilacs do not always fade due to improper care. If the branches do not wither evenly, but only some of them, there is an explanation for this. Having taken out the withering branches, you need to inspect the place where the stem did not touch the water. If damage is found, a cut should be made 1 cm above the “wound”. Then rinse the stem under running water, immerse it in hot water for half an hour and return it to the vase.

If the entire bouquet withers, you need to put it in boiling water for 10 minutes and return it to the cool liquid (clean and with additives).

You want to keep a bouquet of beautiful, fragrant and incredibly romantic lilacs fresh for as long as possible. The most important thing is to show attention and diligence. If you try, the intoxicating aroma will settle in the house for a long time and fill it with spring colors and good mood.

Place for a bouquet

Many housewives think about how to preserve lilacs in a vase, without paying attention to the place where the bouquet is located. And completely in vain. Often bouquets are placed on the windowsill, and this is a common mistake. Direct sunlight has a detrimental effect on flowers: they fade.

Lilacs should not be stored next to indoor flowers: bouquets collected outdoors often harbor parasites that can cause irreparable harm to your indoor plants. We should not forget that lilac is very fragrant. Therefore, if your house already has bouquets that emit a delicate scent, do not overload the room with another fragrant “tenant”.

The best place for a vase with lilacs

The choice of favorable conditions is important for the good preservation of a bouquet of lilacs.

Bright rays and heat lead to rapid withering of the petals, promoting intense evaporation of moisture, so you should not place the vase on the window. In addition, it is undesirable for indoor flowers to have a neighbor from the street - there may be pests on it.

It is not advisable to leave flowers in a small room with closed windows overnight - the strong aroma can cause headaches. In the evening, it is better to take them out to the balcony or to another room where no one is sleeping.

A few secrets

And in conclusion, some tips from experienced florists who know how to keep lilacs in a vase longer. Use them, and your bouquet will last for quite a long time:

• If the lilac begins to wilt, lower the stem sections into water and renew the cut with a sharp knife directly under the water.
• Even a virtually hopelessly wilted bouquet can be revived if the tips of the branches are dipped in boiling water for a few minutes. Prepare water at room temperature in a vase in advance and return the bouquet to it after “reanimation”.
• Spray the lilac several times a day, refreshing it with warm water.
• Lilac “drinks” a lot of liquid. Therefore, as it decreases, it must be added. Otherwise, the vase may very quickly turn out to be empty, and the bouquet will immediately wither.
• From time to time, place the bouquet in water up to the very inflorescences, and cover it with damp newspaper on top. This little trick will help maintain the desired level of humidity.

Tips for caring for lilacs in a vase

Carrying out the procedures necessary for flowers preserves their decorative properties for a longer period.

Bouquet of lilacs - how to care:

• do not use cold water - it needs to be settled and kept in the room;
• trim the ends of fading branches (preferably in water);
• spray with settled water every day;
• change the water regularly and add more if it decreases;
• A good way to refresh a bouquet is to submerge the branches up to the inflorescences under water overnight, covering the rest with newspaper.

Mandatory daily procedures

1. In the evening, send flowers to the bath. Submerge them under water and secure them so that they do not rise to the surface. Leave the bouquet in this state until the morning.
2. In the morning, trim the trunk by a centimeter and fluff it up a little.
3. Once a day, change the water with the nutrient solution and wash the lower part of the stems.
4. The longer the bouquet stands, the more frequent spraying it needs.

Now you know how to store cut lilacs in a vase. Caring for it is quite simple, and if you take the advice of experienced florists and gardeners, you can extend its stay in your home.

Why can’t you bring lilacs home and place them in the house?

There is a widespread belief that you should not take a bouquet of lilacs home. Passed from mouth to mouth, the rule has acquired a mass of myths and horror stories. Everything complicated is simple! Lilacs should not be placed in bedrooms where people sleep. Because the smell of the bouquet is strong and intoxicating. By the morning you may not only have a headache, but also feel ill. For allergy sufferers, it is generally contraindicated to be in a room with blooming bouquets. And if windows open for ventilation during the day help, then night can have an unfavorable effect.

Find out how to save longer:

• Lilies
• Irises
• Gerberas
• Peonies
• Bird cherry
• Eustoma
• Hydrangea
• Chrysanthemums
• Tulips
• Mimosa
• Roses

Acceleration of flowering

When forcing lilacs early (in November-December), the above temperature conditions (18-20 C) are usually insufficient. In order for flower buds to awaken, additional influences are needed. The easiest way to accelerate their development is to use warm baths. To do this, lilac crowns are immersed for 12-15 hours in water at a temperature of 35-38 ° C or for 18 hours at a water temperature of 30-35 ° C. To do this, planks are strengthened over a container with warm water, on which the pots are placed in the reverse position, so so that the upper edge of the pot rests on two adjacent slats, and the stem is directed downwards. Only the crown is immersed in water. To prevent the water from cooling quickly, the bath should be covered with something.

At temperatures lower than those indicated, baths do not have an awakening effect on the kidneys; at higher temperatures, the kidneys turn brown and then die. The duration of immersion in the baths should also not exceed the limits shown.

After the baths, the containers with lilacs are transferred to a warm room, and their further distillation is carried out in the same way as described above.

To get lilacs in full bloom for the New Year, they begin to drive them out in the second half of November.

A good way to pre-expose forced plants is to freeze them in the refrigerator. By storing dormant plants in refrigerators for several months, any variety of lilac can be harvested at any time of the year. Plants are placed in refrigerators packed in boxes with wet shavings placed between the pots and dry peat between the branches. The chamber temperature is given as minus 4-6° C.

At the right time, the boxes are taken out of the refrigerator, slowly thawed in a cool room, then the plants are slowly accustomed to light. At a temperature of 19-24° C, the duration of forcing is 20-30 days.

When forcing, an important point is to provide the plants with good nutrition. Fertilizing in July, when flower buds are forming, has a positive effect on the forcing process and the quality of flowers.

Forced lilac can be used for repeated forcing. To do this, it is planted again in the ground and, with proper care, can be taken up for new forcing in 2-3 years.

The best varieties of lilac for forcing

The best varieties of common lilac for early forcing in November-December are the following:

• Madame Casimir Perrier;
• Ivan Michurin;
• In memory of Ludwig Späth.

And for the later one:

• Madame Lemoine;
• Jules Simon;
• Belle de Nancy;
• Joan of Arc;
• President Grevy.

When forced early with the use of one or another method of accelerating the development of buds, varieties with colored flowers usually give an almost white color; when forced later, without additional effects on the buds, the flowers more or less well retain their inherent color under normal flowering conditions.

Stages of preparation for making a bouquet

Proper preparation of branches and water extends the life of a lilac bouquet. These simple procedures significantly increase the time it takes to decorate.

Processing slices

The intensity of moisture absorption increases if you split the branches with a sharp knife, making cuts 5-7 cm long, or lightly “break” the lower part with a hammer. On thick lignified branches with dense bark, you can make longitudinal cuts 3-4 cm long, or clear the lower part of the bark (10-15 cm).

It is recommended to perform the procedures immediately before placing the bouquet in the vase. Pre-prepared sections quickly become weathered, which makes it difficult to absorb water and supply oxygen.

The “correct” water for lilacs

The life of a lilac bouquet is significantly extended if it stands in water that has settled, warmed to room temperature and slightly acidified. To acidify it, you can add vinegar (2-3 drops), citric acid (several crystals) or an aspirin tablet (acetylsalicylic acid). A solution of sugar (1 tbsp) in water (1 l) is also life-giving. It is worth changing the water every 2 days, in a large bouquet - every day.

Another way to acidify: stir 2 tbsp in water. l. sugar, 1 tsp. citric acid and 150 g of salicylic or boric acid.

Choosing in the store

This information will be useful if you plan to give flowers as a gift, and it is important that they do not fall off or wither in a couple of days. Here are nine recommendations on how to choose a truly fresh bouquet.

1. Sepals. They must be green and tightly “hug” the bud. If they are dried out and “sad” (bent away from the bud), then sellers are trying to sell an old flower from which several rows of lower petals have simply been torn off.
2. Leaves and petals. They must be “vigorous” and have a bright, characteristic color. Bend the petal down: if it immediately returns to its original position, the flower is fresh. Drooping, darkened leaves/petals, spots, plaque indicate “advanced age” or diseases of the plant.
3. Stem. If a flower has been standing in water for a long time, the lower part of the stem will give it away - slippery, with dark spots and an unpleasant putrid odor. In general, the stem should be elastic, without obvious damage, foreign stains or plaque.
4. Slice Dark and faded - bad.
5. Insects. Examine the bouquet carefully. If you notice any bugs, white coating, dark dry spots, holes in the leaves, cobwebs - do not buy. These are pests. You can bring uninvited guests into your home and infect your indoor plants.
6. Aroma. It should be fresh, without any extraneous shades and match the type of flower. Old flowers smell weakly or not at all.
7. Pollen. Usually, pollen on the stamens is a sign of a “ripe” flower; it will not last long.
8. Water. The liquid in a flowerpot with a bouquet should be clean, transparent, free of foreign odors and impurities.
9. The atmosphere in the store. Take a sniff. Among the variety of aromas, you should not feel musty. The room should not be too hot. Humidity is also important—medium is better. Too dry air causes plants to wither, and dampness promotes rot.

These were general points. Here is information on specific types of flowers.

• Roses. Feel the bud at the base of the sepals - in a fresh flower it is dense and elastic. Lightly pull the lower tier of petals, if none of them have “fallen off” - good, the rose is fresh. To make roses last longer, buy unopened or slightly open buds.
• Tulips. Opened inflorescences will not last long. Therefore, only closed elastic buds and no dark, dry areas on the petals. The stem should be elastic.
• Chrysanthemums. The center is black - the flower is old. Tug on the lower petals - they will fall off on an old plant.
• Carnations. A stale carnation will be indicated by a drooping head and faded color. The carnation also has a very fragile trunk - inspect it carefully. Cunning sellers fasten broken stems with matches, toothpicks, needles - look for the joint.
• Lilies. One stem should have one or two flowers and several unopened buds. Look for branches with green buds - the yellow ones will not bloom. There should be no water inside the inflorescences or on the stamens. Wet stamens are a sign of an old flower.

Unscrupulous sellers often “mix” substandard flowers into bouquets of fresh flowers. Ask the florist to collect and arrange a composition from the flowers you have chosen - then you will be sure of the quality of the bouquet.

Selection of capacity

Lilacs should be stored in a spacious vase filled with at least a third of water. The bouquet may be quite heavy and will overturn a container that is too small.

The second reason why cut lilacs should be stored in a large vase is the need for a sufficient amount of water for this plant. A narrow vase will not be able to hold a lot of liquid. And the flowers will quickly wither from lack of moisture.

Containers suitable for lilac bouquets:

• large glass vases with wide necks;
• three-liter jars;
• spacious ceramic pots.

Lilacs can be stored in a special wicker basket for flowers, inside of which there is a container for liquid. You can buy it at a florist store.

Useful properties of lilac

In addition to its beauty and pleasant aroma, lilac has beneficial properties:

• — The smell of lilac will repel insects and allow you to open the window and enjoy the fresh air.
• — Will help hide and neutralize tobacco smoke and other unpleasant odors;
• — Lilac can be used as a decoction, ointment, or tincture for various ailments, such as colds and neuralgia.

Preserving cut lilacs is not so difficult if you use simple tips and rules. The most important thing is to show attention and diligence, then the aroma of a bouquet of lilacs will fill the house with a good mood for a long time.

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