How To Make Your Flower Cutting Last Longer

Whether you’re a floral designer or a simple flower lover, keeping your flowers fresh is an important part of a happy home. These time-tested tips from The Delicate Daisy – House of Flowers are sure to help keep your bouquets blooming longer!

Trim The Stems

If you want to make your flower cutting last longer, you’ll need to trim the stems properly. This is something that is easy to miss, and could make your bouquets wilt faster and lessen their freshness period. Using a sharp knife or shears, cut each stem on an angle of about 45 degrees. This will increase the surface area that the flowers can take up water. This will allow them to suck up more water and also encourage the stems to branch out and give you more flowers! Another trick is to strip unwanted foliage from the lower portion of the stems before placing them in water. This will retard bacterial growth that can shorten the life of your flowers.

Add Sugar

Adding sugar to your flower cuttings can help them last longer. The sugar provides the flowers with essential nutrients they’d receive from the plant if it were still alive. The key is to mix it into the water, not just to sprinkle on top of the flowers. This makes it easier to change the water every couple of days, and keeps them smelling fresher longer.  Another way to add sugar is to use a vinegar and sugar mix that nourishes the flowers and helps unopened buds develop and open. This works great for roses, and you can make it at home with a ratio of one quart of water and two tablespoons of sugar.

Change The Water

Your flowers need to be able to draw in water in order to stay alive. This is why changing the water in your vase every day is so important. If you’re a beginner, it’s best to use warm water for your flower cuttings, as this will help them to open faster. This is because warm water molecules move faster than cold ones, making it easier for your flowers to absorb the water they need to stay healthy and fresh.

Keep Them Cool

If you’ve ever had a bouquet of flowers that quickly wilts, you know how much of a pain it can be. That’s why it’s important to keep your flower cuttings cool – if you can. Now you might think that using ice cubes to cool down your flowers will be enough to prevent them from wilting, but that won’t work. Rather, your flowers need to be kept in a place where they are cool and will not get too hot. Another way to make your flower cuttings last longer is by avoiding direct sunlight. It’s not only a pain for your flowers to be exposed to the sun, but it can also dry out the petals and cause them to wilt.