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Serious question, how many of you were taught to cut stems straight across?
I was prepping a big order of sunflowers for a wedding last Friday and saw the bride's mom just smash the ends with a hammer. Tried it on a few and they drank way more water overnight. Anyone else use this trick for woody stems?
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loganbaker6mo ago
Gotta disagree with the knife method, at least for sunflowers. Smashing the ends works way better in my experience. The hammer opens up way more of the woody stem than a simple split. They look rough but they drink like crazy. I've done side by side tests and the smashed ones always last longer. A clean cut just doesn't expose enough surface area for the really thick stems.
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nancy_butler7mo ago
My grandma taught me the hammer trick for lilacs. She would split the ends with a knife too. It really does help them suck up more water, especially the tough stems. I always cut roses at an angle but for woody stuff, a little smash works wonders.
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irisg577mo ago
Honestly, splitting the stem with a knife is actually better than the hammer trick. Smashing can crush the tiny tubes that pull water up the stem, and it makes the water get dirty faster. You still want to cut it at an angle, but a clean slice up the bottom inch lets it drink without all the damage. Tbh, I learned this the hard way when my lilacs wilted super fast. A sharp knife works way better for woody stems in the long run.
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