How to Keep Flowers From Fading for As Long As Possible
It always warms my heart when you receive a bouquet of flowers. This is a frequent occurrence for me because of my many suitors. At the same time, flower care also brings me a lot of stress. After all, a bouquet of flowers, like love, is transient. Withering is inevitable, but it doesn’t have to be immediate. With proper care, your bouquet can last from 7 to 12 days , depending on the type of flowers.
What causes cut flowers to wilt
Wilting occurs when flowers cannot get enough water or nutrients. That’s why it’s best to put these stems in a vase of water right away (even if you imagined them wrapped in plastic when giving them to a loved one).
What’s more, even after placing the flowers in a vase with plenty of water, dried stems or bacterial growth can prevent proper water uptake.
Cut flowers don’t have the energy to absorb water indefinitely and will eventually wither no matter what. As you may have noticed, the petals wither first, then the leaf tips, then the leaves, and finally the stem before the flowers officially wither. So, how can we help them fight this inevitable death (for as long as possible)?
Avoid extreme temperatures
As a rule, bouquets grow in cool to warm conditions.
When you head home from the flower shop, try not to leave your bouquet in the sun or near heater vents for too long. When you get home, you can put the bouquet in the fridge until you find the vase – just make sure you place them away from a fan or vent that brings cold air into the fridge.
Likewise, the water in the vase should be slightly warm. According to the Teleflora blog , most flowers absorb warm water more efficiently than cold water (bulb flowers and lilacs are the exceptions).
Place the vase in a cool, shady place. Do not place the vase in direct sunlight or directly in front of a heater or air conditioner.
Trim (and cut) the stems properly
The way you cut the stem of a flower can lead to success or doom it to an early death. Here are the elements of the perfect flower cut:
- Cut off 1 to 1.5 inches of each stem.
- Try to cut at a 45-degree angle to maximize the amount of water the stems can absorb ( according to Piedmont’s Master Gardeners ).
- Always use a sharp knife or scissors to get a clean cut.
- Prune the stems every two to three days, or whenever you change the water.
- If you’re cutting flowers from your own garden, do so during cooler times of the day, such as early morning or evening.
And if you’re cutting the flowers yourself, don’t forget to prepare a container of warm water to put them in right away.
Keep clean
Make sure the vase is clean before you put the bouquet in your new home. Rinse it thoroughly and make sure there is no soap residue on it.
The longer the water stays in the vase, the more it attracts bacteria that can block the bouquet from absorbing water. Change the water frequently, at least once every few days or every other day.
Pristine conditions also include pruning your flowers. Check your bouquet daily for dead or dry leaves and remove all foliage below water level to prevent premature rot.
feed your flowers
If you bought flowers from a florist, they should come with a commercial preservative specially formulated for cut flowers. Flower food contains nutrients and pH balancers to help your bouquet live as long as possible. If you haven’t purchased flower food packets yet, here’s a DIY food52 recipe : mix 1 quart of water, 1 teaspoon of bleach, 1 teaspoon of vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of sugar. This mixture is most useful in the first days of your bouquet’s life in a vase.
Finally: your bananas make your bouquet age faster
Jokes aside. Remember to keep the flowers away from the fruit bowl – unless, of course, your fresh flowers are nothing more than a ploy to speed up the ripening of bananas. But if you’re trying to keep your bouquet as long as possible, keep the vase away from the fruit.