Cut Flower Care
Each flower lives a different life in the vase and some will naturally last longer than others. Sweet peas are delicate and ephemeral and will last a handful of wonderfully fragrant days, while lisianthus can grace you with its rose-like presence for weeks.
Even the longest-lived flower isn’t destined to stick around forever, but there are some things you can do to make your flowers last their longest possible life and get the most enjoyment out of them. Here’s how:
USE A Clean vase
Use an impeccably clean vase/vessel. If YOU wouldn’t drink from it, your flowers shouldn’t either. This simple step will give your flowers a clean and healthy environment, free of stem-clogging bacteria. Have a difficult-to-clean vase? Try a long soak in hot water with powdered dishwasher detergent.
Use that Flower Food
Yes! It really does make a difference! It contains sugar to provide buds and blooms with the food they need to continue their development, an acidifier to lower the Ph of the water to make it easier for the stems to drink, and a biocide to inhibit the growth of bacteria that could clog stems and make the water stinky. You know that smell I’m talking about.
keep them out of the sun
Sunlight is essential for a growing plant, but not a cut one! Keep flowers out of hot, bright light, like a windowsill for example.
monitor the water
Cut flowers are thirsty! Top off the water level as necessary and change it completely every 2 or 3 days. Trim stem ends to expose fresh tissue that is able take up that fresh water. Be sure to use sharp flower snips or a knife to avoid crushing the stems.
keep it clean
Remove any foliage from beneath the water line and pick out any flowers or stems as they wilt and fade. Not only will this keep your bouquets and arrangements looking fresh, but it will help keep the water clean which will in turn help the remaining flowers last longer.
Avoid Produce
Keep flowers away from produce (especially bananas!) which might be ripening nearby on your countertops. Some fruit and veg emit ethylene gas, which can encourage premature aging of your flowers.