Lesson 7
As cut flowers
Cut when 2/3 of the flowers on a spray are open — closed buds rarely open in the vase.
Cut DEEP — back to a node where side shoots are emerging. Plunge straight into deep cold water for 1 hour to condition.
Vase life: 10–14 days — among the longest of any cut flower. Re-cut every 2 days and change water (or use the recipe below). Mums are the workhorse of the autumn vase: they ride out a week of central heating better than any other flower.
What to add to vase water (per 1 litre)
- 1 teaspoon of sugar — feeds the flower in place of the stem it lost.
- 1 teaspoon of lemon juice OR clear (white) vinegar — lowers the pH so water moves up the stem more easily.
- 2–3 drops of household bleach OR a clean copper coin — stops the bacteria that block the cut stem (the real reason vases go cloudy and flowers droop early).
- Change the water every 2 days and recut 1 cm off the stem each time. That single habit beats any other 'trick' for vase life.
- Florist sachets (Chrysal, Floralife) are this same recipe pre-mixed — convenient, not magic. Either is fine.
- Avoid: aspirin, copper pennies post-1992 (not real copper), and full-fat lemonade — the sugar load encourages slime.
Chrysanthemums in arrangements
- Pick at 2/3-open — closed buds don't open after cutting.
- Strip lower 1/3 of foliage; mum leaves rot quickly.
- Mix with rosehips, hydrangea heads and copper beech for the classic autumn arrangement.
- Single-headed disbudded blooms are perfect for individual flutes; sprays for jugs and bowls.
- Vase life regularly hits 14 days with proper water recipe — the best value cut flower you'll grow.