Cut Flowers – How to Make Them Last Longer

You’ve grown beautiful flowers and now you want to cut a few and bring them inside. The problem sometimes is… they don’t last very long before wilting and having to be thrown away. Fortunately, there is an answer for this.

You can have Cut Flowers Last Longer for Full Enjoyment

Three things will add vase life to your cut flowers:

1. Selection of cut flowers
2. Proper Preparation of cut flowers
3. Maintenance of cut flowers

1- Selection:

First of all, good flower selection is a key initial step to longevity. Choose flowers that are just coming into bloom. Also, cut your flowers in the early morning or late in the evening when they are holding their maximum amount of water. It is best to cut most fresh flowers before they fully open. By doing this they will retain their attractive form longer. In the case of flowers like roses or poppies you should cut them when their buds first show color.

The next stage after selection is to make the actual cutting and to properly prepare them. When making the cut, use a sharp knife or pruning shears for a clean incision. If you use household scissors or shears, or a dull knife, you can mash the stem which slows the absorption of water for the flower. Make an angled slanted cut because a squared off cut will have the stem sitting on the bottom of the vase and thus reduce water intake.

Make sure you cut off any of the lower leaves as you prepare. Then immerse the stems into luke warm water of about 110 degrees. Note: Exceptions are flowers like poinsettias and poppies that bleed a milky sap when cut. In this case, plunge the stem into icy water to stop the flow.

Preservatives - Next, use preservatives to help extend the flowers vase life. These types of answers include materials containing sugars for nutrients, acids to prevent bacterial growth, and a fungicide to reduce the chance of disease. Basically, anything that will feed the flower, prohibit bacteria, and feed the flower will work.

A homemade version of this can be a recipe consisting of this:

• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 1 teaspoon of bleach
• 2 tablespoons of lemon or lime juice
• Mix all in warm water

Warm water helps in the absorption process, but in the case of cold weather blooms like tulips cold water is best.

Some maintenance is helpful in longer lasting flowers. Once your flowers are in the vase, keep it out of direct sunlight and in a cooler spot. As flowers wilt remove them so they don’t contaminate the rest of the bunch. Changing the water daily is best but at least every 2-3 days and re-add more preservatives each time. As you do this re-cut the stems to allow the fullest absorption.

Enjoy Your Flowers, Longer!