How to Make Your Flowers Last Longer

Have you just received a beautiful flower bouquet, or are you about to send one by post or as a letterbox present to someone? We’ve compiled a quick how to guide for you to know (and tell everyone!) how to keep your flowers for longer. See below a few tips which should help keep your flowers alive and looking fresh for those extra few days.

1. Clean your Vase & Change the Water Frequently

A simple one to start – ideally, you want to prevent mould, dust, etc. and change the water every three to four days, while re-cutting the stems slightly in order to keep them fresh.

2. Remove the Bottom Leaves

If the bottom leaves of the stems are left below the water, they will quickly deteriorate as they will be fully immersed in water, which could lead to mould. So always make sure you should always take five minutes to remove the leaves below the waterline.

3. Give Them A Boost

You can use flower food which is generally supplied with most bouquets, or if you don’t have any you can use an alternative such as sugar, aspirin or bleach (to slow fungi and bacteria).

Here is a homemade plant food recipe alternative:
• 1 quart water (just under a litre)
• 2 tablespoons lemon juice
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 teaspoon bleach.

Bear in mind that different varieties of cut flowers require different proportions of sugar, so if you’d like to be precise in your measures, read this sugar and acidity guide.

4. Choose a Dark Glass or Ceramic Vase

This one’s a simple one. Darker glasses or ceramics will block natural sunlight from hitting the water, which will slightly delay the stems from decay.

5. Choose a Colder & Non-Drafty Spot

Place your cut flowers or bouquets in a dry and cooler room such as your porch or dining table. It’s best to avoid putting them in a room which can get warm easily from the sunlight, gas hob, radiator, or any electric equipment.

6. Trim the Stems at an Angle

If you’d like to open up the stems to the water and plant food for your flowers to absorb them quicker, one of our tips is to trim the stems ends at an angle. They tend to close and get ‘gummy’ over time, so keep them fresh for longer by cutting them every three to four days.

7. Put Them Back into Water ASAP

When you’re trimming the stems, timing is everything! The stems will begin to seal up, so if you delay putting your cut flowers back into the water quickly, it will inhibit their ability to hydrate properly.

8. Choose Your Flowers Carefully

Remember that some flowers are hardier than others by nature, so they will have a longer lifespan no matter how much effort you put in to keep them alive. For example, carnations, chrysanthemums, alstroemeria, gladiolus, delphinium, lilies, or sunflowers can last up to 2 weeks. As opposed to hibiscus, roses, evening primroses, peonies, or pansies which can sometimes only last a couple of days.

For more information, we have a few other blog you can refer to our how to care for your roses.