Steps to Keeping Your Cut Flowers Fresh for Longer

What we’d give to preserve things that give us the most pleasurable feelings: photographs, CDs of favorite songs and movies, clothes worn on important events, and, yes, flowers you received during special occasions!

Sadly, fresh flowers don’t last forever. Yet neither does that delicious dinner you had last night. However, here are some tips to enjoy them for as long as possible.

Experienced and professional florists such as Fiesta Flowers have in-depth knowledge of floral care. They have their flowers cut and shipped from the farms on the same day to ensure that they are as fresh as possible.

Fiesta Flowers, Plants & Gifts takes care of the professional aspects of seeing to it that you get the longest-lasting, freshest flowers available:  specific flower food for each type of flower, CO2 filters in their coolers, Quick Dip that encourages the stem to take in as much nutrient as possible, and Hawaiian Mist spray for their nourishment from inside out.

For your part, here’s what you can do:

Wash your vase.

Using a sponge, thoroughly wash your vase with hot water and a small amount of bleach. Then let it dry naturally upside down. Don’t use a towel. This is to ensure that no bacteria are present when you pour water into the vase.

Know how much water to use.

Flowers with predominantly woody stems like Roses or Hydrangea are heavy drinkers, so fill the vase full. Those with soft stems like Calla Lilies & Tulips like their water shallow, so fill a vase just under half.

Cut the stems.

Place the stems against your vase to determine the right height to cut. You may use pruning shears, clippers, knives, or sharp scissors to trim up to two inches off the stem at a deep angle. This allows more surface area for the flower to uptake more food and water. Just make sure you cut cleanly and do not crush the stems.

Be sure to cut at an angle. This allows for efficient water intake since the bottom of the stem does not sit flat on the bottom of the vase. Place the flowers into the water immediately once cut. Trim every other day.

Prune them.

You must remove leaves that dip below the waterline.  Check for loose or dead leaves and petals daily to prevent bacterial rot.

Keep them hydrated.

Fill a clean vase with lukewarm water. You may add a sachet of flower food. Be sure to follow mixing instructions on the packet so you don’t have a mixture that’s too diluted or too concentrated. Usually, one sachet is good for a liter of water. Clean the vase and change the water every two days.

Keep them away from too much heat.

Direct sunlight, open windows, heating vents, and ceiling fans can cause flowers to wilt quickly. Place your flowers in a cool room away from window sills, radiators, and appliances that generate heat.
Don’t place your flowers near a bowl of fruits. Ethylene gas released by ripening fruits reduces the longevity of your blooms. 

There are common household items you can use to make flowers last longer. Check these out: 

Clear Soda.

Sugar in soda makes your blooms last longer and smell sweeter. A ¼ cup of clear soda mixed into your vase water should be enough for your arrangement.

Pennies.

Copper acts as acidifiers which fight bacteria. Copper also promotes a nice big bloom.

Fridge.

Do you want your flowers to stay fresh for longer than 6-10 days? Put them in the middle section of your fridge every night for up to 8 hours until the following day.

Flower food.

Flower food is specifically formulated to feed your flowers perfectly. These ingredients create a mixture that’s the perfect environment for your fresh bouquets.

Clear spirits.

A few drops of vodka, rum, gin, or tequila added to your vase water will inhibit ethylene production, a gas that helps plants mature. Therefore, less ethylene, less wilting.

Bleach.

A ¼ teaspoon of bleach will prevent your vase water from being cloudy. Bleach also stops bacterial growth.

Aspirin.

Aspirin lowers the pH level which makes water easier to absorb through the stem. Aspirin slows down the plant’s aging and wilting. Prepare your vase water with a piece of crushed aspirin before arranging your bouquet.

Apple cider vinegar and sugar.

Vinegar has antibacterial properties and sugar works as flower food. Mix 2 tablespoons each of vinegar and sugar into the vase before placing your flowers. Make sure that the cut stems are covered by 4 inches of the solution.