How to Keep Fresh Flowers Longer: 4 Winning Tips From Expert Florists [As Of 2022]

Whether you’re growing flowers in your garden or buying bouquets for a special someone right on time for Valentine’s Day, you’ll want to know how to keep these fresh flowers for longer. Compared to planted flowers that haven’t yet been harvested, cut flowers tend to wilt and wither faster. The lack of water supply is one factor. In addition, stems that have been trimmed tend to block nutrient intake, causing the petals to dry up and fade in colour. 

Luckily, you can extend the lifespan of your store-bought or home grown cut flowers with some tricks that professional florists have been using all over the world. Make it a habit to try out one or a combination of them the next time you’re buying flowers for a special occasion. 

Trim The Stems Before Putting Flowers In A Vase

Florists make it a habit to cut flowers before arranging them into bouquets or packing them with different ornaments and accessories. They do this to make sure the flowers last for a week or so. But before you place them in a vase, it’s a good idea to make additional trims on the stem. Cutting the stem will prevent the flower from drying out and allow it to absorb more nutrients. You’ll also have to replace the water in the vase every three days or so to prevent bacteria buildup. 

Using a sharp pair of scissors or pruning shears, trim off around 1 inch from the end of the stem at an angle. If cutting multiple flowers all at once, arrange them so that each stem is cut equally as the last. 

Then, fill your vase with clean water, almost all the way up to the rim — about ⅔ full. Tap or distilled water will work fine, but you’ll need a softener to reduce sodium content in soft water (e.g., rainwater and mineral water). 

Separate Dying Flowers From The Vase

Flowers will inevitably wilt and dry up, no matter how much effort you put into keeping them alive. Especially if you’re transferring a bouquet from its original packaging into a vase, some of the flowers will eventually start showing signs of wilting. 

For the rest of the healthy flowers, you can make them last longer by making sure they’re not bunched up with the withered ones. Take out any fallen petals from the bottom of the vase or remove discoloured leaves. 

The longer your bouquet sits in the vase, the faster bacteria can accumulate in the water, leaves, and petals. Separating them from shrivelled flowers ensures they don’t meet a similar fate right after the other. 

Place The Flowers In A Bleach Solution

Bleach is an everyday household item used for cleaning, washing laundry, or even disinfecting surfaces. You’ve probably never thought of using them on flowers, but they’re surprisingly effective. Bleach prevents bacterial growth and also makes sure that your vase water doesn’t get too cloudy.

First, make sure all the stems are cut and placed in clean water in your vase. Once done, add around ¼ teaspoon of bleach power for every litre of water. You could also throw in a teaspoon of sugar, as this helps provide food for the flowers as they sit. They also allow the petals to open up.

Conclusion

It’s every florist’s job to ensure all bouquets and flower arrangements bought from them are fresh and long-lasting. However, if you don’t want their quality to fade in a mere few days, understanding how to keep the flowers fresh for longer is critical.

We’ve covered basic tricks such as cutting the stems, replacing the water, and placing the flowers in a bleach solution. Try out all of these, and you’ll definitely see an improvement in your blooms' lifespan.

While these techniques work well in almost all types of flowers, it’s still best to ask your florist for advice. Well Live Florist is the top online floral shop in Singapore, specialising in elegant and mesmerising flower arrangements for all occasions. 

We have the lowdown on expert-curated tricks to ensure that every rose, lily, or tulip you buy from us remains as good as new! Contact us now and have beautifully hand-crafted flower bouquets and gifts delivered right to your doorstep!

Frequently Asked Questions About How To Keep Fresh Flowers Longer

How Big Should My Flower Vase Be?

The general rule of thumb is that your flower vase shouldn’t be longer than the length of the flower stems. To help you more accurately pick a vase, take the full-length measurement of your flower and divide the result by 2.5. The number you get corresponds to the height of the ideal flower vase in inches.

Where Should I Place My Flower Vase?

For freshly-cut flowers, they’re best placed in areas that aren’t too humid and receive ample amounts of indirect lighting.

What Kind Of Flower Vase Should I Use?

There’s no one-size-fits-all vase for all kinds of flowers. Vases can come in a variety of shapes and designs, such as glass, metal, wide, cubic, rounded, or column. It depends on the type of design you’re going for. Are you going for a dining table centrepiece arrangement? Shelftop? Countertop? 

If you’re still unsure, we’re always happy to help here at Well Live Florist. Give us a call and we'll gladly walk you through arranging fresh flowers at home.

How Do I Know My Flowers Are Dying?

Some indications of a wilted or dying flower include the following: discoloration of petals, soft stems, dried petals, dried leaves, murky water, and the like. Keep an eye out for these signs and take steps to separate them from the healthy bunch.