Keeping Holiday Greens Fresh

November 27, 2023 | C.L. Fornari | Holiday Decor

One of the joys of the Christmas and winter season is decorating with fresh greens, inside and out. Here are some tips for keeping your greens fresh, be they indoors or outside.

Add Prolong to The Water

Prolong is formulated to help keep Christmas trees, greens and cut flowers fresh. You can add it to the reservoir in the tree stand, and to the water that is used in arrangements.

Prolong can be used for Christmas trees and all cut greens. Mix it in with the water according to the directions on the bottle.

Use Florist Oasis for Cut Greens

When you’re making fresh arrangements for indoors or outside, they will last much longer when the greens are placed in wet Oasis florist foam. Soak the Oasis in water for a half hour before placing it in your containers. Since fully soaked Oasis is heavy, this is also good for making outdoor containers heavier so that they are less likely to blow over. Here are the steps for creating an arrangement in Oasis, no matter what type of container you are filling.

Oasis florist foam is light weight when dry, but becomes very heavy when wet. Do not confuse this with dry styrofoam.

Waterproof tape is helpful for holding Oasis in containers so the arrangement won’t tip out. This tape comes in clear and green.

I’m filling one of the whimsical reindeer pots today, but the method is the same no matter what type of container you’re using. The water-soaked Oasis is taped into a container that holds water. Outdoor containers can have drainage holes, but for indoor arrangements you’ll want something that doesn’t leak.

Make Fresh Cuts to The Ends of Your Greens

Once your greens are assembled and your Oasis is soaked, make a fresh cut on the ends of all stems before you poke it into the floral foam.

Making a fresh cut will insure that your greens can take up water. This is the reason that we also make a fresh cut on the bottom of all of the fresh Christmas trees we sell.

Add Freshly Cut Greens to Oasis Right Away

Once you poke a stem into Oasis, try not to take it out and leave a hole in the wet foam. Leaving it in place when you first poke the stem in ensures that the cut part of the stem is in contact with the wet foam.

Keep Your Christmas Tree in Water

Fortunately, there is a large range of tree stands with good sized reservoirs, and there are long funnels for keeping those basins easily filled.

There are many stands available that hold good amounts of water. Country Garden has a nice selection of these, along with large plastic trays that offer an added layer of protection for your floors, in case you happen to spill some water when you’re filling the stand.

With these long-tubed funnels you don’t have to crawl under the tree in order to fill up the basin on your stand. Hold the funnel in place with one hand, and use the other hand to pour water from a pitcher into the top.

Hang Wreaths Out of Direct Sun

A wreath or swag will last longer outdoors if it’s not in the direct sun, especially in the afternoon. If your front door faces South or Southwest, you might have no choice. Know that boxwood and holly lasts the longest in the shade, so if your door is in afternoon sun you might want to avoid wreaths with those greens and stick to those made of needled evergreens.

Wreaths made of needled evergreens will last longer in sunny locations than those that contain fresh holly or boxwood.

Water Indoor Arrangements Every 3 to 5 Days – Outdoor Every 7 Days

Smaller arrangements can be placed into the kitchen sink and watered well every 3 to 5 days. When kept well hydrated, most of these arrangements will last through New Year’s Day.

Posted in Holiday Decor

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