Best-Kept Secrets of Floral Foam - Rose When Should I Use Wet or Dry Floral foam?
Oasis®, a brand name, is one of the most versatile materials in the tool kit.It doesn't come with instructions and is easy to misuse, with disappointing results.Many arrangers shy away from it.It can be added to your arranging arsenal with proper instructions and practice.
floral foam is a very light and fragile material.It should be handled with care to avoid crushing the tiny cells.The cells are designed to pull water through the foam by capillary action.Air is pushed out the other side as water is pulled in.The air should not be trapped inside any of the cells.
The best way to wet a foam block is to let it pull in the water.Set the dry foam block on the surface of a basin of water that is at least as deep as the thickness of the block.The foam block will sink as it pulls in water from the bottom and pushes air out through the top.This can take a minute or two.To clean the kitchen sink, I use soap and water to remove grease and oil, then half-filled with tap water.
To soak the block, I recommend using either plain tap water or a Listerine antiseptic solution.The life of the arrangement will be reduced because solutions of cut flower food will not flow as freely through the foam.
Attach the foam to the container.The foam block is more resistant to the touch once it is wet.It can be carved using a sharp knife.In a shallow, open container, the foam is set in the middle and held in place with floral tape.The kind of tape that is available at craft stores stays in place even if water is splashed on it.Don't substitute any other kind of tape.
In a tall container the foam should be carved to fit snug, but not so tightly that it's hard to open the container.Don't crush those tiny cells!There is a way to put a square peg in a hole.To fit foam into a round opening, I usually cut it with a square or octagonal profile.Press the container opening against the foam block lightly to mark an outline for cutting.The sides of the block are not compressed even though the corners squeezed a little.If the foam fits in a container, there is no need for tape to hold it in place.
Another function is served by the square peg/round hole practice.Water can be added to the container through the gaps left by this fit.If it is not possible to leave a gap with a small-necked container, fill the container with water before the foam is inserted and make sure a neck of foam reaches deeply into the enclosed reservoir.
The stems can be hung over the rim if the foam extends 2 or 3 inches above the container's rim.If you want a secure fit, you should have as much of the foam block inside the container as you do above it.
The foam will be positioned high enough if you put some material in the bottom of the container.Any sterile material that won't degrade in water will do.Try washed sand in a container that needs more weight for stability, or plastic packaging peanuts if the container is already heavy.Do not recycle used floral foam.The water in the new arrangement will be polluted by plant debris.
Once foam has dried out, it cannot be re-wet, so make sure the used foam is not in an area that will be reached by thirsty plant stems.
To ensure the transfer of water from foam cells into plant tissues, plant stems must be tightly wedged into the foam.A wobbly fit between stem and foam is deadly to the bloom.The stems will slice through the foam if they are cut cleanly.Stem cuts should be made under water to prevent air from entering stem cells.Cut thorns from the bottom of the stem to keep them from shredding the floral foam.
Don't punch holes in the foam.Attach a wooden floral pick if the flower stem is weak or crooked.The wire that is attached to the floral pick should be wrapped around the rose stem and pick to hold them together.
The only thing that needs to be inserted into the foam is the stem.2 inches will provide more security.To gauge the length of a stem for cutting, hold the stem in position in front of the arrangement and note where the foam would hit it.The stem should be cut one to two inches past that point.Pull the stem out completely if you push it too far into the foam or if it hits an obstruction like another stem.To expose a fresh surface after cutting the stem, place it in a new section of foam.Pull the stem out completely.The seal between stem and foam will be broken by that.
The cut surface should be on the top side of the stem.As gravity pulls the bloom down, the surface of the foam becomes a pivot point.As the bloom tries to drop, the cut end of the stem will be pushed up and pressed against the foam, like a seesaw.
To keep curved stems from rotating out of position, attach a floral pick to create a rudder that will keep the stem from twirling around its axis.Adding a pick beyond the end of the stem will give it more security.You will run out of space in the foam if you pick every stem.
There is a design.Three to four inches of foam extending above the rim of a container should hold a mass design of 30 stems, with each stem inserted no more than 2 inches into the foam!A simple line design requires two inches of foam above the edge.Measure the length and position of the stems.Practice this!In traditional design, the foam is usually clothed with a light layer of greenery.Remember!For a clean, tight fit, all stems should be cut at a sharp angle.