Tips to Make Flowers Last Longer

We all know how much I love having fresh cut flowers in the home! An arrangement can be and extremely impactful visual for a room or tablescape. The tricky part with flowers is making sure the bounty produced by your green thumb doesn’t turn brown and wilt as soon as they are in your space! Get the most out of your arrangements by following these easy steps.

Gif via YouTube

Clean Vessel

Make sure that the vessel or vase that you use to showcase your flowers is clean. Use a little soap and water every day to clean out the vase (while removing the flowers, of course). This will remove any bacteria or fungus growing in the vase that might damage your blooms.

Gif via YouTube

Water Temperature

Blooms love warm water. The water should be anywhere from 100-110 degrees. Fill the vase with warm water and let it sit until all the air bubbles vanish. Replace the water everyday with this same process and you’ll be able to squeeze a couple more days out of your beautiful blooms.

Gif via YouTube

Cut the Stems

Keep the water flowing! Hold the stems underneath the water and cut them at a 45 degree angle. Cut 1-2 inches off. This will create a wide opening for your plants to drink up water. By cutting them under water, you can avoid giving your blooms an air embolism, which affects the way they suck up water. It’s best to cut the stems every time you replace the water.

Use Household Hacks

Some of the best things to keep your blooms alive are within reach. Bleach, aspirin, hair spray, sugar and even vodka help keep your arrangement look garden fresh. The flower food packet that comes with most delivered bouquets provides 3 components to a longer bloom life: sugar (nutrients), an acidifier (to maintain the water’s pH level and help the stems soak up water), and bleach (to reduce bacteria in the water). If you have the packet, sprinkle a bit into the fresh water each day, if not try these at home solutions.

Bleach: I know it seems crazy but if you add 1/4 teaspoon bleach per quart (1 liter) of vase water, your arrangement will definitely last longer. The bleach clouds the water, but in that process it kills bacteria that is detrimental to the life of your blooms.
Aspirin: Most flowering plants prefer acidic soil. They crave that acidity once they’ve been cut. By adding Aspirin to water, you are creating a preservation solution, but your plants still need nutrition. Just crush up an advil and let it dissolve into the water.
Sugar: This is the nutrition component that your flowers desire. Dissolve 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar per quart (liter) of warm water. Or use a different anti-bacterial solution like bleach or vodka if you are in a pinch.
Vodka: Keep those flowers lush. A couple drops of vodka in your arrangement will prevent bacteria from growing.
Hairspray: Use hair spray just like you would on your own head, and it will keep your bouquet looking fresh. Spray the the arrangement from a foot away on the undersides of the leaves and petals.

Gif via YouTube

Keep them Cool

The best way to preserve your arrangements is by keeping them in a cool environment. If you are heading out, keep your arrangement in the refrigerator but away from fruit.  The cold reduces microbial growth and the metabolic rate of your flowers, which gives them a longer life!

Gif via YouTube

Forbidden Fruit

Keep them away from fruit! Fruit produces ethylene, which tells a plant to ripen, and that will shorten the lifespan of your flowers.

I hope that these tips help your hold onto that arrangement a bit longer!

Xoxo,

Candy

The post Tips to Make Flowers Last Longer appeared first on Spelling It Out: Candy Spelling on Living, Home Decor, Entertaining, Style & More.