Follow these tips to help make your flowers last longer.
Trim at least half an inch of stem off your flowers before you put them in a vase and each time you change the water. Dried out stems won’t take up water as well as fresh cut ones.
Use sharp scissors or snips when cutting your stems. Dull scissors will smash or damage plant cells and prevent stems from effectively taking up the water.
Clean all the leaves off of the stems that will be underwater in your chosen vase.
Use luke-warm (not cold) water for your flowers and include a packet of flower food. Changing the water every other day is often just as effective at making flowers last longer. But adding a flower food packet is beneficial, especially if you are forgetful or lazy with your flowers.
Replenish the water frequently. Some flowers are very thirsty and will drink up all the water in the vase in just a day or two. So keep the water full. Change the water entirely every 2-3 days, recut the stems and wash the vase if necessary, to prevent the bacteria that grows in water from plugging the flower stems.
Keep your flowers away from heat and bright light which will encourage them to mature and thus quicken their demise.
Avoid sitting your flowers near ripening fruit or vegetables, especially bananas and apples. The ethylene gas that ripens fruit causes the flowers to mature quickly and drop their petals.
After you throw out your arrangement, be sure to wash the vase or container thoroughly in hot soapy water or in your dishwasher to avoid bacteria for your next round of flowers.
