Practical Guide To Keeping Flowers Fresh For Longer

Why Bloom Care Makes All The Difference

There's nothing like a bouquet of flowers to perk up your mood and liven up your home! Plus, it's also one of the most precious and heartwarming gifts we can receive on special occasions.

Sadly, we all know that flowers don't last forever. But with a little work and a lot of TLC, you can keep your precious blossoms fresh and blooming for longer!

We've come up with a simple guideline to help you maintain your beloved flowers' vibrance for a longer time. Enjoy your lovely bouquet to the fullest by following these simple steps!

If you're interested in a formal course or want to get certified as an expert on all things about flowers, we recommend looking into professional bodies and colleges in gardening and floristry such as the American Institute of Floral Designers of the AIFD, the American Floral Endowment, and other similar organizations offering programs specializing in floristry.

Clean your vase

Containers collect a lot of dust and dirt that can make your water cloudy and affect your flowers. Even if your vase is newly-bought, be sure to wash it for safety.

Cleaning your vase is actually easy and cheap - you'll have everything you need around the house! Just wash with warm water, a lid of bleach, and let it dry.

Another DIY cleaning alternative is a salt and vinegar paste. Simply mix a tablespoon of salt with a tablespoon of vinegar, spread the mixture to your vase with a clean cloth or brush, and let it set for half an hour. Afterwards, wipe it off until all residue is removed, rinse out with warm water, and leave to dry.

Add flower food

Yep, you read it right: cut flowers need food, too! It allows them to bloom in full health and helps prevent infections that can shorten their lifespan.

Flower food has three components: 1) citric acid, which balances the pH level of water for ideal health; 2) sugar, which boosts their energy; and 3) bleach, which controls fungi and bacterial growth.

Your local nursery or online stores may have flower food packets readily available. But if you want to make your own at home, the recipe is easy to follow! All you need is 1 quart of water, 1 tablespoon of sugar, 1/2 teaspoon of bleach, and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice.

There are also loads of alternatives to this recipe! Clear soda, apple cider vinegar, and even vodka have been proven to be effective at nourishing flowers.

Prune away

Leaves and foliage that are kept on the stems and submerged in water will rot right away, introducing bacteria to your flowers which can cause disease and infection.

So it's a great idea to prune your flowers before putting them in your vase and ensure that there are no leaves below the waterline.

Cut stems

One of the primary tips for keeping flowers fresh is to cut their stems! This technique creates a wider opening at the bottom of the stem, allowing your blooms to take in more water and delay wilting.

Simply cut an inch from the stems at a 45-degree angle. It's crucial to be cautious, though! Bad cutting techniques can easily lead to crushed stems which keep your flowers from absorbing water

To prevent this, refrain from using dull scissors or blades. Use a sharp knife or sharp shears instead for a guaranteed smooth and clean cut.

Place in water.

All flowers need water to flourish, but different blooms have different needs! Before you set them in water, check on their precise water requirements.

Blooms with woody and semi-woody stems like roses, mimosas, lilies, chrysanthemums, and carnations tend to drink a lot. Put them in warm water filled to about 2/3 of your vase.

Soft-stemmed flowers like anemones, freesias, and ranunculuses prefer shallow water. You can put them in warm water filled to only 1/2 of your vase.

Flowers with bulbous stems like daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips enjoy a bit of a chill, so set them in cold water up to 1/3 of your vase.

Set in a cool area

Most flowers prefer cooler spots away from direct sunlight. You can still set them by the windows to create a peaceful look for your home; just be sure that they're kept away from light and that they don't touch the glass.

If you like having flowers as a centerpiece for your dining table or kitchen, see to it you place them where there are no fruits nearby. This may sound strange, but ripening fruits actually release small amounts of ethylene gas that cause flowers to brown and mature earlier than normal.

It's also best to keep them away from anything that releases or generates heat, such as A/C units, fire places, heating vents, radiators, or televisions - these can result in dehydration and early wilting.

Extra Care Tips

Change water and food

Water can gather dust and debris from your surroundings, while leaves and stems can break off your flowers and fall into your water. These elements promote an optimal environment for bacterial growth. So it's important to change your water every 2-3 days.

For best results, you can wash the vase before you replace the water. Also, be sure to stir in fresh flower food to top up your flowers' nutrients!

Re-cut stems

When you cut flowers, you create a "wound" at the bottom of the stem. So flowers "repair" themselves by sealing the wound which shuts it off to water supply and greatly decreases their water intake.

This is why re-cutting stems is crucial! It opens up your flowers' stems so they can absorb more water; plus, it helps remove blockages and defend against infections as well.

Simply trim about half an inch off the stem every three days and you'll be sure to extend your flowers' lives!

Special Care Advice For Your Favorite Flowers

Roses

Remove - Roses have "guard petals" which guard the inner buds that have not yet blossomed. Florists keep them to guarantee the safety of your roses while they're being delivered, but it's risk-free to remove them once they arrive. This also helps your roses to spend their energy on keeping newer, more attractive petals fresh.

Revive - Wilting blooms can be restored by shearing off an inch from the base of the stem, then setting the roses in a tub of water. Keep them submerged for 30-60 minutes.

Peonies (7-9 days).

Keep cool - Peonies enjoy cool environments, so some people wrap and stash them in the fridge to keep them fresh. But putting them in a shady area in your home should be enough to keep them thriving.

Keep apart - Avoid overcrowding your vase when you have peonies in a mixed bouquet. They're quite delicate and frail, so give them adequate space for their large blossoms to bloom.

Gardenias.

No sniffing - Smelling these temptingly fragrant flowers can actually lead to premature wilting! Sounds weird, but gardenias enjoy their privacy and actually turn brown when sniffed.

Lilies.

Pluck - Take note of your lilies' anthers; they're likely to be covered in pollen that can stain fabric on your clothing and furniture. Simply pluck the pollen off or clear away the anthers with your hands.

Protect - Lilies are especially delicate flowers. Their petals tend to bruise a lot, so make sure to handle them lightly when you're recutting stems or removing anthers.

Hydrangeas.

Spray - You can keep your hydrangeas blooming perfectly and vibrantly with a few sprays of water to their petals every day.

Sustain - Again, these flowers just love their water! See to it that they always get a tall drink and replace their water more regularly.

Tulips.

Take note of temperature - Tulips usually tend to be more sensitive to changes in temperature. They enjoy cooler surroundings, so if you see their blossoms start to open on a hot day, just set them in front of an air-conditioner.

Turn, turn, turn - These fast-growing blooms bend over and get knotted up a lot, so make sure to turn their vase every day.

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