Hacks to Make Fresh-Cut Flowers Last Longer
Receiving beautiful fresh-cut flowers is one of the best feelings—the only downside is that they don’t last forever. Thankfully, if you want to make them last as long as possible, there are a few hacks that can help!
So, you’ve just received the floral arrangement of your dreams and you’re ready to display it in your home and enjoy it for its short, but wonderful life. Here’s the good news! You can prolong their beauty with these 5 simple tips!
5 Ways to Make Fresh-Cut Florals Last Longer
1. Trim The Stems
First, when you bring the flowers home always give them a fresh cut before putting them in water. You want to make sure that the pores of the stem are nice and open so that they can drink as much as they’d like. It is best to cut them at a 45-degree angle (more of an angle is better). You want to use a really sharp knife to do the cutting so that you avoid bruising the stems as you cut. If the stems are too tough to cut with a knife, you can use sharp scissors or pruners!
2. Choosing a Vase
Use a really clean vase and make sure it has no soapy residue leftover. Also, make sure that you are filling the vase high enough so that the water does not get low in between changes.
3.Water Temperature
The water should normally be pretty warm (hand washing temp). There are a few exceptions to this rule—with hydrangeas it is best to use hot water so that they can hydrate with ease, and only use cold water with flowers from spring bulbs such as tulips!
4. Changing the Water
Change the water every 2 or 3 days, cleaning the vase when you do. You also need to re-cut the flowers every time you change the water. When you place the flowers in the vase, make sure you don’t have any leaves in the water. These will start to rot and could shorten the life of the entire bouquet.
5. Location in Your Home
It is best to keep the flowers in a cooler area of your home— especially don’t place them over a heating vent! Although more flowers like to drink warm water, they don’t like the air to be too warm. Keep them cooler than 22°C if possible.
Bonus Step:
The absolutely most important part of the whole process is to admire, love, and enjoy your beautiful flowers. These beauties have travelled a long way and have had many dedicated people caring for them between where they have grown and the vase they live in once in your home. It’s pretty amazing, really!
