To be honest, flowers are a bit expensive to buy. They might not be worth buying at all if the flowers will only last a short time.
However, even the most gorgeous flowers need to be taken care of. That’s why some florists add a care tag along with the flowers bought to help you keep them fresh and extend their life.
Anyway, we’ve put together here some easy florist tricks to making your flowers last longer in your house or workplace. And without further ado, let’s start!
How to Make Your Flowers Last Longer
You don’t have to be an expert florist to know how to keep your flowers healthy for as long as possible. So, here are the things you can do in order to achieve that:
1) Use a clean vase for your flowers
The first tip is to use only a clean vase to transfer your new flowers in. Wash it with soap and rinse thoroughly beforehand.
Add warm water up to about 3/4 of the height of the vase. Then, if you have any flower food, include that to keep the flowers lasting and prevent microbe and bacterial contamination.
Note that buying flower food packets in bulk will save you more money than if you buy individual ones.
2) Cut the stems clean at a 45° angle
You have to cut the flower stems diagonally before putting them in the vase. This allows water to reach their entire surface areas.
Should you choose, you can also cut the stems under the water in the sink. This ensures no air is trapped in the stem to hinder the water from entering it.
Although you can also cut the stems straight, less water will be able to access the stems as opposed to if the cut was made at an angle.
Furthermore, when cutting the stems, it’s best to use a sharp knife. Using scissors will cut and press through the stems, which can block the water-conducting vessels and let in bacteria.
3) Cut away extra leaves
When preparing the flowers, take out or cut away leaves that would make contact with the water. This will help keep the water clean and odor-free and the flowers neat and long-lasting.
What’s more, it will shift the focus of your relatives or friends from seeing the fallen or submerged leaves, so the lovely blooms will instead be the star of the show.
4) Take out dying flowers
Within a week of owning the flowers, it’s natural that some flowers will start to blacken or wilt, despite the amount of care you’ve done for it.
When you see dying or dead flowers, remove them immediately from the vase. Otherwise, it will encourage bacteria and mold growth which will affect the rest of the healthy flowers.
Remove any submerged leaves you see in the vase. This is since they tend to clog the stems’ absorption of water and foster the breeding of microbial organisms too.
Also, make sure to keep the flowers in a cool place where it gets indirect sunlight. Heat shortens their life, and so does placing them near fruit due to the effects of ethylene gas.
5) Replace the water every two days
Don’t forget the replace the water every two or three days. While doing so, also rinse out the vase and fill it with fresh and clean water for the flowers.
This is a great trick that helps to make your flowers remain beautiful and fresh. There’s no need to add flower food if you have already done it the last time.
6) Store your flowers in the fridge
Know the coolers where flowers are stored in your local flower shop? That’s to keep the flowers at their best condition before customers order to buy them.
You can copy this amazing trick especially when the weather has been unbearably hot at home. Simply put them inside the refrigerator overnight or for a couple of hours in the day to keep them cool.
Even though the size of the flowers can be a hindrance in doing this, it can make your precious flowers last several days longer.
7) Adjust to the changing flower size
Different flowers will stay around longer than others. When this happens, remove wilted flowers and foliage to prevent them from falling into the water.
As the vase arrangement becomes smaller, put them in a new vase to keep them looking neat and suitable to the vase they are in.
