Florist News

Anyone have trouble with hydrangea plants, the foliage on mine looks good and strong but the heads keep flopping and then just seem to crumble. Don't know what I'm doing wrong, follow the instructions etc. Was wondering if they might have got too chilled on the dm's lorry.

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I find hydrangea plants funny beggers so I stopped buying them. They dont like my shop at all, think it is too draughty or something. You're probably right bout being chilled in the dutch lorry

The worst thing I've found with hydrangeas is patches of dry soil in their pots.......always plunge water them till the bubbles stop, then drain. (Sorry if I'm teaching old dogs new tricks). Never found them too sensetive to cold, but certainly don't like hot....and a tip an old boy once told me....NEVER let the early morning sun shine on them......

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['I disapprove of what you say, but I will defend to the death your right to say it'. Voltaire

Are they nice and fresh or getting on a bit? I've found the flower stems weaken as they get older causing the flower heads to disintegrate, worse if they suffer the usual drought/flood watering regime us florists seem to specialise in

yup as other have said, dunk the pots under water and not in full sun.

I have one little one left thats been lurking for ages, poor thing. But it seems to like where it is in the shade, cos its been flowering for weeks and weeks. It turned a nice deeper shade of pink now

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Sarah Creating Bespoke Wedding Flowers Cheshire

I'm terrible with houseplants! Don't know what I'll do when I have a shop. Do they make up a big % of your business?

I have a calla lily that is slowly but surely rotting away. I've chucked it in the garden now, can't bear to look at it any longer. The stems take it in turns to keel over at the base.

I have, however, bought some fab 2 spiked phalanopsis orchids from Ikea for £6.99 each! And a lovely white lace-cap hydrangea for £4.99! Bargains! Don't care if they die, still cheaper than a bunch of flowers and last for weeks without doing anything!

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The heads of my hyds seem to go black, but again I have plant poo finger, they no like me.

Plants make up a fair bit of my takings Jake. Well worth doing them if you can source a good supplier. You need to get into a routine of watering and misting. I'm slowly getting the hang of it and figure I sell more than enough to cover any casualties. Um, apart from the orange trees I killed. Ooops.

Bet they were expensive Alby! What are Metz and Hems like for plants? I think I need to do a bit of reading up on houseplants.

I either ignore them, or over-tend them!

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I use Heems and think their plants are great, good choice and quality and nice sundries too.

Thanks for the advice we are trying the dunking regime to see what happens ughhhhhhhh me and plants just don't get on. Jake I tend to only get virtually indistructable (peace lilly etc) plants, a few bromiliads, mini roses and the cheaper sort that I know will turn around quickly. I don't have loads but find we can foist them onto the "I only want to spend a fiver!" nobs, sorry I mean customers

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