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How to keep flowers fresh in a vase – 7 tips to remember

(Image credit: Brent Darby)

We all have reasons for wondering how to keep flowers fresh in a vase. Whether you want to prolong peony season for that little bit longer – or you want to extend the lifespan of your roses from a special day. Whatever the reason, the solutions remain the same. And it starts with the placement of your vase (and, maybe surprisingly, your fruit bowl. 

Keeping your best indoor plants healthy comes down to several factors: from the water you use to the vase's placement in the kitchen...

How to keep flowers fresh in a vase – 7 mistakes to avoid for healthier blooms 

Here, top florists share the most common mistakes to avoid – and solutions – for healthy blooms that will make a statement for longer.

1. Placing flowers next to a fruit bowl

(Image credit: Hattie Lloyd Home)

According to Interflora Florist Vicky Wilson, your fruit bowl could be one of the main reasons why your flowers are wilting so quickly. This is because many fruits, including apples, bananas, and tomatoes, all produce high levels of ethylene, a gas that interferes with the production of ethylene in flowers. In turn, this speeds up signs of aging and shortens their life.

'Avoid keeping your flowers next to the fruit bowl,' revealed Bethany Day from Interflora, who re-emphasizes the effects of ethylene on your plant, 'Fruits release gasses that make flowers fade fast. Strange but true!'

If you love the look of fruit and flora together in the kitchen then fear not. Decorating with dried flowers is a great option in this space, as these blooms will not wilt in the presence of your favorite fruit. 

2. Choosing the wrong shaped vase

(Image credit: Brent Darby)

Decorating with vases is one way to lift your space and fill a corner with color. However, it is important to remember to keep things practical as well as good-looking. If you opt for the wrong size or shape (no matter its aesthetic), your flowers will not have enough breathing space, and this can limit their lifespan.  

'If the vase is too narrow, the stems might get squished. Damaged stems equate to a short vase life,' Vicky says.'If the mouth of your vase is too wide, the arrangement will lose all shape. A pro-tip is to ensure that the stems fit nicely into the mouth of the vase'. 

3. Forgetting to trim the stems

(Image credit: Future/Simon Brown)

Flowers use capillary action to bring the vase water up to the blooms, and simply cutting the stems shorter will make it easier for them to collect the water. 

And, if they've been sitting in a bucket at the florists for a while, it might be that their stems have become damaged at the bottom – cutting them off by a couple of inches will create a fresh opening for water to rise through. Cut the stems at an angle and under water then pop them straight into the vase of water for best results. 

4. Not removing the leaves

(Image credit: Vanrenen GW Designs)

Leaves that sit in water rot, and this rot will cause bacteria to flourish, which will in turn damage the blooms over time. It's best to snip off leaves that will sit below the water line before you put them in the vase.

'Remove any leaves from the bottom of the stem before putting it into a vase of water,' adds landscaper Melody Estes from The Project Girl . 'This will keep your flowers looking fresh longer, as water and nutrients can't reach the leaves without being filtered through them first.'

5. Using the wrong water

(Image credit: Paul Raeside)

According to Melody, it is important to avoid using tap water when nourishing your plants. This is because tap water often contains chlorine which is bad for cut blooms and the best fragrant flowers alike. However, the process begins even before you put the water in the vase. 

The first thing to check is that your vase is clean – washing it out with warm water and dish soap before you fill it will again minimize bacteria. The experts suggest using filtered water that is lukewarm and letting the water sit a while as you cut the flower stems. This will help with water absorption – and keep your flowers fresh for longer. 

And, if you really want to keep flowers fresh in a vase for as long as possible, you need to change the water every day.

6. Forgetting to feed your flowers

(Image credit: Future / Polly Eltes)

Flower food, often supplied taped to the stems, isn't just about nourishing your flowers – it also contains antimicrobial ingredients that will inhibit the growth of bacteria to keep the water clean, and citric acid, which helps make the water acidic, which in turn keeps the flowers healthy. 

7. Putting your flowers in the window

(Image credit: Brent Darby)

A sunny windowsill or hot living room may be where you really want to show off your flowers, but it will make them decay faster. 

'It’s not a good idea to place your bouquet in direct sunlight, or in a very warm area of your house such as near radiators – they certainly won’t thank you for it,' cautions  Hannah Sanderson, the founder of Native Roots Flowers . Instead, she suggests placing cut flowers in a cool area of the house to ensure the longest vase life.

Megan is the News and Trends Editor at Homes & Gardens. She first joined Future Plc as a News Writer across their interiors titles, including Livingetc and Real Homes. As the News Editor, she often focuses on emerging microtrends, sleep and wellbeing stories, and celebrity-focused pieces. Before joining Future, Megan worked as a News Explainer at The Telegraph, following her MA in International Journalism at the University of Leeds. During her BA in English Literature and Creative Writing, she gained writing experience in the US while studying in New York. Megan also focused on travel writing during her time living in Paris, where she produced content for a French travel site. She currently lives in London with her antique typewriter and an expansive collection of houseplants. 

How to Make Flowers Last Longer: 9 Tricks

Flowers are a common gift for any of life’s special occasions and even the moments in between. A bouquet of bright blooms can bring cheer to any space and leave a lasting impression, even after they’re gone. Whether you’ve received an anniversary arrangement, a graduation bouquet or picked out a gorgeous bunch for the coffee table, you’ll want to enjoy them for as long as possible.

The sad truth is that flower bouquets don’t last forever. On the bright side, there are guidelines and little known tips you can use to ensure the longevity of your flowers. We are uncovering everything you need to know about how to make flowers last longer and even putting a few theories to the test.

Flower Care Tips

The first step to making your flowers stay fresh longer is by following a few flower care guidelines. Use the tips below to to extend the life of your blooms from the start.

Cut the Stems One of the most common mistakes people make after receiving flowers is forgetting to cut the stems. Use garden shears to trim one to two inches off and cut at an angle. Cutting the stems at an angle allows for better water intake since they aren’t sitting flat on the bottom of a vase. After the initial cut, be sure to re-trim your bouquet once every few days.

Prune Remove any leaves below the water line. It will not only make your bouquet look better, but also prevent bacterial growth. Some flowers, like roses, have guard petals which are the two or three outermost petals of the flower. Removing these will allow your flower to open up fully. After your initial pruning, you should check your flowers daily for dead or loose leaves and petals in order to avoid bacterial rot.

Water Wisely It’s not only important to get your bouquet hydrated, but to do so wisely. Your flowers won’t last long without water, especially once their stems have been cut. After picking out a clean vase, fill it with room temperature water and add in a packet of flower food. Make sure that the packet has been properly mixed and that the water is not too diluted or too concentrated. It’s also important to clean your vase thoroughly and change out the water and flower food every two to three days.

Avoid Direct Sunlight, Heat, Drafts and Fruit Your flowers will last longer in a room with cool temperatures. Avoid displaying them in direct sunlight or near appliances that generate heat. You’ll also want to avoid areas like open windows, heating or cooling vents and ceiling fans as they can cause the flowers to quickly dehydrate. You also shouldn’t display your bouquet near fruit. That’s right, ripening fruits release tiny amounts of ethylene gas which can reduce the longevity of your fresh arrangement.

In addition to general care, people have also been experimenting with different ways to make flowers last longer. Think household remedies like adding pennies, aspirin and even vodka to your flower water.

9 Interesting ways to Make Flowers Last Longer

There’s no need to keep asking yourself how to make flowers last longer. Surprisingly, you might have a few things lying around the house that can help you enjoy your bouquets. Check out the interesting list of household remedies below:

Sure these theories sound convincing, but which ones actually improve the life of your bouquets?

We were curious too, so we put a few flower care strategies to the test. We took the nine most popular theories for how to make flowers last longer in a controlled environment, here’s what we found out.

The Setup

We started with nine of the same ProFlowers bouquets. In each vase, we added one ProFlowers flower food packet and lukewarm water. Then each of the vases received one of the following flower care tricks and there was one control vase that received no treatment. On day three, we changed out the water, cleaned the vase and added the same ingredients back in.

Check out what each of these tricks claim to do, how to make the concoctions yourself and what happened over the next seven days below:

Apple Cider Vinegar and Sugar: Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water into a vase before adding your flowers. Vinegar acts as an antibacterial agent while the sugar acts as additional flower food. Although apple cider vinegar and sugar didn’t take the title as the worst result, it did come in a close second.

Aspirin: Mix 1 crushed aspirin into your vase of fresh flowers. Aspirin is said to lower the pH level of the water allowing it to travel through the flower faster, preventing wilting. Aspirin might be the solution to a head ache, but it’s not your best bet for keeping your flowers fresh.

Bleach: Add ¼ teaspoon of bleach to your vase of fresh flowers and they should stay fresh longer, at least that’s what they say. Bleach will keep your water from getting cloudy as well as help fight bacteria. The bleach did indeed keep the water in the vase from getting too cloudy although, it didn’t stand out in keeping the bouquet fresh.

Coins: Add a copper penny to your fresh bouquet. The copper should act as an acidifier, fighting the bacteria growth in your arrangement. On Day 4, the blooms with the copper penny opened up nicely. In fact, it may have caused the flowers to open too quickly resulting in a few wilting flowers by day 7.

Flower Food: Adding flower food to your vase of fresh flowers is a tried and true way to keep your blooms fresh longer. Each of our tested bouquets also received a packet of flower food along with their treatment.

Fridge: Put your bouquet in the fridge every night before bed (typically 8 hours per night.) Flowers are said to thrive in cooler temperatures. It is thought that the low temps help slow the aging. Looks like floral bouquets like to stay nice and cool. The bouquet that went in the fridge overnight came in first place and is the best way to make flowers last longer. This bouquet was looking healthy even on day 10.

Hair Spray: Spritz your fresh blooms with hairspray. There’s not much science to back this theory, but it holds your hair in place so it should work, right? Wrong. Whatever home remedy you decide to try to keep your flowers alive, it should not be spritzing the petals with hairspray. We recommend avoiding doing so at all costs. The hairspray came in last place being the worst way to make flowers last longer.

Soda: Pour ¼ cup of soda in a vase full of fresh flowers. The sugar in soda is said to make your blooms last longer and even smelling sweeter too. Looks like flowers enjoy some extra sweetness, the soda came in as our runner up trick to making flowers last longer. In fact, even on day 10 the soda bouquet was looking just as healthy as day 1 with the only difference being the flowers opening up more.

Vodka: Add a few drops of vodka (or any clear spirit) to your vase of flowers. Vodka is said to have a different effect on flowers. The spirit’s ability to inhibit ethylene production, a ripening gas that helps plants mature, slows the wilting of the flowers. This proved true and although vodka didn’t take the cake as the best way to keep flowers fresh longer, it did come in as  third runner up.

The results are in! Ever wonder why florists keep their bouquets in the fridge? Well, now you know…

Looks like making sure your flowers are nice and chill is the best way to keep them fresh longer. You can also try adding a little lemon-lime soda to your water mixture. On the other hand, just because a spritz of hairspray will keep your hair in place doesn’t mean it will keep your bouquet of flowers fresh. In fact, we recommend avoiding the hairspray method altogether.

Now that you have some extra tricks up your sleeve for ensuring the longevity of your bouquets, you should try one out yourself! Browse our collection of same day flower delivery and find the perfect bouquet for any celebration or surprise someone with flowers for no reason at all!

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Please Note: The bouquet pictured reflects our original design for this product. While we always try to follow the color palette, we may replace stems to deliver the freshest bouquet possible, and we may sometimes need to use a different vase.

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Please Note: The bouquet pictured reflects our original design for this product. While we always try to follow the color palette, we may replace stems to deliver the freshest bouquet possible, and we may sometimes need to use a different vase.

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There is something about the shade of blue that brings a sense of calmness and serenity. Our Beyond Blue bouquet is designed with billowing white blooms and pops of bold florals to deliver just the right sentiment for any reason.

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What to add to water to make flowers last longer in a vase

Why do flowers fade quickly?

The main reason is the lack of familiar environment. Cut stems are deprived of nutrition, which was carried out by obtaining the necessary substances by the root system, as well as moisture from the soil. Just water in a vase is not enough for a full life.

You may have already noticed that some bouquets stay fresh much longer than others. It also depends on the type of plant, but to a greater extent - on the conscientiousness of the florist who made you a bouquet. It could be collected from stale, frozen flowers, or it just stood in the store for a long time.

Flowers fade quickly also because they are not cared for properly. To keep the flowers in the vase longer, you need to change the water frequently. In this case, you need to put the bouquet in the shade, avoiding sunlight.

How to properly prepare a bouquet before placing it in a vase?

Preliminary preparation is necessary in order for the flowers to stand in the water for a long time. First, take apart the bouquet. Cut off each stem about 1-2 cm in length.

Please note that the cutting angle can be any. But we advise sticking to 45-50°.

Now dip the cut sections in lukewarm water. Wait for bubbles to appear.

Choose a container with a neck suitable for the size of the bouquet. It should not pinch the stems. Flowers need "freedom".

The vase must be clean. Do not neglect this point. After cleaning, fill a vase with cool water and place the prepared plants.

How to make a bouquet last longer in a vase

The first and basic rule is to use high-quality water. What kind of water is needed for flowers? Rain or melt is preferred. If there is nowhere to take it, then the most ordinary filtered one will do, but it has settled for a couple of hours, and preferably all night. To soften the water, add a little citric acid.

Spare no water. Pour enough so that it reaches the middle of the stems.

What else is needed to make the flowers stand for a long time? We have already mentioned that before placing the bouquet in a vase, it is necessary to cut off the lower parts of the stems. It is recommended to do this regularly (1 time per day). Through a fresh cut, the plants will be better saturated with moisture. Also remove the leaves/needles from the bottom.

What to add to flowers to make them last longer

To make flowers last longer, special preservatives are added to the water. Most of the products that prolong the life of plants can be found at home:

Each product for flowers, in order for them to stand 100% long, requires the correct dosage. Follow the proportions described above and do not overdo it with the amount of ingredients.

Which flowers last longer in a vase

How to make flowers last longer? Choose their varieties that are least susceptible to room conditions. Champions in the ability to adapt to different temperature and environmental conditions are chrysanthemums. With proper care, they can decorate the house for 3-4 weeks.

Carnations are no less hardy. There are many shades of this plant. Pay attention to them if you want a delicate bouquet to please your eye for at least 3 weeks.

Freesias, hyacinths, orchids and asters can keep fresh for at least 14 days. Daisies, irises, peonies and tulips are more capricious. In the absence of care and inappropriate conditions, they wither after 1.5 weeks.

Popular roses cost the least. If you come across “stale” specimens, then they will begin to fade after a couple of days. Fresh flowers will delight for about a week.

How to make flowers last longer: take good care of cut plants

What can we do to make flowers last longer? You need to follow a few simple rules:

Life hack: If the buds have begun to wilt, then it's time to give them shock therapy. To do this, pour boiling water on the bottom of the stem (a few centimeters from the end). Cut off the blackened ends. This procedure will help open the pores in the stems, and they will begin to absorb water with a vengeance.

Common mistakes

What can be done to make the flowers stand in a vase for a long time? In fact, everything is simple. Avoid the following errors:

  1. Irregular water changes. Make it a rule to change the water daily.

Important: the water must not be topped up, but replaced completely.

It should not be icy, but cool enough. If you put the water to settle, then it is better to keep it in a cool place.

  1. No preservatives in the water. It is not recommended to mix several funds. So you will speed up the decay.

  2. Wrong cut. A sloppy, torn cut is not suitable for plants.

  3. Presence of leaves at the bottom of the stem. Otherwise, they will start to rot in the water.

  4. Bad place. Do not place the bouquet near heaters, gas stoves, window sills located on the sunny side.

We have given you valuable tips on how to make flowers last longer. Stick to them and they will help prolong the life of your bouquet.

10 tips to prolong the life of fresh cut flowers

June 18, 2015Tips

Nothing brightens up a room and smells better than fresh flowers. In this article, you will find 10 tips on how to keep them in their original form for much longer.

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Whether it's a bouquet of roses from a loved one, a friendly bouquet of daisies from a fan, fresh peonies from your own garden, or a bouquet of tulips bought on impulse on your way home, here are some helpful tips to help you keep these flowers fresh and beautiful. much longer.

1. Buy only fresh flowers

If you buy roses yourself, always check how fresh they are. This can be done by squeezing the flower where the stem ends and the bud begins. If this part of the flower is soft, then the rose is old and should not be bought. If firm, then the flower is fresh.

2. Don't leave flowers without water

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Water keeps flowers alive. The longer the flowers are left without water, the less they will last. Therefore, if you buy flowers yourself and want to keep them longer, listen to these three recommendations:

3. Remove any wilted petals and leaves

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To keep the vase water cleaner and fresher longer, remove any rotten leaves and petals. Especially carefully clean the part of the stem that will fall into the water.

Leaves in water promote the formation of bacteria that are harmful to flowers. Moreover, when the leaves fall into the water, it becomes cloudy, acquires a putrid odor.

4. Trim your stems often

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Pay attention to the base of the stems before placing the flowers in the vase. You may notice that some of them have dried up. We need to cut those places.

Trim the flower to about 3-5 cm. Do this under running water or immerse the stems in a container of water. This is necessary so that air bubbles do not clog the vessels of plant tissue and do not interfere with the absorption of water by the flower. Trim the flower at a 45 degree angle to increase the suction surface of the flower.

It is a good idea to prune the stem a little (about 1 cm) daily or every other day. This will enable the flowers to consistently receive an influx of nutrients and water.

5.

Use a sharp knife to cut flowers

Scissors in most cases pinch the stem too much, resulting in damage to the fabric. Therefore, for these purposes, it is better to use a sharply sharpened knife. And in the case of thick stems, garden shears come in handy.

6. Place flowers only in a clean vase

It is very important to always place flowers in a clean vase that has been washed with hot soapy water. This will remove all microorganisms that are harmful to the flowers.

7. Change the water more often

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Some flowers grow even after being cut. For example, anemones continue to grow and consume huge amounts of water every day.

Look at the hydrangeas in the picture above, and you will notice that they have absorbed three-quarters of the water in the vase in a day.

We are used to pouring tap water into a vase. There is nothing wrong with this, but if you want to extend the life of flowers, then pour salt-free water into a vase. It can be obtained by running tap water through a filter, which is in almost every home today.

8. Feed the flowers

Once the flowers are cut, they no longer get nutrients from the soil. And this becomes our concern if we want to prolong their life.

In any flower shop you can buy a special powder to preserve fresh cut flowers. To the nutritional powder, you can add a little soda to the water (¾ teaspoon per liter of water). This will help keep the water clean and clear and slow down the growth of bacteria and flower-damaging microorganisms.

Just don't overdo it with soda, otherwise you will ruin the flowers that you so much want to keep.

9. Spray flowers

Almost all flowers love moisture, so they will benefit from being sprayed about 1-2 times a day.

10. Store flowers in cool places

Flowers last longer in cool places. Move them there overnight and keep them away from fireplaces, radiators, heaters, and direct sunlight at all times.

The temperature also matters when the flowers are cut. If you are doing it yourself, do it in the morning when the air is cooler.

Additional advice

I have a few more recommendations that are not included in the list above. They are from the category of people's councils, so I'm talking about them for informational purposes.