There’s nothing like a vase of fresh cut flowers to breathe life into a room. Whether you got a bouquet from your local florist, cut them from your own garden, or picked up a bundle from the grocery store, fresh cut flowers are a great way to add color and fragrance to your home. The problem is that fresh-cut flowers don’t last forever, and wilting, dying blooms are not ideal home decor. The good news is that there are a few easy steps you can take to increase their longevity and keep them looking prettier for longer.
How long do most fresh cut flowers last?
How long your blooms last depends on quite a few things. Different types of flowers, like hydrangeas and lilies, are known to last longer, while peonies and daisies only last a few days. The freshness of the flowers also plays a role in how long they last. You’ll find flowers cut right out of your garden will last longer than the bouquet you pick up from the grocery store, which may have been sitting out for days.
Regardless of the type of cut flowers you want to display to add color to your home, there are some tricks to maximizing their freshness. Let’s take a look!
Cut at an angle
It turns out the way you cut your flowers makes a difference in how long they last. Cutting at an angle, typically a 45-degree angle, is the most popular recommendation from florists and floral enthusiasts. This is because cutting at an angle increases the surface area of the stem, allowing it to absorb more water. If you really want to make your fresh cut flowers last, re-cut them after a few days. And make sure your scissors are clean!
Remove the leaves
Not only do submerged leaves take up a lot of space and look sloppy, they can also cause bacterial growth. Leaves that are underwater can rot, which causes bacterial growth that kills fresh cut flowers. So, make sure to prune any leaves that are below the waterline.
Choose the right vase
Vases are one of my absolute favorite home decorations, and I have dozens. But it’s important to look beyond the pretty colors and cool shapes and choose a vase that works best for the flowers you plan to use. Of course, your fresh cut flowers need enough space to breathe, but the height is more important than you may realize. If your cut flowers are light and fragile, you should use a taller vase that offers more support. If you have heavier flowers, you can use a lower vase.
Keep them away from sunlight and vents
While flowers need sunlight to grow, it turns out that they don’t like the sun once they are cut. Sunlight can dehydrate flowers, so cut flowers do best in cool, dark spots in the home. The draft from the AC is something else that fresh cut flowers don’t like, so make sure they’re away from vents and fans.
Feed your fresh cut flowers
Making sure your cut flowers have nutrients to keep them looking fresh is really important. Many florists agree that the bag of flower food that comes with a bouquet is all you need to make your cut flowers last longer. This flower food is a mixture of sugar, acidifier, and a biocide. The sugar provides energy for the flowers, the acidifier helps the water and nutrients flow up the stem, and the biocide prevents the growth of bacteria.
If you’re using flowers from your garden, there are a couple of other methods you could try. One is to try are placing a copper penny in the vase, which is supposed to prevent the growth of bacteria, or adding a few drops of vodka and a teaspoon of sugar, which is also supposed to keep the water free from bacteria.
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