It's June, so it's peony galore in the northern hemisphere. But how do you keep your peonies perfect? Here are the best tips from Chrysal and Dutch top grower Borst Flowers.
The Peony Season
It’s the season of the peony. This short sentence alone makes many people very happy. Peonies have an undeniable charm and come in many colors and shapes. These flowers symbolize abundance, love, happiness, and health, just as you would expect of this time of the year. They bring sunshine to your shop, office, or home.
The season is short, and getting the perfect peonies is not as easy as 1,2,3. With the proper care, you can enjoy these large, special flowers even more. It’s all about the right timing and the right care! We have collected a couple of tips for you from Dutch grower Borst Flowers and flower food specialist Chrysal to enjoy these beautiful flowers for as long as possible.
Grower Tips From Borst Flowers
Borst Flowers has become famous for its tulips that form the biggest part of its assortment for over 75 years already. Peonies are their latest specialty with varieties such as Peony Dr. Alexander Fleming, Coral Sunset, Ivory Victory, and Dynasty.
Co-owner Joost Borst, who runs the peony business with his father Willem, has some useful insights on the best performance of peonies.
Joost Borst:
"In order to prepare the peonies optimally for the auction, we use a chlorine conditioner, Chrysal CVNB. This keeps the water clean for a long time, so the stems do not silt up and the quality of the peonies remains high."
Florist Tips From Chrysal
The correct cutting stage depends on the species and this is essential. When the peonies are cut too raw, the bud will not open. When you purchase peonies, it is important to choose those where the bud is already slightly open and you can already see a bit of the color.
In your shop, peonies can best be put in buckets with Chrysal Professional 2. This ensures that the peonies are kept in good condition, but don’t open too much yet. The flowers will have a longer shelf life, and this reduces waste.
For flower arrangements in floral foam or vases use Chrysal Professional 3. This enables the flowers to open faster and to stay beautiful longer, up to 60% compared to water.
Chrysal Professional 2 is a conditioner to keep your flowers beautiful up to 50% longer versus water alone. Chrysal Professional 2 contains just enough nutrients for the natural development of flowers whilst preventing them from opening too soon. This way your customers can get the maximum enjoyment of their blooms.
Chrysal Professional 3 is a conditioning product for all cut flowers, with nutrients that keep the flowers in peak condition. Professional 3 is especially suitable for flower arrangements in vases and in floral foam, keeping the flowers in optimal condition. It can also be used to stimulate bud opening of immature flowers, e.g. carnations. The product comes in powder and liquid form.
Consumer Tips From Chrysal
Cut peonies 2-3 cm with a clean, sharp knife or garden shears and put them in a clean vase with water and Chrysal Paper sachet or Chrysal Bulbosus. Flower food allows the peonies to fully open and helps to maintain their color. Remove the leaves from the stem so they are not in the water.
Keep flowers away from ripening fruit, draft, and direct sunlight. Peonies drink a lot, and they drink fast! Once there is only 1/3 of the water left in the vase, top this up with more water and new flower food.
The Chrysal Effect
This 40-second time-lapse shows the effect of a bio-based Chrysal Paper Sachet on the vase life of peonies:
Images in this article by Chrysal, Borst Flowers, Cristina Anne Costello, Eleni Kouras, and Rebecca Orlov.
