Dahlias are beautiful additions to summer and fall bouquets, but their short vase life can be discouraging. The latest issue of Floral Management has tips to help dahlias last longer.
Dig dahlias, but dislike their brief vase life? John Dole, Ph.D., has spent more than 20 years in floriculture research and has learned that the show-stopping flower’s lifespan doesn’t have to be so short. The interim dean of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences at North Carolina State University shares tips and tricks for how to make cut dahlias last a little longer in the latest issue of Floral Management.
“With a stunning variety of colors, shapes and sizes, there is a dahlia for every occasion,” writes Dole, who is a past recipient of the Society of American Florists’ Alex Laurie award for research and education. “Alas, for every flower there is an Achilles’ heel — and for dahlias, it is the vase life.”
Because their beauty is brief, florists must be mindful when picking blooms for their bouquets. Dole details how to select dahlias that have been harvested at just the right time to prolong their vase life. He also explains how to recut and feed these dazzling, yet delicate, flowers. To maximize their lifespan, Dole provides temperature and duration storage settings.
In addition to the dos of dahlias, Dole dispenses some don’ts. He says some word-of-mouth recommendations, such as searing the ends of the stems, don’t hold water.
To learn more about how to get the longest vase life from dahlias, read “Extend the Vase Life of Dahlias” in the July/August issue of Floral Management.
Laurie Herrera is a contributing writer for the Society of American Florists.
