How do I grow flowers for cutting?
Choosing varieties that produce repeatedly, and the cutting and conditioning that makes them last in a vase.
- Difficulty
- beginner
- Time
- 1 hr 30 min
- Read
- 2 min
Short answer
Choose varieties described as cut-and-come-again, cut in the early morning into water, and pick regularly — the more you cut, the more the plant produces. Sweet peas, cosmos, dahlias and zinnias are the most productive for beginners.
Growing for cutting is different from growing for display. You want plants that produce continuously when cut, long stems, and enough of them that removing flowers does not empty the border.
What you'll need
- Seed or plants
- Bucket of water
- Sharp secateurs (optional)
- Flower food (optional)
Step by step
- Choose productive cut-and-come-again varieties.Sweet peas, cosmos, zinnias, dahlias, calendula, snapdragons. All produce more the more you cut, which is the essential property.
- Sow successionally.Every few weeks through spring so the season is extended rather than everything flowering at once.
- Give them a dedicated row or area if you can.Cutting from a display border leaves gaps. A row in a vegetable bed or a corner means you can cut freely.
- Cut in the early morning.Stems are fullest of water then. Cutting in the heat of the day gives flowers that wilt and never fully recover.
- Cut straight into a bucket of water.Take the bucket with you. Stems left out of water for even a few minutes seal and stop drinking properly.
- Condition them before arranging.Leave the cut stems in deep water in a cool dark place for a few hours. It makes a substantial difference to vase life.
- Strip leaves below the waterline.Submerged foliage rots and fouls the water, which is the main cause of flowers dying early in a vase.
- Cut regularly, even if you do not need them.Removing flowers before they set seed keeps the plant producing. Letting them go over stops production for the season.
Tips
- Cut most flowers when the buds are just opening rather than fully open. They open in the vase and last considerably longer.
- Change the vase water every couple of days and re-cut the stem ends. It roughly doubles vase life and costs nothing.
- Foliage matters as much as flowers in an arrangement. Growing something with good leaves alongside is worth the space.
Common mistakes
- Cutting in the middle of a hot day — The stems are at their driest and the flowers wilt immediately. Early morning is when they are fullest of water.
- Leaving cut stems out of water — The cut end seals within minutes and the stem cannot drink properly afterwards. Take a bucket of water to the plant.
- Leaving foliage below the waterline — It rots and fouls the water, which kills the flowers far faster than anything else.
Questions people ask
What flowers are best for cutting?
Sweet peas, cosmos, zinnias, dahlias, calendula and snapdragons. All are cut-and-come-again, meaning they produce more flowers the more you pick them.
How do I make cut flowers last longer?
Cut in early morning into a bucket of water, condition them in deep water for a few hours, strip any leaves below the waterline, and change the water every couple of days.