Making Flowers Last

There’s nothing like fresh flowers around the house, especially when they come straight from MyFlowerDepot. Surely you’d like the flowers to last forever or at least for more than a few days! Here are some tips for extending the vase life of your flowers.

In a NUTSHELL:

• Give them water.
• Give them food.
• Protect them from decay or infection.
• Keep them cool and out of direct sunlight.

How do you ensure these:

1.  Recut stems.

Don't let the stems dry out.  Recut stems at an angle with a sharp knife or shears.  This helps with the water intake.  Split woody stems, don't mash them (mashing creates fibers so stems don't take up water.) Cutting them underwater helps eliminate air bubbles that block uptake of food and water. To prevent decay, remove leaves and foliage below the water line.  If the leaves are submerged in the water in the vase, they will die and cause the flowers in the bouquet to rot, and sour the water.

2.  Place the flowers in a clean vase.

Dirty and dusty vases are often filled with bacteria. These bacteria can cause the flowers to quickly wilt and die.

3.  To slow aging, place the vase in a well-ventilated cool place (as low as 38° F).

Keep the flowers in a cool room. The fresh flowers should not be in direct sun or placed near a heating source. This causes the water in the vase to evaporate quickly.  Also, don’t store flowers near unsealed fruits and vegetables, which produce ethylene, a gas that hastens ripening, or in the case of flowers, aging.

4.  Add water.

Freshly cut flowers have enough stored sugars to survive in a vase. But if you would like to add a preservative, try a homemade version. Tests have found commercial floral preservatives to be less effective than the following formula; the sugar in the 7-Up provides energy for the flowers, and the bleach controls bacteria. If you need more liquid, just increase the amounts proportionately.  What is needed is the right balance of acid, sugar for nutrition and bleach for controlling bacteria.  

* 1 cup regular 7-Up
* 1 cup water
* 1/2 teaspoon household bleach

5.  Change water.

Change water every couple of days. In mixed bouquets, some of the flowers may give off sap that is toxic to other varieties in the vase shortening their vase life, a process that is avoided by frequently refreshing the water.  Replace the water in the vase at least every three to four days.  Just keep an eye on the water level and at the same time remove dead blossoms.