Get our seven easy tips for how to take care of fresh flowers to keep them looking beautiful for so much longer!
We all love buying and receiving fresh flowers. If you are like most people, it’s the struggle of keeping them alive and fresh for more than a week that frustrates you. With the right conditions and our tips for how to take care of fresh flowers once you get them home, you can help ensure your blooms thrive!
TIP 1: CHANGE THE WATER EVERY 2-3 DAYS
Keep your vase or container full of fresh clean water. We recommend you completely change the water every 2-3 days, or whenever you notice the water becoming cloudy. This will help prevent bacteria from developing in the vase. BONUS TIP: Try to use lukewarm water, as it’s easier for fresh flowers to drink.
TIP 2: GIVE THE STEMS A FRESH CUT
Every time you change the water give the stems a fresh cut with clean sharp scissors or pruners. Stems will callus and this prevents water from being sucked up by the flower. Make a clean cut on your stems about an inch off from the bottom. Place your pruners or scissors at a slight angle as this will help your flowers intake more water. Do not crush or tear the stems as it will restrict the stems from getting the water they need.
TIP 3. USE FLOWER FOOD
Those little packages of flower food you get when you buy a bouquet of flowers isn’t food at all; it’s actually a preservative. Floral preservative is a mixture of sugars, pH acidifier and ant-microbial agents. Using this in your vase helps prevent bacteria growth which causes your water to turn cloudy. When you receive flowers arranged in a vase it’s likely the florist has already added flower food to the water. Now, if you don’t have any flower food, don’t worry! Changing water frequently is just as effective in preventing bacteria from developing.
TIP 4. KEEP YOUR FLOWERS IN A COOL LOCATION AWAY FROM DIRECT SUNLIGHT
Your flowers are already done growing, so sunlight is not as beneficial as it may seem. Sun and heat will only accelerate your flowers demise. Keep your blooms cool and away from direct sunlight. Find a cool place and let those beauties live longer!
TIP 5. REMOVE WILTED OR DEAD FLOWERS
Different flowers have different life spans. Some flowers have very long life spans after being cut, while other fresh flowers have a much shorter amount of time to share their beauty with us. This means that if you start to see any flowers that are clearly on their way out, pick them out of your arrangement. Not only do they look sad, as their life fades they release an ethylene gas. Ethylene gas triggers flowers to prematurely think it is the end of their life cycle, which will accelerates their fading and dying. And yes, this is the same gas that is released from ripening fruits, so avoid placing your arrangement near any open fruit containers. We don’t want these living things sharing any bad influence on each other!
TIP 6. REMOVE FOLIAGE FLOATING IN THE WATER
Remove foliage from the lower portions of the stems that are below the water line and any time you see foliage floating in your vase, change the water. Rotting foliage will only cause a build up of bacteria in your vase, plus it looks icky distracting you from the still-beautiful flowers!
TIP 7. PUT YOUR FLOWERS IN THE REFRIGERATOR
Especially when it is hot and humid, consider placing your bouquet in your refrigerator at night before going to bed. Since flowers last longer when kept at cooler temperatures this could help extend the life of all your beautiful blooms.
Equipped with these tips up your sleeve, you are now an expert in how to take care of fresh flowers. Be sure to check out our website collection for your next bouquet for any occasion or for that special person – even if or especially if that “special person” is you!