AFD FLOWER CARE & HANDLING INSTRUCTIONS

These are basic instructions, not all flowers are the same and some do need special handling. Below you will also find flower types with special handling needs.

Product Care

(Important: Do not remove flowers from wrappers when you receive them; leave wrappers on the flowers. especially on roses until they are properly hydrated. For roses, make sure to remove wrappers within 48 hours or less)

1) Prepare your container. Ideal container materials are plastic or glass. The container should be clean from dirt or bacteria. Unclean containers can clog clean flower stems and cause flower to wilt and die. It is recommended to wash containers with bleach to make sure they are clean. Fill container with clean (filtered) cool or lukewarm water.

2) Flower food packets are NOT included with the flowers, (visit our supply page for flower food and other items). Flower packets contain the nutrients flowers need for proper hydration.

Follow the easy steps on the packet to prepare the nutrient solution. This will help the flowers hydrate better and last longer. (If you do not have flower food, do not worry - just prepare 1/3 bucket of water, 1/3 can of soda (such as Sprite® or 7-up®) and a cap full of household bleach. The soda is for the sugar which feeds the flowers and helps them hydrate. The bleach will keep the water bacteria free)

3) Before placing the flowers in water, cut the stems, removing half an inch to one inch from the bottom. You will need to make a fresh cut later when making your arrangement. You must always make sure that ALL stems are cut. If for any reason a stem is not cut, the flower will fail to hydrate and wilt.

4) Use a sharp knife when cutting the stems to not smash them. This enables your flowers to absorb water easily. (Please be careful with this step)

5) Remove leaves that fall below the water line. This will make your water last longer and keep it cleaner for flowers to hydrate better. Heat reduces the longevity of fresh flowers, so be sure to place your flower container away from sources of heat, such as sunny windows, appliances or heating vents.

6) Keep the flower container filled with fresh clean water or the floral foam saturated, KEEP IN A COOL A/C ROOM AWAY FROM ANY DIRECT SUN OR HEAT.

7) If within 24 -hours of hydrating, any flower does not appear to be drinking through the re-cut stem, making sure the cut is clean and sharp. Make sure the flower stem is open for hydrating.

Every few days replenish the nutrients or preservative and re-cut the stems to enjoy your flowers to the max. We recommend a finishing spray like Aquafinish® to make your flowers last longer. You can find supplies in our supply catalog.

Flowers With Special Handling & Tips:

If flowers are tight and you need them to open faster: Keeping your flowers in cool temperature about 42 F - 70 F will keep them from opening so fast and make them last longer. If you need to open your flowers faster you would need to keep them in a warmer temperature (room temperature recommended) and re-cut their stem and place them in warm/luke water, repeat every few hours till they are where you want them to be.

Hydrangeas:  Please note this flower will arrive looking limp soft this is normal, hydrangeas are very thirsty and will limp/soften very easily if not drinking well, make sure to cut stems 1/4-1/2" since stems are woody they do need to be smashed a little to make them drink better. Keep a close eye on them for the first 3-4 hours if flowers look like they are not drinking (hydrating) well repeat these steps. If flower is very soft then follow above steps and  submerge the whole bloom under water for a few minutes and then place in your buckets and keep in cool location this never fails they will perk up quickly.

Stephanotis:  Is a fragrant and fragile flower. This flower is very cold sensitive and needs constant moisture. To work with these flowers you must wet your hands to keep them moist this will also keep the oil from your hands from turning them brown. Temperatures below 42 degrees and excessive handling my cause bruising. To rehydrate flowers, float in 80-90 F water and store moistened above 42 F

Gladiolus: After processing as instructed above you must snap off the very top flower bud for your Glads to open fully.

Roses:  It is recommended to cut your rose stems underwater, this helps stop air from entering the stem and causing the rose heads to bend.

Lilies: Take longer to open then most other flowers average time is about 3-5 days. This also depends on handling and temperature kept. If flowers are kept cool it will take longer for them to open, it is recommended to keep lilies at room temperature for them to open faster. If lily is not opening fast enough you can place them in warm/luke temperature water to help them open faster.

Daffodil: This flower when cut releases sap that will harm your other flowers if hydrated with them; make sure to hydrate them separately. When ready to make your arrangement make sure sap is washed off before mixing them in.