How to Make Cut Flowers Last Longer in a Vase

Flowers Are Part of a Living Plant

The essential thing to remember when handling flowers is that they are (or rather were) part of a living plant. From the moment they are cut, to the moment when you put them into a vase with water, they need to be treated with care.

If you are lucky enough to be able to grow flowers in your own garden, bring them indoors as soon as possible after cutting. This will make the transition from soil to water quick and relatively painless for your flowers and wilI cause the least trauma to the cut stems. 
 However most people buy their cut flowers from a supermarket or specialist florist's store. This means that some hours may pass between buying and the time when the flowers are once again immersed in water.

Caring For Your Fresh Flowers

Before make sure that every part of the bouquet or bunch of flowers looks in good condition. Check that none of the leaves have withered or turned brown or show signs of disease. The flowers should be either in bud or only slightly open.
When you get home, make sure the vase you intend to use is really clean. It is a good idea to rinse it with bleach. Use a scouring pad to remove all traces of mildew or algae from previous flower bouquets.
Before arranging the flowers in the vase, you need to condition them first. This means allowing them to rehydrate for a couple of hours and absorb the moisture they have lost since being cut from their roots.

Conditioning and Preparing Your Flowers

When the stem draws water up into the flower heads it also takes water to any leaves below the flowers. So the first step is to remove any excess leaves that you do not want in the finished arrangement. Make sure you remove any leaves that will be below the water level of the vase as these will rot and taint the water. Then take off any remaining leaves that you do not want for contrast color next to the blooms.

By the time your flowers or plants arrive in your home, they will probably not have been watered for some time. So you must rehydrate them. Fill a bucket with tepid water (room temperature) or you could fill a kitchen sink with water instead. Trim the base of each stem so that there is a fresh raw surface ready to suck up the clean water. Place the cut flowers into the bucket (or sink) so that the entire stem is submerged and the flower heads rest on top of the water. They should be left like this for a minimum of half an hour and up to two hours depending on their condition.

After having a good drink, the flowers and stem will be refreshed and be in a better state to last in your home. Gently lift each stem individually from the water shaking off the excess and then arrange them in your vase. The video below shows how a professional florist carries out this task.

Change the vase water regularly to make your flowers last longer. Remember to renew the plant food (or your home-made equivalent) when you do this.

Flowers that have woody stems (for example roses and hydrangeas) last longest if you arrange them in a deep water vase. Flowers that have fleshy stems (for example tulips and daffodils) can do better if the water level is kept shallow as this prevents their stems rotting.
When you are arranging the flowers, the shorter you cut the stem, the longer the flowers will last as the heads don’t have as far to draw up the water.

 St Anne’s Florist and Gift Baskets Perth is the Perth Florist shop that you should entrust with your Perth Flowers order. Order your Flowers Perth, Gift Baskets Perth or Gift Hampers Perth securely online NOW, call the Subiaco Florist Shop on (08) 9388 8844 to speak to us direct or come into the Perth Florist Shop at 111 Newcastle Street, Perth Western Australia 6000.

Cut Flower Care - How to Keep your Flowers Fresher Longer!

Cut Flower Care

How can you keep your fresh flowers looking fabulous longer, just how they’ve been delivered by St Anne’s Florist and Gift Baskets? Here are some helpful tips to help your flowers last longer:

• Source the freshest, highest quality flowers available (St Anne’s Florist and Gift Baskets has this step already covered for you).

• Trim all flower stems with sharp clean secateurs or scissors diagonally approx. 2-3cm’s from the bottom of the stem as soon as possible after receiving the flowers. By cutting the stems diagonally you are increasing the surface area in which the exposed cell capillaries can draw in water.

• Ethylene gas is released by decaying leaf and stem trimmings, ripening fruit, cigarettes and motor vehicle exhaust gases. So trim/strip all foliage/leaves that will sit below the intended vase water line. (Do not buy cut flowers from vendors who have flower stock displayed out front of shops by the roadside or that have been standing in the sun).

• Foliage on most flowers can be removed by simply grasping around the flower stem and then pulling downward gently. However hard stemmed or stems with thorns such as roses can be stripped using a small sharp knife pulled along the stem.

• Choose a clean vase for your flowers. (Dirty vases decrease the life of your flowers due to harmful bacteria shortening the life of your flowers).

• Do not use metallic vases as these react detrimentally with fresh cut flowers.

• Arrange your flowers in the most appropriate vase, fill the vase with water ensuring the water level does not go higher than the bottom of the foliage/leaves.

Now that you have your flowers in a suitable vase, the following points are just as important to maximize the vase life of your flowers:

• Keep your fresh flowers as cool as possible; out of direct sunlight; out of drafts, away from air-conditioning vents/units, away from heaters, away from lamps and strong lighting in close proximity.

• Keep your flowers away from all ripening fruit and vegetables. (see ethylene gas above)

• Re-cut stems approx 2-3cm’s from the bottom and replace water at least every second day (more often if possible and convenient to do so).

• When you are changing the water (as above) it is a good idea to scrub the vase clean with a diluted bleach solution at the same time. By changing the water and cleaning the vase regularly you are decreasing the levels of bacteria that detrimentally affect the vase life of your flowers.

• Remove any decaying stems, wilted or dead flowers that have ‘seen better days’.

• Sit back and absorb the beauty of fresh cut flowers.

By following the above steps, you are going to assist in maximizing the vase life of your fresh cut flowers.

If you are looking for the best flowers, hampers, balloons, teddy bears, plants in Perth, Western Australia call us on 08 9388 8844, order online at www.stannesflorist.com.au or come into our Perth Florist Shop at 111 Newcastle Street, Perth Western Australia 6000

How To Keep Your Fresh Cut Flowers Lasting Longer | Cut Flower Care

How To Keep Your Fresh Cut Flowers Lasting Longer

·          Try and make sure that the flowers you buy are really fresh. When buying fresh flowers, choose flowers that are just starting to open and contain plenty of bus on the stem, the more buds the longer you will be able to enjoy them for! Avoid flowers that are wilting, or have yellowing leaves or stems, slimy stems or shrivelled disfigured buds. Don’t buy flowers that have been standing in the sun or exposed to car fumes, Always buy them from a shop that has kept them in a coolroom.

·          Once purchased, take your flowers home very carefully as they bruise and damage really easily. Try and keep them cool and out of the hot sun, don’t leave them in a hot car

·          Place flowers in a bucket of fresh clean water while you prepare the vase.

·          Once home, prepare your vase making sure it is clean – the slimy bacteria in a vase shortens the life of your flowers. Fill your vase with clean water.

·          Remove any lower leaves and shoots that will be sitting below the water line.

·          With sharp secateurs or scissors, cut off about approximately 2-3 centimetres on an angle from the bottom of each stem.

·          Arrange the flowers to your liking in the vase that contains fresh water.

·          Position your flowers so that it is away from any direct sun, heaters and draughts. Don’t place near bowls of fruit or veggies as this will shorten the flowers life.

·          Top up the water every couple of days or, if possible replace the water completely with fresh water. Its surprising how much flowers ‘drink’, so make sure they are topped up.

·          Now that you have done all that you can to lengthen the life of your flowers, sit back and enjoy them!!