Online Flower School

Imagine you are walking home from work and passing a neat flower shop at the metro station. Suddenly, you fall in love with one of the amazingly crafted bouquets. Then you bring them home and drop them in a vase with some water. But the next thing you see is how the fresh flowers you bought are rapidly dying. Why is that and how to extend their lifespan?

In the current guide you will learn some precious tips and tricks when it comes to keeping your flowers fresh longer.

What flowers need most to stay fresh as long as possible? The shortest answer is - water! The main reason your flowers are dying as soon as you buy them is that there is not enough water getting into the flowers’ organisms. Essentially the following tricks would be mostly about how to create the right condition for the water to access our flowers and help them drink again and revive.

Tip #1: Recut the stems of the flowers right after you bring them home

When you buy flowers they are usually fresh-cut and wrapped with care in a beautiful flower arrangement. You will want to keep the bouquet as it is. However, our skilled florists advise you to cut the stems as soon as you get home. But why is that?

The flowers absorb water and nutrients through its stems and transfer all the needed ingredients to the petals. That is why you must create conditions for the water to move into the stems more easily once you drop them into a vase with water.

Until you bring the flowers home the bottom of the stem usually gets dried out and blocks the way of the water into the flowers’ vascular system. To prevent this, you must cut a bit of the stem at an angle to prevent them sitting flat on the bottom of a vase blocking the water intake into the stems. It would be best if you re-cut the stems once every few days.

Tip #2: Remove the foliages that are below the water 

The foliages give a complete look to every bouquet. Although, you must remove those submerged into the water because the foliages can rot quickly and infect our flowers with bacteria. This way, you also fully open the flowers’ stems to absorb the water more freely. Keep an eye on your flowers daily for dead leaves to prevent your flowers from the bacterial intake.

Tip #3: Put some room temperature water

The water is crucial for the longevity of your fresh cut flowers. There are many things you can mess up while watering the flowers and shorten instead of extending their life.

Dropping your bouquet into hot water is one of the worst mistakes you can make as it will boil them. For most of the flower types, it is best to fill the vase with room temperature water. While giving the flowers a bit warmer water opens up their stems and even clears up any blockages in the stems stopping the moisture from entering into the stems more easily. However, there are some flowers like tulips and daffodils that cannot tolerate warmer water.

The bacteria is another enemy to our fresh flowers' durability. Do not forget to replace the water every 3-4 days because it gets polluted and filled with bacteria. The flowers can also get infected from the walls of the vase. So clean the vase before pouring fresh water in it.

Tip #4: Feed your flowers

You might be familiar with those little packages with powder taped to the bouquets in the flower shops. It represents the so-called flower food or the magical ingredient that has the properties to extend and revive the life of your flowers. Ask your florist for the magic powder if you haven’t found it wrapped in your bouquet. You can even mix it at home as it is simple to make.

All you need to do is to mix sugar, lemon juice, and a drop of bleach. The sugar represents the food for the flowers, the lemon juice lowers the PH of the water, which is important for the water intake of the flowers, and the bleach gives the water an antibacterial property.

Tip #5: Keep flowers away from heat and cold

Your flowers will last longer in a cooler room aside from direct sunlight. So, avoid placing the vase with flowers near open windows, air-conditioners, stoves, computers, or TVs because they can dehydrate the blooms. The next might sound strange but - keep your bouquet away from fruits. The fresh fruits release an invisible gas (ethylene) which can reduce the lifespan of your fresh flowers.

Tip #6: Remove the dead blooms

The various flower types in your bouquet do not have the same lifespan as they differ in adaptability and how easily they absorb water. Make sure you remove each dead flower as soon as you notice it even if it is hard to get rid of the beautiful creatures.

The reason for the rush is the mysterious gas ethylene dead flowers release that could harm the still living blooms.

Tip #7: Do some misting

Some flowers like hydrangeas can also absorb water through their leaves and petals as they need more water to survive. If your flowers seem to be wilting, you can simply spray them with some water. The process is called misting and we assure it can bring back their vitality.

Bonus tips

There are some vague hypotheses associated with remedies making our fresh flowers last longer. As each hypothesis, it needs to be proven. Here is a list of one of the most fascinating you can try:

• Aspirin - the salicylic acid in the Aspirin has an antibacterial property;

• Hairspray -  the best way is to spray only the petals and do it from afar to prevent the flowers from overcoating;

• Vodka -  it helps stopping the ethylene gas production, therefore, the wilting of the flowers;

• Fridge (cold) -  colder temperatures slow down the flowers’ deterioration;

Conclusion

It is always hard to get rid of dying flowers that bring dear memories and remind you of the special one who gifted them to you. Sometimes they are a symbol of a past special event - like your bridal bouquet. We all know that the fresh flowers couldn’t last forever. Nevertheless, you can try these tips to preserve your flowers as long as possible.

Let’s sum up what you can do. Put your flowers in a clean vase with room temperature water.  Before that, make sure you have cut the stems in an angle, and there are no leaves submerged into the water. You can also sprinkle some of the magical flower food into the water. When you are ready, position the vase in a cold place away from direct sunlight, heat and fruits. But first, you will need a fresh bouquet to implement all these techniques.