Article Author: Easy Florist Supplies Editor

Date: 15th September 2006

Floral foam is one of those essential florist tools and it comes in many forms. Perhaps the two most popular are wet floral foam and dry floral foam.

Wet Foam

Wet foam or water retaining foam should be used for cut or fresh flowers. When using this type of floral foam there are various steps that you should take to prepare it.

Firstly the foam should be naturally soaked in a bucket or sink of water. The foam should be placed on top of the water and allowed to sink on its own. Once the top of the foam has sank just under the top of the water line the foam should be removed and drained. Soaking the foam under a tap can leave to dry spots inside the foam that ae invisible to the eye. This can lead to flowers wilting. The foam should only take around 20 to 30 seconds to soak before it can be removed from the water. If the foam is left in the water for too long it can start to break apart.

When placing wet floral foam in a container it is a good idea to cut the foam so that it is slightly higher than the rim of the container. This can help to produce a more natural and flowing display. It is also important to remember to leave a small gap between the edge of the container and the foam. This will allow you to water the foam without the container overflowing.

When placing stems into wet foam try not to push the stems in and pull them out again. This can leave small gaps between the stem and the foam, meaning that the flowers are not getting water from the foam. This can lead to them wilting. If you do push a stem in too far always start a new hole in the foam.

Once you have produced your arrangement in wet floral foam it should be water daily.

Dry Foam

Dry floral foam is stiffer than wet foam and will generally be used for dried or artificial arrangements. It is easier to penetrate than wet foam and can be secured to the bottom of a container with glue

General Tips for florist foam

• When using florist foam in an arrangement, whether it is wet foam or dry foam, it is a good idea to try and use only one piece of foam. Using multiple pieces of foam can cause the arrangement to pull apart at the joins.
• Foam can be anchored to the container in many ways, depending on the container type. The most common is to use a few pieces of florist tape
• To hide the foam in your arrangment you can use moss. There are various types of artificial moss available including forest moss and reindeer moss.

Our Floral Foam

We have a good selection of florist foam available through our site

1. APAC Foam - APAC foam is available in wet bricks and cylinders and dry bricks and cylinders. APAC foam often appears cheaper than other foams on the market, but don't let this fool you. We have found APAC foam to be of an extremely high quality and just as reliable as any other foam on the market. 
2. OASIS Foam - Perhaps the best known manufacturer of floral foam throughout the UK. We stock various Oasis foam products including dry foam, family frames and mini decos.

Related Links

• Floral Foam