How to Make Fresh Flowers Last Longer
Last updated November 2024
One way to ensure flowers you buy are fresh is to choose a high-quality florist; our ratings will help you do that. But there are several things you can do to make flowers last longer:
Choose longer-lasting blooms, such as lilies or carnations, or tropical varietals, which tend to be hardy.
Flower stems should be recut with a sharp knife or with scissors designed for cutting flowers. Avoid using dull ones, as they may crush capillaries that carry water to the bloom.
Remove any leaves or foliage that will be below the water line in the vase. This helps prevent algae and bacteria from growing and blocking up the stem.
After recutting, immediately put the flowers in water in a very clean vase. Change water daily or if it becomes cloudy. Warm water will help open blooms that haven’t yet fully opened; cool water preserves flowers that have fully opened.
Using a flower nutrient/preservative in the water can prolong a flower’s life by killing bacteria and feeding the blooms.
Keep flowers in a cool place away from heating vents and direct sunlight. Warm moving air will cause flowers to lose water faster than they can take it up. And keep flowers away from fruit, which releases ethylene gas that accelerates ripening of blooms.
Extend the life of an arrangement by dismantling it every two or three days and recutting the stems. If a stem is wilting, insert a wire down the center of the bloom to act as an internal splint. Also, older flowers should be discarded to keep the arrangement fresh-looking.
