I tried a 24-hour cold water soak for peonies and it backfired

I saw a tip online saying to soak peony stems in cold water for a full day before arranging to get them to open. I tried it with a batch of Sarah Bernhardt peonies from my local supplier. After 24 hours in my cooler, they were mushy at the stems and never opened right, just sort of wilted. I lost about $40 worth of stock. Has anyone had luck with a shorter soak time, or is this method just not reliable?

3 comments

3 Comments

drew_hart410d ago

Heard a florist friend say she only does a quick two-hour soak now.

thomas_sanchez10d ago

Wait, only two hours? What's the rush, are the flowers late for a meeting? I thought they needed a whole night to drink up. Guess she's running a flower speed-dating service now.

gray_morgan9d ago

Yeah, that "full day" advice is a total trap. I did the same thing with some coral charm peonies last season, left them overnight in a bucket in the garage. Woke up to slimy stems and petals that felt like wet paper towels. It was such a waste. Now I just give them a deep drink for maybe three, four hours tops in room temp water, and they're much happier. Where do these long soak myths even come from?