April 5, 2017, posted by Gina – Most people love having beautiful flowers at home and we all want to keep them looking fresh and pretty for as long as possible. On average, fresh cut flowers last a week but several factors such as temperature, light and flower variety determine just how long you can keep them looking their best. By doing these simple things, you’ll be able to enjoy your flowers longer.
1. Once you arrive home with your flowers, remove any wrapping and/or banding and spread them apart. These flowers you just purchased need a little TLC after their long journey to your house.
2. Remove all foliage that will be below the water level of the vase. Keeping the water clean is essential. Any foliage that falls into the water will create bacteria which greatly shortens the lifespan of your flowers.
3. Cut at least 2 inches off the bottom of the stem under water using a knife (use a plastic container for this). The flowers need to start to drink lots of water and cutting with a knife, instead of scissors or sheers, allows the most amount of water to get to the flowers. Scissors or sheers squeeze or crush the stem.
4. Immediately place your freshly cut flowers into a vase that has been prepared with water and floral preservative. A packet of floral preservative is usually included with your flowers. Floral preservative contains three main components; an anti-bacterial, food and an acidifier which all assist in lengthening the life of the flower. You can make your own flower food with lemon lime soda and bleach. The lemon lime soda contains sugar (food) and citric acid, which lowers the PH in the water. Also, adding a little bleach will help keep the water clean. It is far easier to use the floral preservative.
5. Let your flowers sit for a minimum of 2 hours but preferably 24 hours so that they can rehydrate. Think about how you feel after a long flight. You are rested after being home for two hours but at the top of your game after a good night’s sleep.
6. Once flowers have rehydrated, arrange them in your vase. Give your flowers a fresh cut and place in fresh water and preservative every three days. Re-cutting and cleaning water simply repeats the steps that help keep the flowers fresh instead of allowing bacteria to form.
7. Try not to display your flowers in warm areas, a draft or direct sunlight. Flowers just are not happy in these conditions.
We hope these tips allow you to enjoy your beautiful fresh flowers for a few extra days! Do you have any other tips to share with us? Questions? Comments? Click on the title of this post to open the comment form that will appear at the bottom of the page.
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Brilliant professional advice! Thanks for sharing your tips!
My pleasure Brenda!