How to Care for Romantic Valentine's Day Flowers
Valentine's Day is for sending that special someone a romantic card or giving her chocolates or flowers, especially red, pink or white roses. If you're fortunate to get flowers on Valentine's Day, or any other occasion, you'll want to keep them as long as possible. There are a few simple steps you can take to prolong the life of your cut flowers and keep them fresh and vibrant looking.
- Difficulty:
- Moderately Easy
Instructions
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1
Snip about an inch off of the ends of the flowers' stems. Do it underwater to prevent air from getting into the stems. When air is in the stems, the water in the vase will have a difficult time reaching all parts of the flower.
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2
Put the flowers in a vase of water. Use fresh, cool water and fill vase up half way. Cut flowers need water to prevent wilting.
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3
Keep the flowers as cool as possible. Freshly cut flowers don't need sunlight, which will finish them off faster. They need a cool area and lots of water to stay hydrated. Consider putting them in the fridge at night to extend their life.
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4
Add a plant preserve to the water. Some flowers come with tablets to drop into the water that extend their life. According to Master Gardeners.com, you can make your own preserve by adding 1/4 teaspoon of household bleach to a quart of water. Fill the vase half way with this solution to keep your flowers looking beautiful.
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5
Prune dead leaves, flower heads and stems. Change the water in the vase every four or five days, or if it becomes dirty or discolored.
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1
Tips & Warnings
Always wear gloves when handling household chemicals.
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References
- Photo Credit red roses image by Maria Brzostowska from Fotolia.com
