How to Make Flowers Last Longer
Making flowers last longer requires some knowledge and a bit of tender, loving care. While it’s true that all flowers eventually wilt, the key is to prolong their life span as much as possible. Not only does this enhance the aesthetic appeal of your living space, but it also helps save money. And these days – who doesn’t appreciate saving money?
We’ll show you how to treat your flowers with eight simple steps:
- Get them in Water: As soon as you get that floral bouquet, get it in water. Flowers start wilting when they’re out of water.
- Trim the Stems: Always snip an inch or two off each stem at an angle – this helps with water absorption.
- Avoid Heat: Keep flowers away from direct sunlight, heating vents or warm appliances. Extreme temperature is not their friend.
- Replace Water Everyday: Change the water daily or, at most, every alternate day to prevent bacterial growth.
- Use a Flower Preservative: Commercial preservatives can increase longevity. They typically contain sugar for energy and a bactericide to fend off decay.
- Avoid Fruit: Keep your flowers away from fruit and vegetables as these emit ethylene gas which causes the flowers to age faster.
- Cut off the Leaves: Prune the stems by removing leaves that are submerged in water. This prevents fungus and bacteria from growing in the water.
- Fresh Flower Food: If you can’t get a commercial preservative, make your own by adding a teaspoon of sugar, a few drops of bleach and 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to a quart of water.
Understanding the Lifespan of Flowers
In this section, we’ll delve deeper into understanding the lifespan of different types of flowers and the factors that play a significant role in their longevity.
Factors that Affect Flower Lifespan
Multiple factors can impact a flower’s lifespan. It’s not just about the flower’s inherent characteristics, but also about how the flower is cared for. Here are some points to consider:
- Care and handling: From the moment flowers are cut, how they’re handled can make a significant difference. Rough handling can accelerate wilting and decrease overall lifespan.
- Water quality: The quality and cleanliness of the water flowers are placed in can notably affect their lifespan. Using clean, room-temperature water helps them absorb moisture and nutrients more effectively.
- Environment: Flowers fare better in cooler, shady spots away from direct sunlight and other heat sources. The environmental conditions significantly influence how long flowers can maintain their freshness.
- Maintenance: Regular upkeep of flowers, including cutting their stems diagonally, removing faded flowers and leaves, and ensuring they are not overcrowded, contributes positively to their lifespan.
Enhancing Flower Longevity
Understanding the natural lifespan and the factors affecting the longevity of flowers is crucial to make them last longer. By following these steps, we’re able to enjoy the beauty and aroma of our favorite blooms for an extended period.
Providing Clean Water
Most flowers thrive when submerged in clean water. Water acts as a lifeline for cut flowers, facilitating the delivery of nutrients to their stems and petals. The key though, is that water needs to be fresh and clean. Dirty water harbors bacteria, which can clog up the vascular system of the flower and compound the decay. As a result, it’s essential to always provide your flowers with clean water. Moreover, always use lukewarm water unless dealing with bulb flowers like tulips or daffodils, which prefer cold water.
Adding Flower Food or Preservatives
Flower food, sometimes called preservatives, extends the vase life of cut flowers by providing them with essential nutrients. It’s usually composed of sugar, acid, and bleach. The sugar is food for the leaves and stems, the acid keeps the water’s pH level low to support uptake of water, and bleach helps control bacteria. When flower food is added to the vase water, it can nourish the flowers helping to keep them fresh for longer. Many florists provide packets of flower food with their bouquets, but homemade solutions can also be quite effective.
Changing Water and Trimming Stems Regularly
Fresh water not only keeps bacteria at bay but also preserves the visual appeal of your flowers. It’s a good practice to change the water every two days or sooner if it becomes cloudy. Additionally, trimming the stems of the flowers allows better water intake. With every change of water, re-cut the stems diagonally under running water or submerged in water to allow better uptake of water. Remember, always use a sharp knife or shears to avoid damaging the stem.
By using these techniques for enhancing flower longevity, we may bring the beauty of nature into our homes and enjoy it for significantly longer than usual.