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Top 10 Florist Tips & Tricks

Posted on July 21st, 2017

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 These essential tips and tricks will make your daily floral design operations run smoothly and produce long lasting results.

Many floral design experts may already be using some if not all of these tips and tricks, For those new to the floristry industry take a look at these Top 10 fundamental tips to guide you in your flower shop business success.

10. Flowers Take A Deep Dive

 Submerge the whole flower/flowers into water, water enters through all parts of the flower which results in longer lasting floral arrangements.

9. Crowning Glory

This is a flower shop must have and easily one of the best-kept secrets in floral arranging. Crowning Glory is a spray wax that keeps your floral arrangements hydrated results are long lasting blooms for weeks. 

8. Alum

Keep hydrangeas from wilting with alum powder, this is not an old wives tale. Alum powder works in keeping hydrangeas gorgeous and wilt free. You can find Alum in your grocery spice aisle.  After the hydrangea stem is cut, place them directly into the Alum powder and continue with your floral arrangement.

7. Open Closed Flower Buds

To open up closed flower buds, dip them in warm water and then cold. This is a great tip for instantly showing casing an open bud arrangement.

6. Put Your Orchid Plants On Ice

 Instead of watering your orchid plants, try using an ice cube. The slow melting of the ice cube gives your orchid plant slow steady hydration and will keep it from drowning. This is also a good way to measure the amount of water to give your orchid plant, one ice cube a week is all that is needed. If it’s a larger orchid plant, it is OK to use 2 or 3 ice cubes a week.

5. Cut Flower Stems Underwater

For flowers of a more delicate nature (Peonies, and Dahlias) cut stem under water and always on an angle. This helps in their ability to absorb water thus increasing their longevity. A good tip is most all your flower stems can be cut underwater if you do not have access to a sink, just fill a large container next to work area. Remember to make sure container is cleaned.

4. Make A Grid

Many florists have whats called a mental grid by placing flowers in a vase or container and making a grid by overlapping stems and turning the container with flowers placed on angles on the outward portion of the vessel.  Essentially what this does is a create a holder for your flowers, making them look unified and balanced.  A mental grid for flower arrangements may not work for all floral designers, so in that case, you can make a tape grid. Just lay the tape horizontal and vertical and Voila you now have a flower holder to keep your blooms looking amazing.  This works especially well for short vases and low containers.

3. Keep Your Foliage Clear Of Water

When vase arranging, be sure to remove all foliage on your blooms and never any foliage below the water line. We know most florists know this, however, this is still a great tip. Just one little piece of foliage below the waterline can be detrimental to your floral arrangement causing to wilt and tuned.

2. Remove Lily Stamens

What are Stamens? Stamens are heavily pollinated and in the center of the lily. As soon as you’re lily opens, be sure to remove the pollen Remove stamens gently and try not to allow it to touch the lily. Removing the Stamens allows for long lasting lilies.

1.Floral Design Experiment

Paying homage to the ever so popular organic style of floral arranging today, we encourage you to forget the color wheel and experiment with different textures, herbs, beautiful foliage and blooms to create your own design style niche.

Good To Know

Do not dilute Crowning Glory with water. Diluting Crowning Glory with water has no benefit on your floral arrangements

We know, it’s very rare that a flower shop is keeping their flowers next to fruit, however, it is still important to mention that the gases omitted by fruit are not friendly to flowers. Remember to inform your patrons to avoid keeping their blooms next to fruit.

 

Florists do you have an essential Florist Tip & Trick that is helpful to you?  Please share your feedback in the comment section below. If you have any questions please post below as well!

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25 thoughts on “Top 10 Florist Tips & Tricks”

  1. Greg says:

    Don’t ever use ice cubes on your orchid plant…when was the last time it rained ice in the jungle? Better to dunk into Luke warm water and fertilize every third time. You run the risk of freezing the roots of these beauties!
    Greg

  2. Elsie Carter says:

    when handling floral foam take care not to touch your eyes as it causes hours of great distress if a tiny ammount gets in your eye and no ammount of flushing will remove it straightway

  3. Thanks Idalina, for your awesome tips!

  4. Irma Wilson says:

    Put few drops of bleach in the water of fresh floral arrangements; it helps to keep bacteria out.
    And thanks for the above tips….

  5. Emily says:

    I consider it important to take into account the size of the vase; it´s indispensable that they are large enough to prevent the flowers from piling up and receiving all the necessary light. Also another home tip that I use frequently, is to add some aspirin pads to the water of the flowers, this allows them to last longer.

  6. When working with woody stemmed blossoms such as lilacs, magnolia, peach and cherry blossom, forsythia, camellias, peonies, etc that grow on shrubs or trees, lay the ends of the stems out on a sturdy wood surface and split them open with a hammer before placing in water.

    1. Idalina Floranext says:

      Great Tip! 🙂

  7. Don,t ever use ice cubes in orchid plants.
    You have given such great tips and tricks.
    https://thewildorchid.ca/

  8. Nastya says:

    7. Open Closed Flower Buds

    Do you mean put into water buds or stems? Sorry, maybe this is stupid question. But I didn’t understand.

    1. Idalina Bertone says:

      Dip the whole flower bud and stem in warm water. 🙂

  9. Patrick says:

    Thanks for the “make a grid” tip, very handy!

  10. Lovely tips and trick post!. I thought such an lucky to find this article. I help my sister for searching idea about her design for homework at junior high school. It can be nice gift for her. Thank you so much for sharing! deroosbv.com

  11. Show a Loved One You Care by Having Flowers Delivered Right to Their Door are totally great posting!. Thank your for sharing these educating and funtastic article to us. I really appreciate it through my comment. I can’t wait to read your another posting.

  12. Patricia Ann Roberts says:

    How do you keep flowers and foliage looking fresh if making garland and modern designs
    especially if using delicate blooms.

    1. Alicia says:

      Spray paint some clear 3″ water tubes green, fill with water, then wrap some green floral wire around the tube leaving enough extra wire to attach to the garland and hot glue the wire onto the tube. After that just put your blossom or a variety of small stems into the tube and wire onto the garland. For big wispy centers or for corner pieces for an arch I suggest using caged foam sprays typically used for standing easel pieces for funerals. Hope this tip helped! Happy designing!!

  13. Myra Crawford says:

    I got got some floral foam from the greenhouse. How do I get it to soak up some water. have had it soaking for hours with no results.??????????

  14. Carly Mckeen says:

    I had no idea that alum powder works in keeping hydrangeas gorgeous and wilt free! I am considering becoming a florist, but have no idea where to start and wants some tips. I will definitely utilize all of your great tips and information if I do end up becoming a florist.

  15. LIBM says:

    Nice And Informative article. Amazing beautiful flowers .Thanks for sharing this article with us

  16. Carmen Moore says:

    Hi,
    Thank you so much for sharing!

  17. I like what you said about florists cutting flower stems underwater. My wife wants to get some flowers, and she wants to make sure that they last for a long time. I’ll share this information with her so that she can look into her options for florists who can cut them properly.

  18. Marisa Johnson says:

    I have a question regarding floral displays! How much water should go into a display bucket? I typically put 1/4-1/3 full because the water doesn’t always get changed every 2 days but our other employees say half full. When they do this, I notice the stems starting to rot and a stench. Thank you!

  19. Thiago says:

    Amazing tips! I have so many roses that sells a lot and with these tips i will sell more! Thanks!!!

  20. Amanda Rose says:

    Wonderful tips! I really like the tips you have shared here. Thanks!

  21. Karon says:

    Thanks its a great resource im often looking for blogs to recommend to my staff and customers.

  22. Trish Manfredi, Ed.D. says:

    Don’t smash stems of woody branches! It disturbs the cells that help the water flow up the stem. If necessary, slash the stem vertically about an inch. or, shave some of the bark off the stem.

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