The wholesale freezer crash that taught me about stem hydration

Last Tuesday my walk-in freezer at the shop in Portland decided to die overnight, and I came in to 200 stems of ranunculus looking like sad string beans. I panicked, grabbed a bucket of lukewarm water instead of the cold stuff I usually use, and holy cow, they perked up in like 40 minutes. I've been doing this for 7 years and always thought cold water was the only answer for everything. Now I test small batches of new arrivals before I commit to the big buckets, especially in summer. Does anyone else adjust water temps based on the flower type, or am I just late to this party?

2 comments

2 Comments

zarag179d ago

Wait, so lukewarm water saved the day? Next you'll tell me I've been ruining my roses by not whispering sweet nothings to them before bed. Seven years of cold water dogma down the drain, literally. Guess my flowers have been secretly judging my rigid watering schedule this whole time. I'm tempted to try warm water on my own houseplants just to see if they finally forgive me for last winter's neglect.

averyc949d ago

Cold water gang for years here too. Makes you wonder what else we got wrong. Mine probably hate me at this point.