I love fresh cut flowers in a vase. In fact, every time I pass by the bouquets of fresh flowers at the farmers market my eyes glaze over because I want to buy them all and take them home with me.
On the rare occasion when I buy cut flowers or someone sends them to me, I am always amazed at how much longer they last than the ones I cut in my backyard.
Well, it turns out those florists have some tricks up their sleeves—real secret squirrel stuff.
Here are a couple tips to try to make your cut flowers last longer:
- Cut flowers in the morning or evening when the weather is cooler and the buds are just starting to open or close.
- Cut stems at a slant, so there will be more surface area for the stem to suck up water.
- Immediately put the stem into water after cutting. Once the cut seals up, the flower can’t take up water.
- Make sure to cut off any leaves that will be in the water. Rotting leaves in the water will lead to faster decay.
- Add about ½ tsp. of sugar to water for a little flower pick-me-up. Also, a scant amount of bleach or vodka {or other clear alcohol} will help limit bacteria growth in the water.
- Keep cut flowers out of direct sunlight and away from fruit bowls {Which I am sure you have delicately arranged so that you can do an amazing oil painting. Ha.}
- Change the water completely every 2 days.
- Crush an aspirin and put it in the vase with water. It will extend the life of the flowers.
- Try placing pennies in the bottom of the vase. The copper makes the water more acidic, which prevents bacteria from growing.
- Give the petals a couple of spritzes of hairspray. It will prevent them from fading prematurely. {Plus, it will add volume and hold. Ha.}
Do you have any tips to getting fresh cut flowers to last longer?
~Mavis
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Tracey says
My tulips never fail to droop upon arrival, but I recently learned that if you poke a straight pin/needle through the stem right at the base of the flower, the tulips will stand up straight, if you like them that way.
Sharon says
Hi do you leave the needle?
suzanne says
Eight years ago I started using quick dip floralife for my daughters wedding. What can I say I was nervous. I’ve since used the same small bottle for 2 nieces weddings. Everything lasts for about 2 weeks. I Grow lots flowers/fillers for cutting and your tips do really help.
Ruth says
Cut the stems (on a slant) under water. Make fresh cuts every other day. Change the water in the vase at that point.
If it’s a woody-stemmed plant (camellias, forsythia, etc) hammer the ends to help them take up water.
Add a big splash of lemon-lime soda to the water when you change it (the sugar will feed the flowers and the acid will keep the water clean.
Before you go to bed, set the bouquet in a cool place overnight.
Fun fact (well, maybe not so fun): when my mother was a young nursing student in the 1930’s, all floral arrangements had to be removed from the patients’ rooms at night. It was believed that the flowers would suck all the oxygen from the room and kill the patient.
Why didn’t they just open a window? Well, it was also believed that the night air would kill the patient.
No air conditioning at that point. No antibiotics. I suppose they were doing the best they could. But a lot of my mom’s time was spent moving floral arrangements to and fro.
After that, she never did like cut flowers and we never had them in the house growing up!
Angela D. says
That is SO interesting, Ruth! Thanks for sharing!
Susan says
I love cut flowers, too and these are some great tips!!
Thanks! 🙂
Lana says
We have had armfuls of azaleas in the house in huge vases this Spring and they have been glorious! They drop the flowers pretty quickly and nothing prevents it but we just go out and dump the old and cut a new vase full. It is a Spring tradition here. The sweetest though was two of the grandchildren breaking off one flower each and bring them inside to me with beaming faces.
Lynn Y says
I’m a little late to the party, but I always like to use filtered water for cut flowers. Since I have been using only filtered water, I have not had issues with murky, stinky water and then the flowers usually last longer. My filter uses ceramic filters, just the plain one (it filters out bacteria but not particles as small as a virus).
Everything seems to be blooming 2-3 weeks early this year. The lilacs are almost done and they normally just start blooming on Mothers’ Day. Tulips were 2 weeks early. Apple trees were early and I held my breath when we got a frost (but they weren’t taken out). The viburnum and bridal’s wreath bushes are about 2-3 weeks early, also.