There is a floral arrangement for every occasion. Its presence can help make a joyous event more memorable, and a heartbreaking moment easier to bear. Some people wouldn’t hesitate to send professionally arranged blooms, the kind that florists like Uniting Flowers offer, to individuals that they care about for “just because” reasons.
While the message that beautiful flowers bring can last for a lifetime, unfortunately, the cut flowers themselves do not last forever.
Because they have special meanings and also look pretty, particularly those that florists artistically and passionately arrange, their recipients would like to keep them around for as long as they possibly can. Sadly, a floral arrangement has a limited vase life, usually about a week. It can be disheartening to see lovely blooms slowly wilt away.
Did a stunning bouquet from a family member or a special friend (or a secret admirer) just get delivered to your doorstep or office desk? Stashing those cut flowers into a vase with water is not enough to make them stay looking gorgeous for a long time.
Keep on reading if you would like those flowers to lift your mood day after day. Below you will come across some of the lesser-known ways to extend their vase life.
Cut the Stems at an Angle
Most people immediately place cut flowers in water, thinking that it’s enough to make them last for days. While this can make blooms wilt away slowly, there’s a trick that you may do to make them last longer: cut the stems at an angle. It will enable the flowers to soak up more water because the stems are not sitting flat against the bottom of the vase. Florists suggest for you to re-cut the stems at an angle every couple of days.
Remove Unnecessary Leaves
Get rid of leaves that are below the waterline. Not only will this make the arrangement look better, but it will also slow down the aging process of the blooms. Removing leaves soaking in water can help prevent or slow down bacterial growth, thus extending the vase life of the bouquet. Daily, fish out of it any loose leaves that are swimming in the water.
Give Flower Food
Uniting Flowers and many other florists hand out or ship their floral arrangements with tiny sachets. They contain flower food, which usually consists of sugar, citric acid, and bleach. Empty the content of a sachet into the vase. Worry not if you cannot find a sachet of flower food as you can make your own. All you have to do is mix one teaspoon sugar, two teaspoons lemon or lime juice, and one teaspoon bleach in a quart of clean water.
Protect From Direct Sunlight
Many beautiful flowers on the planet bloom when there’s plenty of sun. Unfortunately, you should keep cut flowers away from direct sunlight. Otherwise, they will dehydrate and wilt away faster. Similarly, you should place the vase holding the blooms away from home appliances or office equipment that give off heat.
Keep Away From Fruits
There are times when a bouquet comes with a basket of fruits. If you received a gift consisting of a floral arrangement and some fruits, immediately separate them. Placing cut flowers near fruits is a bad idea because fruits release ethylene gas as they ripen, and it can speed up the aging process of blooms.
Follow the tips above if you want to enjoy your cut flowers for a long time.
