Many people are often frustrated by how short-lived a bouquet may be once they get it home. They may forget that fresh cut flowers are still living entities that can be encouraged to last much longer under the right conditions. The following tips will help make your flowers last longer.
Tip #1 Change the water every other day
To keep your flowers blooming beautifully, it is important to change the water every other day. If you notice that the water has become cloudy, change it immediately. Even with flower food, bacteria eventually builds up in the vase and can clog up the stems, preventing flowers from drinking.
Tip #2 Remove any dead or wilting stems from your arrangement
Remove any dead or wilting stems from your arrangement, clean the vase with warm, soapy water and rinse thoroughly before refilling. This will help extend their vase life. Fill the vase two-thirds with fresh, cold water and add your flower food.
Tip #3 Trim about an inch from the bottom of the stems at a 45-degree angle
Trim at least a half inch of stem off your flowers before you put them in a vase and each time you change the water. We recommend varying the stem length to give your arrangement a height range
Tip #4 Keep your flowers away from heat and bright light
Sometimes people think they should set their vase of flowers in a sunny windowsill since that is where a plant would be happiest. However, cut flowers are actually the opposite of potted plants. Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight and away from extreme heat or cold to prolong their life
Tip #5 Use sharp scissors when cutting
If you use dull old scissors or snips to trim your flowers, you are often smashing, and thus damaging, the tissue/cells at the end of the stem. Damaged cells cannot absorb water as effectively as healthy cells. Sharp scissors ensure a clean cut that leaves cells unharmed (except the poor few that inevitably get sliced).
In some cases, these flowers come in the form of an arrangement in floral foam, also known as oasis. Oasis is a typically green, sponge-like material, and is most commonly used for arrangements in small colored boxes. Pour the water in until you can see the waterline just becoming level with the foam, between every one to two days. You can determine if the water needs topping up by pressing your finger gently into an exposed section of the oasis.
