Tips On Making Fresh Cut Flowers Last Longer

There are few things nicer in life than receiving a

bouquet of fresh cut flowers, beautifully wrapped in a

presentation box, directly from the florist. They are a

wonderful way of saying, “Thanks, I’m thinking

about you.”

To stop them from wilting and to allow you to enjoy

their beauty longer, there are a few steps that you can

take to extend their “shelf life”.

Once the stems have been severed the fresh

cut flower is taken from its natural lifeline. Place them in water as soon as you possibly

can.

Fill a bucket half way or so with warm water. Flowers will take up warm water much

faster than they will cold water. Add a preservative to this water; the preservative kills

any bacteria in the water. Cut flowers only drink through the severed ends of the stems;

they do not drink through the sides of the stems or the foliage. For this reason, do not fill

the bucket past half way as any foliage which is left on the stems and is submerged below

the water line will quickly rot. The pollutants from the rotting matter will pollute the

water, feeding the bacteria and accelerating the death of the flower. Marigolds,

Chrysanthemums and Daisies give off a particularity offensive odor when they are left

underwater for a time.

With water bucket and cut flowers in hand, head for the garden. Use sharp secateurs or

scissors and cut the stems on an angle, the slant offers more surface area for the flower to

drink. Remove any foliage from the stems that would stand under water. Once this is

done immediately put the flowers in the water.

The idea of a bucket is to allow the flowers to be reasonably loose and not crowded.

When the bucket is too full the flowers can be packed together, causing the petals to

become bruised and squashed. Put the bucket with the flowers in a cool place and let

them enjoy a long drink.

Leave the flowers in this cool place overnight. This step conditions the flowers as it

allows the stems to be saturated with water and the flowers crisp. Flowers that have been

conditioned will last twice as long as those that haven’t gone through the process.

Commercial available flower preservatives are available in a garden center; alternatively a capful

of household bleach is sufficient. When a preservative is used there will be no need to re-cut the

stems and the water will only need changing twice a week.