If you are a flower lover like, well, most of us, then wondering about how to keep flowers fresh longer and enjoy their beauty for a long time is a common thought to occur in your minds. Preserving fresh cut flowers for a week or two is not a very difficult job if you know the basics. So, here are some ways that will help you preserve the freshness of your beautiful bouquets.
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Flower care tips to make your cut flowers last longer
You need to cut the stems of the flowers in the right way immediately before putting them in a vase. In order to keep cut flowers fresh last longer, this step is non-negotiable. Even if you receive precut flowers, you should still do this to keep flowers fresh in a vase.
Right way to cut a flower stem to keep flowers fresh
If you receive flowers as gifts, or buy them from a flower shop near you, or get them delivered from an online florist, you should follow these steps before preserving your flowers in a flower vase:
1. Cut a little bit of the stem portion of each flower at an angle. Instead of making a flat cut, an angled cut will increase the surface area through which the flower will receive water.
2. Make a clean cut with a sharp instrument. Otherwise, the flower might not absorb water properly.
3. Cut each flower stem individually. It might feel easier to take them all together and make a cut, but that will run the risk of making a damaged cut, which will hamper the longevity of the flowers.
4. Remove any leaves that are placed below the water level. The leaves below the water level tend to rot and give birth to bacterial infections which affect the flowers and their freshness.
5. In order to make cut flowers last longer, you should put them in water immediately after cutting, and re-cut them every 2-3 days to increase their longevity even more.
How to cut flowers from the garden in the right way?
If you have a flower garden from where you like collecting flowers, follow these simple steps for keeping cut flowers fresh alive for a really long time:
1. Start the collecting process in the early morning when the temperature is low and the flower stems are full of water.
2. Make a clean, angled cut in the stems and immediately put them in a water bucket in order to prevent dehydration.
3. If you are collecting lots of flowers and/or are going to work in the garden for a long time, collect flowers in batches and make multiple trips inside to store them in a cool place.
4. Change the water of the collection bucket in-between batches to make cut flowers last longer.
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Also Read: How To Care For Indoor Plants?
Popular Long Lasting Cut Flowers
List of best cut flowers that last a long time
- Zinnia: It is one of the longest-surviving cut flowers that last for up to 4 weeks.
- Orchid: When maintained properly, some varieties of orchids last for 3 to 4 weeks.
- Chrysanthemum: These bright flowers can last for 3 to 4 weeks if you take care of them properly.
- Carnation: Carnations are also robust flowers that can survive in a vase for up to 3 weeks.
- Delphinium: These pretty flowers are available year-round and they can stay fresh for up to 2-3 weeks.
- Alstroemeria: With proper care and a regular change of water, they can last for up to 2 weeks.
- Lily: These colorful spring flowers can survive for up to 2 weeks in your home.
- Gladioli: Gladioli flowers stay fresh for up to 1-2 weeks when you maintain them properly.
- Peonies: These big and round flowers are known for surviving in a vase for up to 1-2 weeks.
- Sunflowers: Sunflowers are also very long-lasting and they stay fresh for up to 1-2 weeks.
Also Read: How do Flowers Help Improve Our Well-being
Tips to preserve fresh cut flowers
Now that you have collected and cut your flowers in the correct way, you must be wondering what keeps flowers fresh. We’ll tell you what- a few right techniques to preserve fresh cut flowers and lots of love. There are a few best ways to preserve flowers that you can do for keeping fresh cut flowers alive longer.
Ways to preserve flowers and keep cut flowers fresh
- Choose the perfect vase: Start by selecting an ideal container for your bouquet of flowers. Make sure that it is of the right height and the mouth has an ideal diameter. When it comes to vase height, experienced florists advise on a height no less than the height of each flower. However, if you happen to have smaller vases, just trim the flowers to the ideal length. The opening of the vase should not be too narrow, or the flowers will get squished. And it should not be too wide either, or the flower arrangement will lose its shape.
- Act immediately: In order to keep flowers fresh longer, avoid keeping them dry and immediately put them in water after you finish the first round of cutting. The more you leave them unattended, the more chances of them getting withered or wilted.
- Choose the correct spot for storage: Just like choosing the correct container, selecting the correct spot for display is also important. Make sure they are not in contact with direct sunlight, however, the area should not be dark either. Don’t put your flowers into a corner that’s too hot, or closer to a heat source. Avoid putting fruits near your flowers. The ethylene from ripening fruits damage flowers.
- Control the water temperature: Using room-temperature water in your vase will help keeping cut flowers fresh for longer. However, warm water helps flowers to bloom faster. So, even if you use slightly warmer (not hot) water in the beginning, don’t repeat it.
- Change the water regularly: It is absolutely necessary to discard the old water in your vase, clean the vase, and replace it with fresh water every 2-3 days.
- Add flower foods to the water: In order to keep your flowers fresh and alive for longer, you can add various kinds of flower foods to the water. See below for a list of flower foods.
- Prune regularly: It is also important to prune your flowers regularly, ideally, every other day. You should look for damaged or wilted flowers, petals, and leaves, and remove them immediately. You should also cut the stems at an angle whenever you change the water. That will prevent the roots from rotting or getting damaged, and enable the flower to absorb more water.
Also Read: Best Place to Buy Fresh Flowers
Growing roses from cut flowers
Can you re-grow rose plants from flowers? Yes. If you take the necessary precautions and follow the steps mentioned below, you can easily grow roses or any flowering plant from cut flowers.
For growing roses from cut flowers, first, choose a healthy long-stemmed rose flower. Remove the flower from the stem. Make the cut two nodes above the stem and remove any leaves except for the top one or two. Cut the stem (lower part) at a 45-degree angle to allow a maximum amount of water absorption. Then, make a few slits along the surface of the angled cut in order to enable it to absorb even more water and more rooting space. Now place the stem on water for several weeks until it starts to root. Once you can see roots sprouting, you can transfer it to loose soil.
Another thing to keep in mind while growing roses from cut flowers is you need to introduce the delicate plant gradually to the outside environment. For example, for the first few days, don’t let your soil dry up and keep them moist at all times, then, as the plant matures, allow drying up of the soil as necessary. Also, don’t put it outdoor at once. For the first few days, keep it outdoor only for a few hours and gradually increase the time until it can be permanently placed outside.
Also Read: Rose Color Meanings
How can you encase a flower to preserve it permanently?
Preserving fresh flowers in acrylic: Preserving special flower bouquets in resin or acrylic is a very popular practice among flower enthusiasts. With a few simple steps, you too can encase your wedding bouquet, or any other special flowers to make them last for years. For this purpose, over-the-counter products are easy to use and easily available.
You should select a mold before encasing your flowers. Your flower preserving kit should have two bottles, one for resin and one for curing agent. You should mix the two liquids in the correct ratio as mentioned in the instructions. Then, spray the mold with oil or other non-sticking agents and fill it till half portion with the resin mixture. Allow the resin to cure halfway, and then carefully place the flowers on it. Next, fill the mold fully with the resin mixture and allow it to cure fully, for up to 24-48 hours. The flowers will be covered in a clear, glass-like coating and you can preserve them for years to come.
Also Read: How to Dry Flowers Quickly at Home
FAQs to keep cut flowers fresh longer
It is normal to have lots of questions related to flower care, and elongating the freshness of your flower bouquets. Below we have composed the most common frequently-asked-questions and provided actionable solutions for each.
Here’s a quick FAQ to provide answers to your most-asked questions about cut flowers and how to keep bouquet of flowers fresh for longer:
In order to keep cut flowers fresh for longer, you can add a variety of easily available ingredients to your vase water. These additives help the flowers in many different ways and keep them alive and fresh for a long time.
Some of the best things to put in water for keeping flowers fresh are:
1. Flower food: Flower foods are the best additive for keeping cut flowers fresh. Manufactured by expert florists, it has the perfect blend of flower nutrients that can elongate the life and beauty of your precious flowers for a long time.
2. Soda: Soda is another easy way to maintain the luster of your flowers. Add 1/4th cup of soda in 500 ml of water, and place the flower in the solution. Your flowers will stay fresh for weeks.
3. Sugar: No soda in your fridge? Raid your pantry and add some sugar to the vase water. After all, it is the sugar content of soda that keeps the flowers fresh. In fact, sugar also increases the smell of the flowers. Make sure to change the sugar water regularly though.
4. Vodka: Vodka is also proven to elongate the lifetime of flowers. Add a few tablespoons in the vase and see the magic yourself!
Low temperature helps flowers to thrive. However, you cannot just put your bouquet in your fridge, just like that. Firstly, you would want to enjoy your flowers on a display, not inside cold storage! And secondly, there’s a right way to put them on the fridge, and not following the correct procedures will make more harm than good. So, what to do? Here we go:
1. Fill your vase to 2/3rd of its capacity.
2. Cut the flower stems one by one at an angle and place them in the vase.
3. Adjust the temperature of your refrigerator to 40 degrees or less.
4. Clear up an area inside your refrigerator and carefully place the vase.
5. Put the flower vase inside the fridge only at the night, and store them inside for at least 8 hours. Flowers absorb the most amount of water in early mornings, so, refrigerated flowers will absorb the cold water and keep thriving for days.
6. Store the flowers inside the fridge every night, and change the water every other day.
You have bought some flowers in advance for gifting. But now you’re not sure how to keep them fresh until the time comes. Here’s what you can do:
Keeping flowers fresh for hours: the best way to keep the flowers fresh for a few hours will be to place them inside the refrigerator.
Keeping flowers fresh for days: Need to keep flowers fresh for longer, say, a couple of days? Then place the flowers in a vase, add some flower food in the water, and store them in the refrigerator during the night. Also, avoid heat, and don’t place them under direct sunlight. Maintain these precautions until you’re ready to give them away.
So, that’s all your questions answered about how to keep flowers fresh longer! Have more questions? Let us know.
Also Read: Most popular flower types
