Q: Especially during the holiday season, I like to keep fresh flowers, both purchased as well as from the garden, in the house. How can I make my cut flowers last longer when I bring them in from the garden? The little packets of preservative that come with florist flowers work, but what can I do when I don’t have them?
A: Commercial flower preservatives work very well at prolonging flower freshness, but there are things you can do to help your garden cut flowers last. First of all, the best time to cut your flowers is in early morning, before the day warms up and possibly stresses the flowers. Remove any leaves along the stem that would end up under water in the vase. Next, make sure your vase is very clean and filled with warm (not hot) water. If your tap water has a lot of minerals in it, you should use purified water in the vase. Make a final cut of the flower stem under water and immediately transfer it to the vase.
If you are cutting poppies or other flowers that leak sap, you will need to seal the stem to prevent them from wilting. Immediately after cutting the flower, sear the cut end of the stem with a flame. I find that an inexpensive barbecue lighter sold in grocery stores works really well and is convenient to use.
There is a convenient substitute for commercial flower preservative. A number of years ago, University of California researchers discovered that a solution of one part lemon lime soda (regular, not diet) and two parts water works just as well as the commercial products. The acidity of the soda and the sugar in the solution work together to prolong flower freshness. Following these simple steps should ensure that your flowers will last their longest.
Q: The raspberry vines I have produce wonderful berries. Several friends would also like plants of this variety but I don’t know its name. How can I help them?
A: Cuttings usually can be rooted successfully as long as they are taken from canes that have not born fruit. For best results, select canes that are at least pencil-thickness. Cut them to six-inch lengths and remove the leaves from the lower half of each cutting. Insert the leafless half in a moist soil; raspberries root easily enough that rooting hormone is rarely necessary. Within four to eight weeks roots should develop.
When grown under the same conditions as your plant, these new plants will produce the same fine berries as their parent.
