Why does nobody talk about how much water those floral foam bricks waste?

I was reading a report from a university extension program last week, and it said a standard brick of wet foam can hold about a gallon of water. That's a lot of water just sitting there, and most of it evaporates before the flowers even get it. I mean, maybe it's just me, but I've switched to using chicken wire and tape for most of my arrangements now and the flowers last just as long. Has anyone else looked into this or tried to cut down on foam use?

3 comments

3 Comments

kimlee2mo ago

Yeah the "floral sponges of doom" line from victor_hill70 got me. I always just bought them because that's what you do. But you're right, they feel like a wet brick that just dries out. I never added up how much water that actually wastes until now. Chicken wire seems like a smarter move.

victor_hill702mo ago

Funny you should mention that, my aunt used to be a florist and she had a whole rant about those foam bricks. She called them "floral sponges of doom" because they'd crumble into a weird green dust all over her workbench. Always thought it was just a mess thing, never even considered the water waste angle. Makes sense though, they do feel like a soggy block of nothing after a day or two.

karen2751mo ago

Those foam bricks hold way more water than chicken wire setups, which means your flowers actually stay fresh longer. The crumble is just surface dust, the core stays wet for days if you store it right. Isn't wasting a bit of water worth keeping a bouquet alive for an extra week?