A Guide On How To Rehydrate Your Fresh Flowers
If you are buying your fresh flowers directly from Koch & Co, they will come dry-packed. These dry-packed flowers are different from those being sold at a florist or supermarket etc. as a florist’s flowers have already gone through a rehydration process before they are sold.
To slow down the flower’s lifespan, our fresh flowers are put into a state of hibernation and dry-packed at the farms. This is done so they are not affected during shipment and are easier to transport.
When you receive our fresh flowers, the heads of the flowers will be wrapped in a cardboard collar, with the stems exposed and tied together with a rubber band. The flowers will appear wilted, please be assured that this is not the case. To bring them out of hibernation you will simply need to follow the steps below to rehydrate your fresh flowers, so they are ready for use.
Please Note: DO NOT remove the cardboard collar before you start the hydration process. This process may require 5+ hours to complete.
What You Need:
- Clean Sharp Florist Scissors or Secateurs
- Plastic Bucket or Container
- Fresh Water
- Flower Food
- Cool Room or Fridge
The Fresh Flower Hydration Steps are:
Step 1:
Leave the cardboard collar on and cut the exposed flower stems using clean sharp florist scissors or secateurs. Cut the stems at a 45-degree angle and at least 2.5cm from the bottom of the stem. When cutting the end of the flowers, you are opening up the stems for the flowers to drink and continue to bloom. Please note, the growers allow extra length in the stem for this process.
Step 2:
Fill a plastic bucket or container with clean fresh water and flower food. You should generally use 3.5 grams of flower food to half a litre of water. You can also make flower food with 1 tsp of sugar, 2 tsp of lemon juice, 1 tsp of bleach and a quart of warm water. If you want to unclog your flower stem cells and improves flower food uptake, we recommend using Floralife 2 Quick Dip 500ml (Step 2 – Hydrate) to help the hydration process.
Step 3:
Place the flowers in the bucket, with the cardboard collar still attached, and put them into a cool room or fridge. Let them rehydrate with their cardboard collars on for at least 1 hour.
Step 4:
After the first hour, take the protective cardboard sleeve off by tearing away from the flowers and popping the staples. DO NOT slide the cardboard sleeve off the flowers as this may damage them. Place the flowers back in your bucket and top-up the water level if necessary. Return the flowers to the cool room and hydrate for an additional 3-4 hours before using them.
Step 5:
For event work, take them out of the cool room after hydrating and set at room temperature until they reach the desired bloom. Then return the flowers to the cool room until you are ready to use them.
You can browse our full range of fresh flowers on our website here. For more useful information on how to make your fresh flowers last longer, read our other Koch Blogs A Guide To Keeping Your Fresh Cut Flowers Fresh, How To Make Cut Flowers Last Longer and What is Flower Food And How Much Is Too Much?
After making the bouquets the day before the wedding should they stay in the coolroom until I deliver them
Hi Linda,
Thanks for your question. As to whether you should refrigerate bouquets before delivery, the answer is both ‘Yes’ and ‘no’. That is, whether you put flowers in the cool room depends on the flowers, the weather and the construction of the bouquet.
If they are tropical flowers – the fridge is not great for them, as they can burn.
Softer delicate flowers such as roses, dahlias, and peonies usually benefit from refrigeration, as it keeps them cool and slows the opening of their blooms.
If it’s winter and you have a cool space, they don’t need to go into the cool room. In the summer, a cool room can be beneficial to the longevity of bouquets.
There are a lot of variables, so you’ll find refrigerating blooms is a case-by-case decision.
We hope this has been helpful to you.
Warm regards,
Koch & Co