This week I wanted to take some time to discuss some common myths when it comes to cut flowers. I am mainly going to be talking about spring flowers, but this can apply to most cut flowers in general.
Most of us have likely seen the 'viral potato video', as I am going to be referring to it. It is where a cut rose stem is put into a raw potato and a rose plant grows out of the raw potato. This does NOT work. This is the biggest spring flower myth I have seen around the internet, but not the only one. Most flowers grow from a plant, that is grown from a seed. Roots need to be involved to grow a new flowering plant. (If you have seen my post on growing succulents from a single leaf, that DOES work. This is something a bit different.) So, stay with me here and find out why you CANNOT grow a new flower/plant from a cut flower stem.
I get the question posed every once in a while to me "If I give my mom a bouquet of tulips can she plant them in her garden after?". While I wish tulips were that magical, this does not in fact work. Tulips are a bulb plant and generally need to be planted in the fall for them to bloom in the spring of the following year. When you receive a bouquet of cut flowers, there is no bulb left on the tulips. (Sometimes we do have a small piece of the bulb left, however. A few weeks ago while my brother was helping me out he called me over to the tulips, which he had never dealt with before, asking if someone might have dropped their lunch in the shipment. If you have ever seen a bulb, they resemble an onion!) Check out the bulbs that already have some green to them on the left. I then explained to my brother that tulips come on a bulb and that a small chunk of the bulb likely held on and came in with our shipment of tulips grown in BC, Canada.
Have you ever grown vegetables in your garden? Think of growing flowers the same way - you need seeds, bulbs, or a starter plant to get yourself going! Hyacinth, tulips and daffodils are all spring flowers that grow from bulbs. All of these bulbs are usually planted in the fall, before the ground freezes, but after the heat of the summer has died down. This ensures that they are going to bloom in perfect time for spring! When the flowers are delivered to a flower shop (like Blooms by May, or your local florist), the stems have already been cut and are at peak quality for being arranged into a beautiful bouquet for your loved one!
If you are interested in planting your own spring blooms - pick up some bulbs from your local greenhouse in the fall - or if you're wishing for them now - check out greenhouses for who may have some starter plants around for you to enjoy! When in doubt - fresh bouquets are always available in store. :)