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Florist plants are usually actually sub-tropical plants. Many will exist in very low light conditions but most will not have healthy, vigorous growth in extremely low light. The essential concept to grasp is to keep environmental conditions in balance. The proper balance is usually determined by how much light the plants gets. LIGHT, WATER, FOOD and TEMPERATURE are the basic factors affecting plant growth. The discussion that follows is applicable to most, but not all, tropical plants. Some exceptions are noted.

 

LIGHT: Natural light varies throughout the year and will normally be an uncontrollable factor which determines how much you should give a plant of the other controllable factors. When light is low water, food and temperature should be reduced. As light increases so should the other factors. If all are kept in balance then whatever growth occurs should be healthy growth. A plant that is too warm, getting too much water and fertilizer will be forced to grow but its growth will not be healthy and vigorous.

TEMPERATURE: Normal household temperatures should be fine. A little warmer through the day than at night. FOOD: Over fertilizing is the quickest and easiest way to kill a plant. The principle in feeding should be to replace nutrients that have been used up. If a plant has not been growing it does not need food. Most plants grow from spring through late fall. The more it grows the more food it needs to have replaced. If a plant is repotted and fresh soil is added this is equivalent to feeding. It should not need fertilizer for at least a year if it has received fresh, nutrient rich soil.

WATER: Most plant problems are probably watering problems. The common tendency is to water plants too frequently but not sufficiently. Often bottom leaves are lost because there is a problem with bottom roots. The condition of the soil on top is usually not significant since all the roots go down, not up. Let the top of the plant get very dry before watering. The best way to tell if a plant needs water is by lifting it. If it is heavy it is okay. If it is light it needs water. Many plants can get so dry they wilt but will recover quickly with a good watering. Plants should always be in pots with holes so when it is dry you can really soak it. It is not possible to over water since the excess runs away. Plants can be left to soak up extra water but not for more than an hour and then any extra should be removed from the saucer. It is easy to fix a plant that is underwatered. Water it! It is almost impossible to fix a plant that has become waterlogged. It may die a slow death. Good pot/soil drainage is important.

Palms and water plants (e.g. cyperus grass) are plants that require more frequent watering. Don't let them get really dry on the top of the soil. Cacti and succulents can be left for long times between watering. See misting below…

MISTING: My personal preference is not to mist plants. If a plant is in dry conditions misting shoots the humidity up to 100% for a few moments. Minutes later the plant is back to very dry air. This may be a shock to the plant rather than a benefit. A better way to add humidity is with dishes of water. They may not add a lot of humidity but what they get will be a constant benefit with no shock. The only exception would be cacti and succulents. If you must do something to them then mist them once a week instead of watering. They can take water in directly when it is sprayed on them, like dew in the morning. This would be better than giving the roots too much water.

TEA: For years this was thought to be an 'old wives tale', water your plants with leftover tea. It is a fact that there is no food value in the tea. However, it has since been realized that tea can be beneficial if your water is high in salts (hard). Salts from water can accumulate in the soil. If it gets bad you see white accumulations on the edge of the pot and on top of the soil. If it gets that bad the plant is almost guaranteed to have burnt edges on its foliage. Every plant will eventually die from too much salts. Some plants have a very low salt tolerance (e.g. spider plants usually have brown tips). The tannic acid in tea will mix with and neutralize the salts in the pot, i.e. correct the pH in the soil. If you get a plant from a grower that has lots of peat in the soil it probably likes the soil pH to be on the acid side. Tea will be good for such plants … azaleas, gardenia, hydrangea, etc.

The main difference between tropical and flowering plants is that the flowers require more water. The more flowers the more water the plant will use. Plants emit water directly from their foliage into the air (transpiration-a bit like perspiration). When there are a lot of flowers there is a lot more surface area to lose water from. It can ruin the flowers if the plant wilts badly. If you want to try to keep the plant after blooming it would be advisable to fertilize after it is through blooming. When the plant is through flowering it will need much less water. Many flowering plants like an acid balanced soil…see TEA above.

POINSETTIA: The flowers on a poinsettia are insignificant and don't last long. Sometimes they are gone before you get your plant. The color we enjoy on this plant is colored leaves (bracts). This is why it can last so long in your home. It should be watered as though it were a tropical plant-seldom, but well when you do water. After you have had it a while a little fertilizer can help keep its color more vibrant. Too much water and the bottom leaves will turn yellow and drop off. Once a leaf is yellowing you've lost it (this is true for any plant).Special shading/lighting techniques can bring a poinsettia to blossom at any time of the year.

BULBS: Their strength and nutrients are in the bulb. You can usually water them less often than other flowering plants but, once again, water well when you do water and don't leave the plant sitting in water for more than an hour. After the bulb is through flowering you should continue watering and fertilize. This builds up the bulb so it can bloom another season. Eventually you should stop watering and let the plant's foliage dry off. Normally it must be put away (cool, dark, dry) for a number of months before it will flower again.

CUTTING STEMS: Stems should be cut under water with a sharp knife or scissors. Under water to prevent air entering the stem. Cuts are usually made on an angle. This makes it easier for the stem to take up water because it does not sit flat against the bottom of the vase. It is advisable to re-cut the stem every few days.

CLEANLINESS: Bacteria is one of a flowers biggest enemies. If you reuse favorite containers be sure they are washed frequently with a bit of bleach in the water. Never reuse floral foams. These are a natural bacteria host. They dry out and the moment water is added all the bacteria become active and multiply rapidly. FOLIAGE can carry germs/bacteria. Therefore you should remove any leaves that would be below the water line. It is said, "Flowers are like people. They like their heads cool and their feet warm."

TEMPERATURE: Warm water is best for most flowers. The quality of the water is also important. Citric acid is normally used to correct the pH of hard water. Obviously clean water is necessary. Therefore tap water will be better than rain water. Room temperature will make a big difference in the longevity of cut flowers. This is why instructions so often advise us to keep the flowers off the TV. The heat from the TV will shorten their life. Here is a way you can double your money's worth. If you can double the life of your flowers it would be like getting two bouquets for the price of one. You can almost do this by simply putting your flowers in the refrigerator when you go to bed at night. Take them out in the morning. However, you must be careful to cover/seal them in plastic while they are in there. Most refrigerators are frost-free and will take moisture out of the flowers and that could shorten their life.

FEEDING: Commercial flower foods are mostly sugar with some citric acid and a bit of germicide. My personal experience is that sometimes they work and sometimes they do not seem very effective. It is extremely important to mix them with the proper proportion of water to flower food. A more reliable 'flower food' with our Regina water is a mixture of half water and half 7-Up or Sprite (not diet!). The proportion does not half to be exact. For example, if you receive flowers that are arranged in a floral foam, the foam is already soaked full of water. In this case you can add straight 7-Up or Sprite to the container and it gets mixed as the flower draws up the solution.

ROSES: can be very touchy and take more care than other flowers. There are many varieties and every variety can behave differently. For example, some will open very quickly while others take their time. How do you know if you got full value for your money. Our rule-of-thumb is, 'if the rose fully opens you got all you can get out of it'. The most common rose problem is that they don't open and instead get bent neck. This means the rose is not taking water up. Remove the rose from the vase and lay it in your sink with tepid water. Soak the rose for a half to one hour. The rose should be rejuvenated. Cut its stem under water and put back in the vase. Some things that help roses take up water are: 1) really warm water, not hot; 2) citric acid in the water; 3) a drop or two of dish soap mixed in the water.