Flowers are appreciated for their decorative appearance, but also for their fragrance. In addition to growing them in the garden or indoors, flowers can be cut and kept in vases, to brighten up indoor spaces. It is true that cut flowers do not last long and their wilting is inevitable, but it is possible to increase their lifespan. Discover the secret to keeping flowers fresh for as long as possible.
Cut flowers need special care and maintenance to keep them fresh. For this, there is a secret that allows you to maintain the freshness of your bouquet for a long time.
How to keep cut flowers fresh?
To keep cut flowers fresh as long as possible, it is important to know how to care for them. To do this, upon receiving a bouquet of flowers, it is advisable to proceed as follows:
- Prune the stems of cut flowers
First cut the 2 cm stems, at an angle, using a pair of sharp, disinfected scissors. Carry out this size preferably underwater. This diagonal cut will allow your flowers to better absorb water. Note that only the stems can be in contact with water. That said, don’t hesitate to remove the bottom leaves. This will prevent them from rotting, which can harm your flowers.
As the days go by, do not hesitate to remove leaves that have become dry and faded flowers. If you keep them, they could release substances into the water that could accelerate the wilting of still fresh flowers.
- Caring for flower water
After pruning the stems, place your flowers in a clean vase of cool, room temperature water. Note that the water should only cover half of the stems and no more. Then, remember to dissolve a teaspoon of sugar, or a cube of sugar, in the water. This will nourish your flowers and provide them with the nutrients they need.
To keep the flowers for a long time, it is important to change the water in the vase every 48 hours. When changing the water, remember to clean and rinse the vase well, in order to eliminate residue from the flowers which may rot in the water if you keep them. That said, you can clean the vase with a microfiber sponge soaked in a solution of baking soda and lemon. After cleaning the vase, add lukewarm water in which you will dilute half an aspirin tablet. This tablet is effective in keeping flowers fresh for a long time, and extending the life of your flower bouquets. That said, its role is not to provide nutrients to your flowers or promote flowering like a fertilizer would. Aspirin may just make your flower bouquet last a few weeks longer, and it does so by preventing bacteria from growing in the water.
Tip: To improve the quality of the water in the vase, you can add a 5-cent copper coin to the water when you first put the flowers in the vase. The coin will act as a fungicide and prevent the proliferation of bacteria, thanks to copper, which is an antioxidant.
Pretty bouquet of flowers in a vase. Source: spm
- Keep the vase of flowers in the right place
To keep the flowers fresh, it is important to store the vase in a cool place, away from heat sources. You can keep your vase in a bright place, but avoiding direct sunlight.
It is also important to keep the vase away from the fruit basket. The latter produce ethylene, capable of accelerating the blooming of flowers, and consequently their wilting.
By adopting these actions, you will be able to keep your cut flowers fresh and delay their wilting.
