Fresh cut flowers are one of our favorite ways to add a cheerful pop! of color to homes and table settings. Taking good care of your flowers can dramatically help lengthen their life span. Follow these simple tips so your flowers will last longer.
Purchasing & Transporting Cut Flowers
Look for flowers that appear to have just cracked open. This is a good sign they have recently arrived in our store, and they typically last the longest. It is best to avoid purchasing roses that are fully closed, as there is no guarantee they will ever open. When driving home from our store, place them on the floor of your car and out of direct sunlight.
Keep reading for more tips!
Displaying Flowers in Your Home
At home, cut off an inch from each stem, cutting diagonally. Place in a vase out of direct sunlight. If your flowers look wilted once you get them home, they are in need of water. For roses, cut off the lower leaves on the stems as they would be underwater once the roses are put in a vase. If left underwater, they can contribute to bacteria growth that could shorten the length of time your flowers last.
Store your cut flowers away from any electrical appliances, including televisions and radiators. Radiation and heat can cause dehydration, giving them a very short life span. Also try to avoid placing cut flowers in front of air conditioners or other types of fans, as they do not like it to be too cold or too hot.
Watering & Feeding Cut Flowers
Cut flowers flourish when watered properly and they are placed in cold water. For best results, change the water every other day and be sure the stem bottoms are covered by water at all times.
Freshening Cut Roses
A quick and easy way to bring your roses back to life is to add 1/4 teaspoon of bleach to a quart of cold water. Bleach helps roses live longer by killing bacteria. Cut off spent blooms as they fade, using pruners rather than scissors (scissors can crush the stems).
Once every two or three days, take your roses out of their vase, cut the stems and rinse the vase out thoroughly. Replace the old water with lukewarm water. When you see roses wilt within a few hours, there is a good chance they have gotten air in their stems.
