How to Make Flowers Last

How can we make flowers last as long as possible??

Surely, you’ve seen the video going around from Drew Barrymore’s show of the florist talking about the fleeting beauty of flowers and why that’s a good thing that makes them special. I love that sentiment and I think we should cling to anything we can that helps us savor a moment, but we also have to face the reality that sometimes we just want the flowers to last!!

They’re expensive for one thing, and it seems like flower costs just keep rising for florists, which translates to higher prices for customers. A floral arrangement usually also has some sentimental value, either from the person who gave them or the occasion they were bought for. And besides cost and personal reasons to keep flowers, they’re just nice to look at, which is reason enough to try and prolong their beauty. 

So, let’s talk real tips that work to keep flowers fresh. 

First of all, what factors cause flowers to die early?

 Flowers need three things to survive:

•  Water 

No water means the flower will quickly get dehydrated, causing it to wilt and eventually dry up.

•  Food

Without food, a flower can't sustain itself for long and any closed blooms will not open over time like they would with proper nutrients.

•  Protection from mold/bacteria

If you’ve had the unpleasant experience of cleaning out a vase of forgotten flowers, you know they get moldy and smelly and slimy. This is because of bacteria buildup decomposing the flower.

Here’s how you can make sure your cut flowers get exactly what they need:

Water

I think we all know that cut flowers need to be in water to stay alive, but let’s get into the conditions of the water. 

First of all, the water needs to be clean and bacteria-free. Filtered water from the fridge is pretty good, as it’s cold and fairly clean. However, it won’t stay free of germs while sitting in the vase on your counter. It also doesn’t provide any sustenance to the flowers. You need something to protect the water — and flowers — from bacteria. You also need something to feed the flowers, as the water provides hydration only.

Thats where those little packets you get with your bouquet become important. 

Flower Food

They’re typically called “flower food” packets, but they usually contain three main components, food being only one of them. The other two are antibacterial ingredients and acid.

First, the food! When a flower is cut, it no longer has an energy source. Before, it could use photosynthesis to create energy, but sitting in a vase, it doesn't have the facilities. Flower food provides sugars to keep flowers alive longer and help blooms open.

Cut flower food packets also usually have acids, which lowers the ph of the water. This helps the flower take up water through the stem, and also makes it harder for bacteria to grow in the water. Which takes us to the final flower food component, the bacteria managers!

A very important role of cut flower packets is to prevent mold and clogged xylem (water intake system of a plant) by killing bacteria (wikipedia.org). If you’re in a situation where you didn’t get a flower packet or you’ve already used it and it’s time for another water change, you can use a bit of bleach to help control bacteria in the water; about 1/4 tsp per quart of water (eathealthy365.com).

Changing the Water

Despite the best effort of the flower packets, the water in your vase will eventually turn moldy if left long enough. So what you need to do is change the water, often. Preferably every 2-3 days depending on the flowers used and your own judgement watching the appearance of the water and flowers. If the water is cloudy, change it. If the stems are getting soft or the flower petals are turning brown, change the water.

When you change the water, you’re going to want to do three things: obviously, replace old dirty water with fresh, clean, cool water. But also, WASH THE VASE WITH SOAP! It’s holding onto whatever bacteria and plant slime was in the water, so just replacing the water without washing the vase is a waste of your time. The third thing you’ll want to do while the flowers are out of the vase is trim all the stems. 

Trimming the Stems

The reason you need to trim your flower stems has to do with their anatomy. A flower’s stem works like a straw to suck up water. If you look closely at a cut stem, you can see tiny holes called xylem. These take in water that travels up the stem to the rest of the flower. Your florist will put a fresh, clean cut on every stem as they make the arrangement, but over time the ends of the stems get soft and the xylem get clogged. Stems need to be trimmed or the flower will not get fresh water, no matter how often you replace it. 

When you trim flower stem, it’s important to do all you can to not damage the stem as crushing it in any way can close off the xylem. This can be achieved by using a sharp knife to make one clean cut. If there are any splits, bends, or smashed parts in the stem, cut them off, as they’ll get clogged and encourage bacteria growth. Something else that will help the flower take in more water is cutting the stem at an angle instead of straight across the bottom. Using a diagonal cut exposes more surface area to the water, which helps it take more in.

Bonus tip: If any of your flowers have leaves on them, make sure they’re high enough on the stem that they won’t touch the water, or take them off. Leaves and petals in the water are one of the quickest ways to develop bacteria and plant slime in your bouquet. 

Now that you’ve got your water and vase clean, your stems trimmed, and your flowers fed, all is not done. There are a few other elements that can cut your flowers short. 

Temperature

Most cut flowers need to stay cool and out of direct sunlight. Tropical flowers are okay to be warmer (above 50 F), but prolonged direct sunlight could still dry them out or scorch the petals and leaves, making the colors fade quickly (local.florist). So keep all your flowers in the shade or indirect light. 

Florists usually store all their supply in coolers to help them last longer, which might tempt you to put your bouquet in the fridge overnight, but please don’t. Most flowers need to be at 33-35 F, which is right at the temperature of a typical fridge, BUT the food in your fridge such as ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, which causes flowers to age faster (biologyinsights.com). 

Your flowers are safer on your countertop where you can enjoy them —  As long as there are no furry friends in the house that want to take a nibble. 

Are there any tips I missed?

Take a look at our shop for arrangements with long-lasting flowers and keep an eye out for our upcoming post on which flowers last longest in the heat outdoors.