When talking about floral foam, what kind of foam you use and where it is placed in the design matter heavily. There are two main types of floral foam: wet and dry!
Wet floral foam is typically made from liquid latex that has been mixed with soap to create an easy to work with consistency. This type of foam can be sprayed directly onto other products or layers of product as said product will wash off or melt down at some point.
Dry floral foam comes in solid form and needs to be worked into other designs manually. It is much more cost effective than liquid latex but cannot be used in all situations due to this constraint.
This article will talk about the differences between both types of foam and which ones are better for certain uses.
Reasons to use wet or dry floral foam
There are several reasons you would want to use either type of floral foam. The main difference between the two is how the pieces connect with each other and to your flower bundles. If you look at the pictures up above, you can see that there is a small tube in between every piece of foam. This tube contains all the fluid that connects each layer together.
When using water-based foam, it is essential that these tubes are empty. You will not be able to press down the next layer of foam unless this happens. When drying time comes, the gel in the foam dries along with the fluid in the tube, connecting the layers firmly.
If you choose dried floral foam, then you do not have to worry about this! All you have to make sure of is that you push down hard enough so that there is no space inbetween the layers. This creates a tighter seal which helps preserve the shape of the flowers moreso than if they were pressed slightly.
Examples of wet and dry floral foam
When talking about floral foam, there are two main types: wet and dry. Both do similar things, but use different applications and have different levels of moisture needed for success.
Wet floral foam is typically made using liquid latex as the starting material. The liquid latex is mixed with a solidifying agent such as calcium chloride or sodium silicate to form a gel. This gel is then mixed into a solution that contains water and alcohol.
The alcohol in the mixture helps solvate the florist’s choice of silicone oil, which is often used as an additive to create more durable foam. After this solution is combined, it is poured onto the surface being coated. As the foam dries, the alcohol evaporates leaving only the floral foam behind.
Dry floral foam is almost exactly like regular plastic foam you may be familiar with. It is just baked instead of melted down. Because it is not melted down, it can easily be re-shaped if necessary.
However, dried floral foam will not hold as much air as traditional foam, so it must be used with care unless you want your decorations to slightly droop.
How to use wet or dry floral foam
When choosing which type of floral foam to use, make sure you have a good understanding of what each one does!
As mentioned before, gel flower foam is typically dried down onto the roots of the plant by using a vacuum pump or running water. This helps preserve the shape of the plant as well as help strengthen its bond with the soil it grows in.
Traditional foam is not dried down and instead is used to hold the plants together. This is usually either white or cream colored and can be seen clearly under a light source. It is very versatile and you do not need to see how it looks like directly after application to know that.
Dry foam will stay stable for several hours, while traditional foam may begin to break down within an hour. Because it does not contain any alcohol, there are no harmful reactions when applying this foam. However, it will not stick around longer than an hour unless you have a way to maintain an airtight seal between the foam and the plant for the time frame needed.
Key differences between wet and dry floral foam
While some people may not agree about which is better, we can all agree that there are different types of floral foam. Luckily, most florists know what each one does!
Wet floral foam looks more like watery liquid and will quickly seep down in your vase due to its moisture content. This is usually an okay choice if you want to add some extra cushion to keep the flowers upright or if you do not have a steady hand.
Dry floral foam will hold up longer than liquid foam but it will not absorb any additional fluid so it will show through the flower as well. It also does not retain much air, which may cause the foam to look less fluffy and natural.
This article will discuss the pros and cons of both types of floral foam, how to use them correctly, and where to find them for yourself or for gift giving.
Frequently asked questions about wet and dry floral foam
As mentioned before, one of the most popular ways to keep plants happy is by using floral foam. Most florists use either all-purpose foam or cactus foam for this. Both are usually done in combination with potting soil and water to help them set into place and “settle” down.
The difference between regular old all-purpose foam and cactus foam is that cactus foam contains perlite. Perlite is an expanding mineral which helps promote healthy drainage and air circulation in pots. It also helps retain moisture in the plant’s environment.
There are some people who say that using cactus foam instead of normal all-purpose foam can cause your plants to burn in the winter. This isn’t true at all! Using both types of foam together will not hurt your plants in any way.
Is it safe to use?
While some people claim that dry floral foam is just as effective, if not more so than wet floral foam, this isn’t necessarily the case. Because it doesn’t contain any water or alcohol, there are no toxins in the foam, but that doesn’t make it safer to use.
Dry floral foam can be way too hot to handle– especially when melted down and applied onto large areas of skin. The heat can also cause burning and irritation for those who apply it directly onto their skin.
Additionally, like liquid flower foam, dry floral foam can leave your hair and scalp feeling dried out and parched due to the lack of moisture. This may result in you having to wash and rewash your hair every few hours until it feels soft and healthy again.
Wet floral foam has little or none of these limitations. Due to the presence of ethanol and water, it will never burn nor irritate your skin or airways. It also does not warm up significantly during application, making it much easier to work with.
Finally, because it contains both liquids, wet floral foam will always soak into the surface area slightly– which helps ensure better penetration and adherence of flowers to affected areas.
Tips for using wet or dry floral foam
When working with floral foam, it is important to know how to use either type of foam. For one, you will want to make sure that your foam is stuck in all the right places!
If the foam is not sticking properly, then what was intended to stick onto another object may not be happening. This could be due to the foam drying out or burning off too quickly.
Also, if the foam has dried out completely, then what was originally designed to be pressed into an item can no longer hold its shape, which is also poor design.
Flowers and bouquets using wet or dry floral foam
When creating a new flower arrangement, how you use your foams can make a big difference. There are two main types of floral foam: wet and dry!
Dry floral foam is less expensive than green foam, but it does not stick to plants very well. This means that if the plant has any moisture, it will wash off easily. If you like this type of foam then our tip for cleaning away the leftover bits is in its section.
Wet floral foam is more durable and longer lasting than dry foam. However, it is also much costlier! Since it contains water, it must be dried before used in another project.
There are some brands of green floral foam that contain no water at all. These are totally solid and do not need to be dried first.