I am a life-long rose grower, just getting into dahlias. Another obsession - just what I need! ;0) Anyway, for years I have done my cut roses this way: I cut them with stems under water when I get them inside the house, and then put them into the vase in the hottest tap water I can get out of my faucet. Then I set the vase into my refrigerator until the water is cool. It makes a huge difference in the length of time the flower will last. I don't know if it translates to dahlias or not - I haven't really cut very many of my blooms this year. I wanted to enjoy them outside in the garden instead. I only have a couple dozen for now.

Always put your cut flowers into warm water- they can't take up cold water well at all. You can even boil a pot of water & hold the stems in it until the air stops bubbling out- the blooms will last way longer without the airlock in the stem. A few years ago I reserected a wilted ADS seeding for another grower at a show- it had fallen & looked terrible. The only thing we had hot was coffee so I put it in a cup of coffee for about an hour & it perked right up- not only that but by the next day it looked way better than the other 2 blooms in the container! This is an old florist's trick that we use for roses & pretty much any other bloom that wilts before it's time.

The above tranlates to dahlias really well. I've read and practice cutting into the hottest tap water I can get, with floral preservative added. Cut stems on a diagonal for better water absorption, put them into a dark cool place to rest from the shock of being cut-at least a couple hours, overnight is good too. Try to avoid cutting right through a leaf node, try to cut above it or well below it.

If you have really fat stems, or hollow stems, it does help to pierce them several times underwater to eliminate air bubbles which would also inhibit water absorption through the stem. I use a hat pin.

If you feel you haven't done enough work yet, you can re-cut the stems underwater on a diagonal. The flowers will stay longest when kept out of direct sun and in a cool place. Sometimes I take bouquets outside for a night of cool air (it's cool here anyway.)

Some really neat advice. Thanks for sharing your secrets.

Yes indeed, many good tips -thanks so much everyone!

Anna

Here's what we used as a homemade preservative in our florist's shop, three drops of bleach and a tsp of sugar, the bleach keeps the bacteria down and the sugar feeds the flowers. we also used warm water.

PL

another good tip. Merci beaucoup! Thanks.

My thanx to all above for the good information,,,i am sure my dahlias will be happier for it.....

Wow! Thank you for the question and answers! I've cut my dahlias twice this season for other people (they just loved them!) But my only question was how to prepare the newly cut flowers...and now I know!

Thanks Bunches of Bouquets~

Nikki~

Petunialover - three drops of bleach and a tsp of sugar to how much water? Thanks,

Anna

I take out the ole Bic lighter and sear the end of each stem right after cutting. This apparently seals off the end to prevent an air embolism as well. Seems to work. Yes,and how much water to three drops of bleach and a tsp of water? Inquiring minds want to know!

I just use about 1 teaspoon of sugar in the vase and room temperature water and cut dahlias diagonally. I read some where that you must get the cut dahlia into water within 60 seconds of cutting. So that is what I do. They last 1 week. Would they last longer if I used hot water?

What great info.. Thank you.. Will do this now with all my cut dahlias. Seems they just don't last long enough!!

Sue

Mingus Alex, if yours are lasting a week the way you do it, just stick with that method. I tell people 5 days max before they start to look wilty/frumpy. Vaselife depends on the type too: some just don't last long at all. I had a lovely large white laciniated one Tsuki Yori No Shisha that I just couldn't get to last more than a couple days no matter what I did.

Things that make you go "Hmmmmm...."

OK, I just had to try it. Took the vase with me when cutting dahlias filled with hot water. Did not use the sugar with 3 drops of bleach though. Dahlias that lasted 5+ days were only the larger 8 inch or more except for Santa Claus that lasted. Most other 6 inch or smaller blooms did not last any longer than normal. Next time I'll try the hot water with the sugar and bleach drops and see if that will make a difference.

Just thought I'd let you know,
Sue

Nothing like the scientific metod: Let us know after you've tested!

Hello, what great advices I find here...I have to try the hot water. Makes me think!