A Flower Shop Purchase Gone Wrong: Did You Know You Need to Wash the Buds to Make Peonies Bloom?

The Peonies I Bought Aren't Blooming...

May is Peony Season ♡

Peonies are precious flowers that only appear in May, and you won't find them in florists during April or June ♡

(Of course, they can occasionally be available at other times...!)

Since they are generally seen as May flowers, I thought I would enjoy peonies to the fullest in May and immediately bought a bunch when I found them at the florist!

However, days went by...

And the petals wouldn't open at all.

For a while, I thought, "The buds look quite tight, so maybe it just takes time for them to open???" but after a few days, the petals started to discolor...

I thought something was off and asked the florist about it, and to my surprise!!!

The florist said, “Peonies might not open because they can get stuck due to the nectar; it’s good to wash the tip of the buds with a damp tissue or something similar!"

The concept of “washing flowers” was shocking to me as a floral beginner...!!!

To be sure, the tips of the peony buds at the florist were shiny and smooth, and I thought, “Wow, they must have a lot of nectar!” But I never imagined that this nectar could prevent the flowers from opening...!

Wash the flowers...??

Upon researching, it seems there are multiple ways to wash flowers.

【1】

Gently wipe with damp tissues or cloth (since nectar comes out from the calyx, that's the part to wipe).

I found a video that introduces care methods!

【2】

Spray with water using a spray bottle, then wipe with tissue or cotton.

【3】

Fill a basin or bucket with water and wash the buds in it.

【4】

Try washing with lukewarm water instead of cold water.

＜Others＞

It seems that using a method called “hot water treatment” can make flowers bloom well.

This includes the incredible method of "immersing the cut end of the flower stem in hot water (above 80 degrees Celsius!)”, which is common care at florists.

After soaking in 80-degree water for more than a minute, you move it immediately to cold water to chill it.

This reportedly helps flowers that have poor water uptake to absorb water better.

Additionally, since peonies have a lot of leaves, "removing the leaves" seems to be important for promoting blooming.

If there are too many leaves, moisture is directed to the leaves and may not reach the buds or flowers.

Gently massaging the buds that have stuck petals also seems to be effective.

Since they are delicate, the key is to do this gently without applying too much pressure.

Why Do Peonies Produce So Much Nectar?

But why do peonies produce so much nectar in the first place?

It’s said to be to ward off pests.

Ants and ladybugs are attracted to the nectar, and they help eliminate other pests....

Even if they are sticky, peonies that are still planted in the ground can bloom strongly with nutrients from the soil, but once cut, their vitality weakens, and depending on the variety and individual, they might not bloom at all...

I Want the Next Peonies I Buy to Bloom Well!

Peonies have a short season and are relatively expensive, so I was shocked when the ones I bought didn't bloom...!

I wanted to share the surprising result of my investigation into why they don’t bloom, which is that "the flowers need to be wiped."

I feel like many people must not know this... What do you think?? Did you know about it...?

I didn't know and felt bad for the peonies due to my ignorance, so I want to make the most of this experience and ensure that the next ones bloom beautifully...!

And I want to witness the charm of peonies as they bloom fully and drop their petals dramatically!