My Flower Blooms Are Wilting

Flowers will wilt without proper care.

Whether in the garden or a vase, flowers brighten up the environment with their beauty. It's no surprise you want them to last as long as possible. One of the first signs that a plant is stressed is its flower blooms wilting. Proper care of flowers assures a long bloom time.

Heat

Like the rest of the plant, flower blooms transpire, or lose water through the air. This process speeds up as temperatures rise. During extreme temperatures, your garden flowers may wilt. Don't over-water, as this will damage the plant. Provide temporary shade during the warmest part of the day.

Water

Plants need water to survive. When faced with lack of water, flowers and leaves will wilt and the flower blooms may fall from the stem. Over-watering may also cause your flowers to wilt. When the soil is water-logged, plants cannot get the nutrients they need and roots may rot, causing the plant extreme stress. Although plants need varying amounts of water, water them when the top inch of soil is dry.

Disease

Fungal diseases such as botrytis gray mold will cause your flower blooms to wilt and fall off the plant. Look for a grayish mold on the flowers or the leaves. Remove and destroy all affected parts of the plant, and water from the ground rather than overhead to avoid prolonged moisture on the plant. Treat with a fungicide.

Cut Flowers

Cut flowers are cut off from their source of nutrients, but proper care assures a long vase life. Cut flowers in the morning while they are fully hydrated. Use only clean vases and fresh water. Remove all foliage below the water line to decrease the growth of bacteria. Keep the cut flowers out of direct sunlight or drafts. All of these measures will help keep your flower blooms from wilting.

References

• Purdue University Extension: Add Hours to Your Flowers
• The University of Tennessee: Identifying Problems of Garden Flowers
• University of Minnesota Extension: Keeping Cut Flowers and Flowering Plants