Flower Care Guide

Do you adore filling your home with fresh bouquets, but find they often wilt too quickly? Learning how to take care of flowers at home is essential to enjoy their beauty for as long as possible. With a few simple techniques, you'll have gorgeous, long-lasting flowers to brighten up your space.

How To Make Your Fresh Flowers Last Longer

[When you receive or purchase a stunning bouquet, you want to ensure it remains a captivating centerpiece for as long as possible. Here's how to extend the lifespan of your fresh flowers:]

Start With A Clean Cut

As soon as you get your flowers home, take a sharp knife or garden clippers and trim 1-2 inches off the bottom of the stems. Cut an angle to allow more surface area for the stems to soak up water. Also [Remove any leaves that would be submerged in water to prevent bacterial growth.] Removing the dry, damaged bottoms of the stems right away allows the flowers to get hydrated properly and last longer.

Use Clean Vases

[Always start with a clean vase to prevent bacteria from contaminating the water. Add flower food to the vase water to nourish the blooms.]

Change the Water

[Replace the vase water every two days and recut the stems to ensure fresh hydration.]

Use The Right Temperature Water

Use lukewarm water, between 100-110°F, instead of cold water when first arranging flowers or filling the vase. The warm water moves up the stems faster allowing flowers to absorb more water quickly after their long journey from the grower.

Add Floral Preservative

Mixing a floral preservative (the packets that come with flower arrangements) into the water is crucial. The nutrients in it provide food to blossoms and the anti-bacterial agents retard organism growth that clogs stems. Follow package directions for proper dilution.

Keep Them Cool

Don't just plunk your vase on a sunny windowsill! Direct sunlight and heating vents haveten demise. A cool, draft-free spot out of direct light keeps flowers perky. Roses can last a week longer when displayed properly.

Re-cut Stems

Every few days, trim another 1/2 inch off stems and replace old water with fresh water and more DIY flower food. Over time, bacteria accumulate in water and clog stems. A fresh cut and clean water give flowers a revitalizing boost.

Prune Fading Blooms

[Remove any wilting or spent flowers promptly to encourage the remaining ones to flourish.]

Tips To Make Cut Flowers Last Even Longer

See if any of these extra longevity boosters make a difference with your bouquets!

• Add Acidifiers: Some flowers like roses, like water more acidic than tap water. Add lemon juice or vinegar to lower the pH and see if it perks up droopy blooms. About a tablespoon per quart usually does the trick.
• Supplement Light: If the floral display spot doesn't get bright, indirect light, supplement it with a fluorescent grow light placed close to, but not touching, the flowers. The light intensity slows the aging process.
• Mist Foliage: Occasionally misting flower foliage with water can refresh plants. Water evaporates from leaves and pulls more moisture from the stems and flower heads. Just a very light misting maintains turgor pressure.
• Recut Woody Stems: When thick, woody stems such as hydrangea or irises start to split or have bubbles, it stops the water flow. Make a fresh cut under water, then plunge the stem immediately into vase water to eliminate air getting in.

How To Choose The Best Vase For My Flowers

Before learning about how to take care of flowers in a vase, it's important to choose the right vase. Picking the right container for your blossoms makes a difference in how long they look lovely.

Choose a vase about half the height of the flower arrangement to best showcase the flowers. If the bouquet is bottom-heavy, use a narrow vase. For top-heavy stems, select a wider vase that provides better stability.

How To Care For Flower Bouquets

Bouquets make lovely gifts and centerpieces. Follow these steps when caring for flowers arranged in hand-tied bunches:

• Start With Preparation: Remove any wrappings, sleeves, or packaging from around flower stems.
• Make a Fresh Cut: Recut each stem by 2-3 inches on a diagonal with a sharp knife or garden clippers.
• Remove Unnecessary Leaves & Thorns: Strip off foliage that would sit under the water line in your vase. For thorny stems like roses, carefully pluck out thorns.
• Hydrate Stems: After prepping each stem, put the bouquet back together as arranged in a clean vase filled with room-temperature water.
• Add Floral Preservative: Mix packets of flower food into the water to feed plants and retard bacterial growth. Follow the directions on the packaging for proper dilution.
• Find a Display Spot: Set your gorgeous bouquet in a spot away from direct sun, heating and cooling vents, ripening fruit, or other detriments.
• Change Water & Re-cut Stems: Every few days refresh water, add more floral food, trim stem ends, and adjust arrangement as needed.

How To Care For Flower Boxes

Flower boxes make lovely gifts to receive or give. Follow these simple tips to maximize flower box enjoyment and longevity:

• Keep Flowers in Place: Never remove flowers from the foam brick or flower frogs inside a flower box. The stems and blossoms were carefully arranged to create the design. Pulling them out ruins the professional look.
• Water the Foam: Lift away any plastic wrap or outer container to access the foam block. Check daily to see if the foam feels dry. Whenever it loses moisture, pour or squirt fresh water directly into the block.
• Monitor Conditions: Since the box leaves flowers exposed without support, monitor conditions carefully. Keep away from heat vents, direct sun, and cold drafts. Ideal conditions are 65-75°F and indirect sunlight.

Do Cut Flowers Need Fertilizer Or Food To Last Long?

Specially formulated chemical additives called floral preservatives markedly lengthen the vase life of most cut flowers. The ingredients work synergistically so all are required:

• Sugars - Provide nourishment to give blossoms staying power
• Acidifiers - Lower water pH allowing better uptake
• Antimicrobials - Deter bacteria and fungi growth
• Hormones - Retard aging processes
• Wetting Agents - Hydrate faster through stems

Final Words

Caring properly for cut flowers allows you to extend their beauty and bring joy to your life for days or even weeks longer. Now that you know the basics of floral care such as proper hydration, nutrients, trimming, display options, and more, you can keep gorgeous blossoms gracing your home.

Flower Care And Handling Guide Frequently Asked Questions

How Often To Change Flower Food In A Vase?

You'll want to change the water and flower food every 2-3 days. Bacteria multiply quickly in flower water, even with floral preservatives added. Freshening the water ensures that stems uptake nutrients instead of getting clogged.

How Often To Change Flower Food For A Bouquet?

First, prep the stems, put them in a water-filled vase, and add flower food. Change the flower food and water every two to three days.

What To Put In Water To Keep Flowers Fresh?

To keep flowers fresh, you can add several things to the water. Sugars provide nourishment to give blossoms staying power. Acidifiers lower the water's pH, allowing for better nutrient uptake by the flowers. Antimicrobials are added to deter bacteria and fungi growth, helping prevent disease. Hormones can be included as well, as they help retard natural aging processes in cut flowers. Finally, wetting agents hydrate the flowers faster by allowing water to move more efficiently through the stems.

Does Aspirin Keep Flowers Fresh?

A simple and inexpensive way to extend the life of cut flowers is by adding aspirin to the vase water. Aspirin contains active ingredients that help prevent air bubbles from blocking stems and allow for better water uptake. Simply crush one aspirin tablet and add it to water before placing flowers in a vase. Change the water every few days as well.

How Often To Change Flower Water?

To keep cut flowers looking their freshest, the general rule is to change the vase water every 2-3 days.
Where is the best place to display flowers?
Choose a cool spot around 65-75°F out of direct sunlight and drafts. Heat and light accelerate blossom demise.