Ever heard of a dirty flower? There are about a 20 blooms that have earned this unfortunate title. These are stems that gunk up water in the bucket or vase very quickly. At harvest time, they immediately begin to excrete enzymes and shed bits of organic debris into the water in the bucket, which triggers a bacterial explosion. This quick burst of bacteria in the water means vase-life shortens with every passing moment it’s left unchecked.
The list of “dirty flowers” includes amaranth, bachelor buttons, basketflower, celosia, cress, daffodils, dahlias, echinacea, gerbera, grasses, hyacinth, feverfew, marigolds, ornamental kale, rudbeckia, safflower, snapdragons, stock, sunflowers, tithonia, yarrow, and zinnias.
So what do we do about dirty flowers? There is a product called CVBN, sometimes referred to as Gerb Pills since these tablets were originally formulated specifically for gerberas. CVBN is a slow release chlorine pill that prevents and delays the build up of bacteria in water. The chlorine lasts for about 72 hours before it evaporates out, meaning no residual harsh chemicals. The experienced growers at PFG utilize CVBN in their harvest buckets to make sure the stems you receive are as clean and long-lasting as possible.
But it’s not just growers who can benefit from CVBN tablets. If you are hoping to hold some special stems for more than a few days in your studio or shop cooler, add a tablet to the bucket to ensure the water stays clean over the holding window. CVBN tablets are also useful in designs that mix daffodils or hyacinths with other blooms, neutralizing their slime. Additionally, CVBN tablets can help designs that have many stems of dirty flowers in them last longer in a customer’s home. This time of year in particular you may be using lots of rudbeckia, sunflowers and zinnias in your arrangements. A half of a CVBN tablet in the vase will keep the water from getting gunky and smelly, extending the vase life.
You can order CVBN tablets from Chrysal here. Learn more tips about keeping flowers fresh longer here.
