So, you’ve purchased (or been gifted) a beautiful and unique floral arrangement. What can you do to ensure the cut flowers last longer, and the arrangement stays perky as long as possible?

We all want the flowers we keep in our homes to last. No one likes to see sad, droopy blooms falling onto the table! Wilting flowers bring unhappy energy into a space – the exact opposite of what we want these arrangements to achieve.

To Make Cut Flowers Last Longer, First Trim the Stems

As soon as you receive your local Pittsburgh flowers (before putting them into a vase), use a sharp pair of scissors to snip a bit off of each stem. This encourages immediate uptake of water, the most important thing your blossoms need to thrive.

After being cut from the field, flowers tend to go into a state of shock. They will work to heal the bottom portion of their stem.

By creating a small, fresh snip you are coaxing the blossom to drink as much water as as possible. Some flower types, such as hydrangeas and zinnias, are particularly slow at this “drinking.”

By cutting the stem, you’re essentially making a wider gap for fresh water to flow. Be sure to use very sharp scissors (or better yet, flower snips) to make the cleanest cut. Dull blades can cause unnecessary cellular damage to stems.

Deep Clean the Vase You Plan to Use

Having an extra-clean vase is essential to a long and happy life for your flowers. Literally, you want the vase to be clean enough to drink from! This is because any residual bacteria can adversely impact vase life.

A quick wash with soap and water should do the trick. This article on How to Arrange Flowers in a Vase contains helpful tips on vase selection!

Fill The Vase Partway with Very Cold Water

Just like people, most flowers really appreciate a chilly drink (especially on a hot day). Clean, cool, fresh water is the most hydrating for flowers and will ensure they soak up as quickly as possible.

You want to fill it with enough water that every stem is submerged. There is no need to fill the vase completely to the top. This can cause premature stem rot! Simply those tips submerged (a couple of inches is fine for a medium-sized bouquet).

Extend Vase Life by Add Flower Food to Water

Your Redolent Floral bouquets, or bouquets from a market, will typically come with a small packet of flower food. These powdered solutions can extend your vase life up to 60%!

The preservative nature of the food helps flowers hold their color and maintain plump, hearty blossoms. No need to empty the entire pack in the first go. Parsing out a small amount in the first few days will really make a difference.

Place the Vase Away from Direct Sunlight, Vents, Ripening Produce, and Pets

Similarly to many house plants, you want to ensure the arrangement you’re displaying is far away from any area that can experience temperature fluctuations. So, direct sunlight on a windowsill is a no-no; harsh rays will encourage quick wilting. A cool space is best.

The same goes for doorways – we want to avoid areas where quick temperature fluctuations often happen.

You also want to avoid placing your flowers right near a vent that produces air conditioning or heat. Keeping your flowers a least a couple of feet away from direct airflow should be enough.

As much as I love displaying flowers in my kitchen, it’s a pretty small space that tends to warm up whenever I am cooking. So, I avoid placing most arrangements in my kitchen and opt for hardier house plants that don’t mind as much.

Ripening fruit and vegetables emit ethylene gas (something you may be familiar with if you’ve ever tried to ripen a banana in a paper bag). This is something we want to keep far away from our flowers – it causes them to wilt much more quickly.

This one may be obvious, but be sure to place flowers away from anywhere your pets have access! We’ve seen bouquets be knocked over by an excited dog’s tail, or nibbled on by a curious cat. To keep everyone safe, place vases far out of animal reach.

To Ensure Cut Flowers Last a While, Refresh the Water

I personally like to change out the water in my vases every single day. Certain flowers, like zinnias, chrysanthemums, and Black-Eyed Susans can really leach into vases which can encourage premature wilt.

Many people have success changing the vase water every other day, so it’s best to keep an eye on it. If your vase water has not discolored too much, you’re probably fine to go the every-other-day route.

You may notice that “heavy drinker” flowers (especially from large local flower arrangements) can soak up an entire vase’s worth of water in 24 hours. In this instance, it’s best to refresh the water as much as possible. Remembering the rule above, and just filling the flowers a few inches up their stems).

Remove Wilted Blooms Daily

Sadly, arrangements do not last forever (something we at Redolent have learned to appreciate). Flowers are very much like life in this way, so we must enjoy them while we can. When you start to notice blossoms that are shriveling or falling off, carefully remove the stem from the vase and compost it.

Purchase a Pittsburgh Flower Bouquet Today

At Redolent Floral, we’re here to help ensure your cut flowers have the longest, happiest vase life. Use these tips and you’ll be set up for success. We deliver for free in parts of Bethel Park, Mt. Lebanon, Upper St. Clair, and throughout the South Hills. Our delivery is just a small fee for the entire Pittsburgh region. Review our selection here!