How to Make Flowers Come Back to Life

Some flowers only need a little care to come back to life.

Flowers make beautiful additions to the home and garden. If they aren't properly cared for, however, they soon start to die. Some flowers only appear dead,but can still be brought back to life with extra care. In many cases a thorough watering is all flowers need to restore their vitality. In other cases they need more extreme measures like repotting or soil replacement.

Things You'll Need

• Sharp knife
• Flower preservative
• Watering can
• Compost
• Mulch
• Potting soil
• Pot

Instructions

1. Revive fresh cut flowers by re-cutting their stems with a sharp knife under running water. Place the flowers in a vase of fresh water and flower preservative. This encourages water to run up the stems and can help the flowers live a little longer.

2. Help garden flowers by watering them thoroughly, adding fresh compost to the soil and mulching surrounding soil to conserve water and discourage weeds. Ensure the soil is well-draining, as most flowers don't like soil that is waterlogged. If the flowers are not in ideal locations for their variety, they may need to be dug up and moved to a new location.

3. Water potted flowers thoroughly, if they have not been watered in a while. If this does not revive them, repot them in fresh, nutrient-rich soil. Use a pot size larger than the one they were previously in so the roots can spread. While the plant is out of the pot, examine the roots and trim away any roots that are starting to rot. Ensure the plant is getting sufficient sunlight for its variety.

References

• "Potted Flowers: Beautiful Blossoming Flowers You Can Grow in Planters and Window Boxes"; Jurgen Wolff; April 1992
• "The Cutting Garden: Growing and Arranging Garden Flowers"; Sarah Raven; March 2006
• "Caring for Cut Flowers"; Rod Jones; March 2001