How to Keep Flowers Fresh for Long | How to Care For Fresh Flowers

Are you looking for How to Keep Flowers Fresh for Long? Find all the hacks for keeping your lovely blossoms fresh for days!

Cut flowers are special gifts we receive on occasions and everyone wonders about how to care for fresh flowers to keep them looking like new for longer. As the flowers get detached from the mother plant, they lose their ability to photosynthesis and water filtering. So, is there a way on How to Keep Flowers Fresh for Long? Yes, there is! Read ahead to find out!

Check out our article on rare flowers in India here

How to Keep Flowers Fresh for Long

1. Selection of Vase

Select a large size vase with a wide-open neck. Wash it properly with hot water. Then, let it dry naturally rather than wiping the inners of the vase with a clean cloth.

2. Type of Water to Use

Use lukewarm water for cut flowers. Some recommend using distilled water but better use tap water. Fill only half of the vase with water, if the stems are tender and soft, let it rest for a while until all the bubbles disappear. If you will directly put flowers in it, the bubbles will stick at the bottom of the stem, hindering the water uptake.

3. Pruning Leaves

Leaves decompose and rot in the water, inviting fungal and bacterial growth. So, take out all the leaves from the bottom part of the stems to prevent the flowers from rotting.

4. Cutting Stems

Before putting in water, cut the stems 1-2 inches from the base at a 45° angle. This cutting offers an extended opening to uptake more water. It also prevents the stem from sitting flat in the vase.

Note: After cutting, immediately put the stems in water.

5. Use Flower Food

Flower food is essential to keep the cut flowers fresh and alive for a longer duration. The flower’s food contains citric acid, bleach, and sugar in a balanced amount. The sugar provides nutrients to flower, acid maintains the pH level of the water, whereas the bleach works as a biocide that inhibits the growth of fungi and bacteria, creating a balanced environment for flowers to thrive.

Note: You can prepare flower food at home by mixing 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and half teaspoon bleach in a quarter of warm water.

6. Using Essential Oil

According to some research, adding a drop of essential oil in the water also extends the longevity of flowers. For example, the application of thyme essential oil exhibited better results in the case of lisianthus, gerbera, narcissus, chrysanthemum, and carnation cut flowers.

6. Changing Vase Water

If you are using flower food, then you can change the water in 3-4 days. If not, then you must change the water every day. Also, always keep your eye on the vase, and if the water looks cloudy or opaque, change it immediately to prevent bacteria growth.

7. Keeping them at the Right Place

Keep your cut flowers at a cool location, where the exposure of sunlight or heat is minimum. The heated environment causes high transpiration and water loss, making flowers like gerbera daisy and sunflower, droopy. Also, avoid placing fruits near the vase, as the fruits emit a slight amount of ethylene gas that gradually affects the flower’s sustainability.

8. Remove Wilted flowers

As soon as any flower starts wilting or dropping petals, remove it from the vase. As the ethylene gas emitted by wilted flowers can also damage neighboring flowers.

9. Retrimming

After the first cutting, you should re-trim the stem in 3-4 days, whenever you change the water. This regular trimming will prevent the water clogging at the base, reopening the bottom, allowing easy water uptake.

What Not to Do

1. Using Old Tale Tricks

Some theories say to use aspirin, hair spray, or vodka in water for keeping flowers fresh for a long time. But, these tricks fail to give any results. Read this research to understand the effects of different preservatives on the vase of orchid cut flowers.

2. Mixing Up all the Flowers

Avoid keeping different flowers in the same vase. Flowers like daffodils and hyacinths release a toxic gas that can be fatal for other flowers.