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Question 1/10 in Care and Handling Of Specific Flowers FAQs


FAQs

Question:

How do you care for Babies Breath?


Answer:

Cut open the sleeve, remove the rubber band or twist-tie around the stems and any leaves on the lower portions of the stems, then rinse the lower stems under tepid running water. The stems of Babies Breath can become entwined easily and can be damaged if not separated carefully. To untangle stems, hold them upside down, and gently shake them up and down to loosen and separate.

Recut stem ends with a sharp knife (** NOT A CLIPPERS **), then place stems into clean buckets with 5 to 6 inches of lukewarm (100º F to 110° F) with flower food per package directions. After 30 miniutes move the bucket somewhere cool and dark to allow these flowers to take up water for at least two hours before designing with them. Never store containers of Gypsophila in plastic bags for extended periods of time.

Babies Breath is extremely sensitive to ethylene and will display symptoms of wilt when exposed to the gas so keep these flowers away from sources of ethylene: fruits and vegetables, decaying flowers and foliage and cigarette smoke.

VASE LIFE:
With proper care and handling, Babies Breath can last from five to 10 days, depending on variety. The tiny blooms of some varieties of Babies Breath are prone to drying out quickly.

Popular Varieties:

  • Million Star’ – small semidouble blooms
  • ‘Mirabella’ (Polar Bear Series) –  medium-sized blooms
  • New Love’ – medium-sized semidouble blooms
  • ‘Bristol Fairy’ – large double blooms
  • 'Perfecta’ – large double blooms
     

BOTANICAL NAME: Gypsophila (jip-SOF-il-uh)