Make Cut Flowers Last Longer
Earlier this week I was having a bad day; I was exhausted and nothing seemed to be going right for me. My boyfriend surprised me with flowers at work. Our store was full of customers and fellow co-workers who watched when my cheeks turned bright red as I greeted my boyfriend. (I don’t handle surprises very well) Slightly embarrassing, but incredibly sweet. It was just what I needed to turn my mood around and brighten my day.
Here is a photo my co-worker took to capture the moment.
(Never mind the work uniform and no makeup!)
I love when he brings my flowers. I adore them in a vase and I always smile when I see them, but I hate when they die. I am trying to eventually create my own popuri out of dried flowers my boyfriend has given me, (I don’t throw anything away apparently) so I dry out the petals, but I still want to enjoy the flowers while they are fresh. So here is some advice my mom has given me over the years as well as a few tips I’ve picked up myself on how to make flowers last longer after being cut.
- Make sure vase is clean of dirt before putting flowers in.
- Cut bottom of stems in a downward diagonal angle instead of straight across. This helps plants absorb water better because the ends do not get seal off by the plant. Do this every other day or so after the flowers are put in a vase to make sure water is properly absorbed.
- To prevent bacteria from growing, do not fill vase to the top with water. I learned this the hard way. There should be enough water to cover bottom of stems by a few inches and allow extra water for absorption and evaporation. Also, change water every other day to keep clean.
- Here are 2 treatments that can be done to the water I’ve been told. 1) Crush a pill of aspirin and add to water to dissolve before adding flowers. 2) Add a few drops or a teaspoon of vodka and 1 teaspoon sugar to water and mix together before adding flowers. Still change water every other day with either method, changing water treatment as well.
- And finally, place vase where sunlight will hit flowers at least some time in the day.
[...] to cheer me up when I was having a bad day, and I shared my little tips and secrets of how to make cut flowers last longer. Well now I will show you what I do with the flowers when they pass the look pretty in a vase [...]