Flowering House Plants - Tips for Longer Lasting Flowers, Tropical Orchids and Bromeliads

When buying flowering house plants online, at the grocery store or your local nursery, there are a few steps you can take to make those colorful houseplants last longer and create a little more garden inside.

When the holiday season rolls around Poinsettias make their appearance, but don’t forget orchids or bromeliads at this time, lots are coming into flower!

It may be cooler outside but having a little tropical garden of bright flowering house plants is still possible. In fact, the moth orchid can give months of indoor color with a spray of flowers and with easy care.

The reason we buy plants with flowers is to enjoy them and hopefully we want to make them last as long as possible. Is there anything we can do to help make the flowers hang on longer?

For starters, when looking for a flowering houseplant (orchids for always a tropical feel or bromeliad gardens for example) look for plants that are in bud and the flowers are not fully opened.

Did you know that ripe fruit gives off ethylene gas? Just about everyone has heard the old saying "One bad apple will spoil the whole bunch".

What they don’t tell you - it’s because of the ethylene.

What does this have to do with buying plants in flower?

Plants at the grocery store come under the produce department. Why do they place plants and flowers by the produce section? It must be because they think the departments are linked or produce and plants go together.

Where do you normally find all the plants, tropical and flowering at the supermarket?

Near all the fruit!

Well here is the problem - ethylene>

When fruit and vegetables are shipped they are usually green or unripe. As fruit ripens it puts off ethylene gas. Ethylene will shorten the time flowers will stay on the plant.

Without getting technical let’s just say that ethylene is an accelerator.

Growers of bromeliads use ethylene gas to force plants into flower. They shoot the gas right into the center of the cup. Depending on the time of the year, you’ll be looking at blooms in 8-12 weeks.

Next time you’re at the grocery store take a look at how the plants look and where they are displayed - near the produce. Do you notice them loosing buds or flowers dropping fast?

Where do you place your new blooming plant when bring it home. In the kitchen? Keep it away from the fruit bowl!!!

How about in the office?

Do you have that "bloomer" sitting right next to
the monitor? Those things heat up pretty well

Three things will shorten the length of time that you’ll be able to keep flowers on your houseplants - Bloom age, ethylene and heat.

The best way to enjoy your blooms longer are to:

• Buy as fresh as possible
• Stay away from ethylene gas - ripening fruit
• Keep plants and flowers away from the heat

Now go out and enjoy some longer lasting flowering houseplants!