How to Prolong the Life of Flowers

A vase of cut flowers is a beautiful, cheering thing, but not once the blooms fade and the stems wilt. Flowers can’t last forever, but it seems like you should be able to preserve them for more than a day or two. It takes only a little preparation and a few simple steps to prolong the life of flowers you’d like to look at for a few days longer.

Things You'll Need

• Flowers
• Vase
• Sharp, straight-edged knife
• Warm water
• Source of running water
• Flower preservative

Instructions

1. Choose the flowers. If you are choosing the flowers for the arrangement, try to select those not yet fully in bloom. This will allow for further development and will prolong life in the vase. Some flowers do well picked while still in the bud. These tend to be flowers that bloom rapidly, like roses. More gradually blooming flowers should be picked just short of their maturity.

2. Gather flowers. Flowers are best picked in the morning or late in the day, when they are most fully nourished and watered. And it is better to cut flowers than to pick them: use a sharp, straight-edged knife to allow for better water absorption in the vase.

3. Prepare the flowers. Remove from your flowers any leaves and branches that would remain submerged in water. They will only drain away nutrients and dirty the water as they decay. If you are using flowers not recently cut, such as those from a florist, trim the stems under running water to prevent air blockage in the vessels of the stem.

4. Prepare the water. Lukewarm water is best for most flowers. Flowers from bulbs, however, require cool water. Flowers with supple, tender stems should get only two or three inches, while flowers with hardy stems will do well with a full vase.

5. Provide nutrients for the flowers. Florists provide little packets of preservative powder with their flowers. These powder packets contain various combinations of sugar to feed the flowers; an acidifier to lower the pH of the water; and water purifiers to kill bacteria that could plug up the stem. Flower preservatives are necessary to prolong the life of flowers. Those from florist’s shops are inexpensive and effective, but it is also possible to make your own (see Resources).

6. Put the flowers in the vase. This is a more significant step than it may seem. When you arrange the flowers, gently place them into the vase. Dropping the flowers in can cause blockage that prevents nutrients from flowing upward.

7. Maintain the flowers. Replace the water in the vase every couple of days, cleaning the vase and adding flower preservative each time. Merely adding some new water to the old will not provide sufficient nutrition to prolong the life of your flowers. Providing misted water to the petals daily will keep the blooms looking fresh. Fruit creates a gas called ethylene that can wilt some flowers, so try to avoid placing fruit near your arrangement. Flowers last longest if kept away from sources of heat and moving air; storage in a cool place is advisable.

Resources

• Recipes for homemade flower preservatives can be found at this gardening site