Flowers Care

Flower care - take care of your flowers the best way

After you have received your new beautiful flowers, you have to ensure that you are able to take care of them the right way. All flowers need different kinds of care, such as light, temperature, water, and humidity. While one flower might flourish in a dim and cool environment, others need a lot of natural light and water. Take care of your flowers the right way, and they will bloom and keep you company for a long time.

Roses

Classy roses come in many different varieties. Thus, the characteristics of flowers can vary a lot based on these varieties. While many of us are familiar with traditional red roses, other ones include, for instance, white, pink, dark mauve, yellow, and many other colors in between. In fact, some roses can even have bi- or tri-color petals.

All roses have soft, smooth petals that are often doubled. This means that a rose can have multiple sets of petals. The petals can come in different shapes depending on the variety. You may come across pointed or round petals, for instance. Some roses can have only a few petals, while others have more. Roses are also known for their thors, so watch out for them.

How to take care of roses?

Roses require regular watering. In fact, the rule of thumb for roses when it comes to watering is that they should get about 2 inches per week. Deep soakings are better than frequent, shallow watering.

Roses require constant feeding and the use of fertilizer, too, if you have a rosebed or a rose garden. Roses in vase should also receive some boosting, for instance powders that you can mix in with the water. For rose gardens, an all-purpose fertilizer with nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium is a good choice. In the spring, a tablespoon of Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) dissolved in a gallon of water will promote strong canes.

In order to destroy old or diseased material, prune your roses in the spring. Early spring is the best time for pruning. In the winter, pruning may lead to frost damage, if your roses are outside.

Orchids

Orchids have about 880 genera and more than 22 000 species worldwide. It is no wonder that orchids are loved and admired all over the world. While you can buy orchids anywhere, they are mostly spread in the tropics, and they love tropical climate.

Orchids have durable structure and their white, blue, or magenta tones contribute to their beauty. One of the most well-known orchids is Phalaenopsis orchid, which has a short body, and its roots are covered with broad and large leaves. Orchids bloom at least twice a year and they bloom up to 12 weeks. If you take care of your orchids well, the flowering can happen even 3 or 4 times a year.

How to take care of orchids?

Orchids prefer to stay in indirect sunlight as too much sun will make their flowers wither away. Remember, that orchids do not bloom without enough sunlight: the best situation is with semi-filtered light that gently touches the leaves, without leaving them feeling heated.

While orchids are tropical plants, they do not do well in hot environments. The best temperature is minimum 18 degrees Celsius and maximum of 29 degrees Celsius. The humidity requirement for orchids is at least 50 % humidity during the day and 70 % at night.

Proper watering is vital for orchids. Too much water will cause damage to the roots. Orchids love watering about once a week. Alternatively, you can divide the same amount of water to two separate days of the week.

Gerberas

Gerberas, or gerbera daisies, are colorful and bright flowers. They are often planted in gardens and even containers and places on window sills. Gerberas are native to South Africa and members of the aster family. In fact, they are also related to sunflowers and marigolds. Gerbera was named after the 18th century German naturalist, Traugott Gerbera.

Gerberas have long-lasting about 3-4 inch flowers. They come in many shades of different colors, such as yellow, white, pink, orange, red, salmon, lavender, and more. The flowers are attached to a leafless stem, which raises approximately 6 inches above the foliage of the plant. Gerberas bloom from late spring to autumn in the garden, and the bloom makes long-lasting cut flowers. These flowers usually grow 6-18 inches tall.

How to take care of gerberas?

For growing gerberas, good soil drainage is important, as excessive moisture can lead to root rot and different diseases. If your soil does not provide good drainage, it is recommended to consider growing the gerberas in containers. Gerberas also prefer a soil that is enriched with compost. The soil moisture needs are average, after they have become rooted. However, you should make sure that gerberas get plenty of water when you first plant them.

You should plant gerberas in the spring and space them 12 to 18 inches apart. Remember to mulch around the plants with a 2-3 inch layer of organic matter. This could be, for instance, pine straw or pine bark. It conserves the soil moisture and reduces weed growth.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers are mainly found in North and South America, and there are nearly 70 species of them. Some species are, in fact, cultivated as ornamentals for their immaculate size and flower heads. Also, sunflower seeds are edible, which makes them even more appealing for many. In addition, the Jerusalem artichoke is cultivated for its edible underground tubers.

The common sunflower (or in other words, H. annuus) is an annual herb. It has a rough, hairy stem that can be up to 1-5 meters long and arranged in spirals. The heads of sunflowers can be 7-15 centimeters wide. The disc flowers are brown, yellow or purple. The petals are yellow.

How to take care of sunflowers?

When the plant is still small, water around the root zone around 3-4 inches from the plant. If you need to protect the plant you can put a snail bait around the stem. After the sunflower plant is established, you can water it deeply and infrequently to encourage the roots to dig in deeper. Generally, water once a week with several gallons (or liters) unless it is exceptionally wet or dry.

The sunflower should be fed sparingly, as over fertilization can cause the stems to break and fall. If needed, you can add diluted fertilizer into the water. But remember to avoid getting the fertilizer near the base of the plant as it may help to build moat in a circle around the plant.

Tall species of sunflowers may need support. For instance, bamboo sticks are a good choice of support.

Lilies

Lilies are loved by everyone. There are about 80-100 species of lilies and they are native to temperate areas of the Northern Hemisphere. In fact, most lilies are ornamental plants. Also, lilies have been extensively hybridized.

Many lilies are very fragrant and they are seen in many different colors. You may encounter lilies in single color or they may be multicolored. The plants of most species are 30-120 centimeters high (1-4 feet). Some, however, can grow up to 2,5 meters (or 8 feet).

How to take care of lilies?

When lilies grow actively, water them freely (especially, if the rainfall is light). Remember to keep lilies mulced so that their roots stay cool. The mulch around the lilies should be moist but not wet. Also, it is recommended to add high-potassium liquid fertilizer every 2 weeks from planting until 6 weeks after bloom. Each spring, you should apply a thin layer of compost and 2 inches of mulch.

Lilies bloom once a season. However, you can remove the faded flowers to that the plant will not waste energy on making seeds. After blooming, you can remove the stem, but do not remove the leaves until they die. The leaves provide nourishment to the bulb for the bloom of the next season, so refrain from removing the leaves until they turn brown.

Also, before winter, you should add 4-6 inches of mulch to delay the ground freeze and give the roots a chance to keep growing more.

Daisies

Daisies are familiar to everyone. Some of the distinguishing characteristics of daisies are, for instance, a central button-like disk of microscopic flowers. They are encompassed by a ring of beautiful ray-like petals. However, the central disk can be flat, convex, or even concave, depending on the plant. Colors may vary from yellow to black, brown, or purple. The colors of petals vary from white to cream, yellow, orange, crimson, red, purple, or rose.

How to take care of daisies?

To get the best bloom out of daisies, they should grow in full sun. The soil should be moderately fertile: if it is too rich, you will get more vegetation than flowers. Also, the soil should be moist, while being well-drained. Make sure to loosen the soil to a depth of 12-15 inches and mix in about 2-4 inches of compost.

Remember to space the plants 1-2 feet apart and dig a hole twice the diameter of the container. When you place the plan in the hole, ensure that the top of the root ball is at the same level with the surface of the soil. Water the plant thoroughly and support the taller plants if necessary.

Daisies are generally tolerant of dry spells, so water them only if rainfall is light. ALso, add some compost and mulch every spring to avoid weeds.

Carnations

There are many different species of carnations, for instance, Dianthus caryophyllus, which has 5 petals and their color varies from pink to purple. However, border carnation cultivars may have up to 40 petals and double flowers.

When you grow carnations in gardens, they grow to about 6-9 cm in diameter. Petals of carnations are typically serrated. Carnations bloom simply or in a branched cluster.

How to take care of carnations?

Taking care of carnations is very simple and it is, in fact, one of the easiest flowers to care for. They should have 4-6 hours of sunlight every day and get water 2-3 times per week. If the foliage or petals start to turn yellow, you have watered them too much. Alo, remember the following:

• In order to promote reblooming, remove dying blooms and leaves.
• You should not mulch them, as it prevents proper air circulation.
• Usually, carnations are not bothered by pests, so there is no need for pesticides.
• Tall species of carnations may need support.

Cactus and succulents

When talking about succulents, it means a loose category of plants (including cactus) that have thick and fleshy leaves. These leaves store water very well and thus ensure the survival of these plants in arid conditions.

In fact, the cactus family has about 2000 species and with one exception they are native to the Americas. They range from the Arctic Circle to the mountains of Chile. However, they are most common in the southwestern United States and Mexico.

The shapes and sizes of cacti and succulents vary a lot. You may encounter small ones, big ones, tall ones, and everything in between.

How to take care of cactus and succulents?

Taking care of cactus and succulents is very easy, as they do not require much. This is why they are great for apartments, for instance, or for someone who travels a lot. Simply make sure that you follow the following instructions:

• Make sure they receive a lot of bright light. Artificial lighting can make up for insufficient natural light. Succulents should get 14-16 hours of light per day.
• In the winter, when there is very little light, water your succulents only enough to prevent shrinking and withering. When you water your plants, do it thoroughly. The water should flow through the drain holes: discard the excess water after a few minutes.
• Always allow the soil to dry completely between watering.
• Cacti and succulents have pretty low nutrient requirements. They only need fertilizer once or twice a year (late spring or summer).

You can order these beautiful flowers and plants from our wide selection at LolaFlora and always follow this guide to prolong the life of your beautiful bouquets and arrangements. We will be waiting for you to attend to your orders and any request you may have. Enjoy your flowers!