Flower Food? - Orchid Board

Connie Star · #1 08-08-2010, 09:52 PM

I had a little accident today and knocked a phal off of it's shelf, breaking the spike.

This plant had been in bloom since December, and it had a gorgeous cascading inflorescence. I put the broken flower spike in a vase.
Does anyone know if the "flower food" that is sold for cut flowers works for cut orchids? Does anybody know what it is, or how it works?
I would never in a million years have cut this, but I'd like to enjoy it for as long as I can. The plant itself is still healthy and suffered no other damage, but I am still sad.

CTB · #2 08-09-2010, 06:41 AM

Maybe a bump will help, BUMP

Zoi2 · #3 08-09-2010, 02:18 PM

Sorry to hear of your accident. I've kept cut phal spikes in a vase for about 4 weeks with just water.
Joann

RosieC · #4 08-09-2010, 03:14 PM

I've kept them in plain water for several weeks as well. Never thought to try cut flower food so can't say if that would help or not.

Orchid126 · #5 08-09-2010, 03:14 PM

If you don't have flower food on hand, use a bit of lemon-lime soda, a pinch of bleach, and if you don't have lemon-lime soda, the bleach, a teaspoon of lemon juice and a teaspoon of sugar.

This is for cut flowers, don't know if it will help the phal.

Call_Me_Bob · #6 08-09-2010, 04:01 PM

in the floral business, we use a little bit of knock of citrus listerine. or sprite. never used vbleach though, i would be careful with that

Connie Star · #7 08-09-2010, 04:38 PM

Thanks everybody. I put some flower food in and we'll see what happens. It looks very pretty in the kitchen window, though not as good as it looked on the plant!
I'm speculating that flower food is sugar and maybe some salts that roughly approximate the osmolarity of the plant tissue, thus keeping the flower in equilibrium.

Call_Me_Bob · #8 08-09-2010, 04:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Connie Star

Thanks everybody. I put some flower food in and we'll see what happens. It looks very pretty in the kitchen window, though not as good as it looked on the plant!
I'm speculating that flower food is sugar and maybe some salts that roughly approximate the osmolarity of the plant tissue, thus keeping the flower in equilibrium.

you got it, about the plant food!

Orchid126 · #9 08-10-2010, 04:16 PM

The lemon provides acid and the bleach provides chlorine purification so that the water stays more pure, just like in a swimming pool. A half to a teaspoon is plenty.

SpeciesNut · #10 08-10-2010, 04:57 PM

sorry about your boo boo but iv had this happen,used a lil of my bloom booster,(in a vase)and they opened right up!!! good luck!