One thing we all can agree on is that fresh flowers look great and have the power to brighten up a room all by themselves. Every time I see fresh cut flowers I secretly wish I had the superpower to make them stay fresh and last a bit longer than a couple of days.
However,in the absence of a magic word that would keep my flowers from wilting, it is more of a “learning by doing ” and I am sharing everything I learned hoping to make life easy for your flowers .
The mantra for keeping flowers fresh is –
“Give them food & slow the bacterial growth” .
The effect of these 5 simple tips on your flowers will surprise you , so don’t laze out on them , because we know you love those flowers more than you want to admit .
Step 1 : Do it ASAP
When you bring the flowers into your home from the garden or a florist make sure to get them into water at the earliest but first remove all the plastic or paper . Also,rid the stems of dirt by washing them under running water .
The more you delay and leave flowers without water , lesser is their life .
Step 2 : Picking the vase and place
Choose a vase with sufficient room at the bottom for your stems and a mouth large enough to allow air circulation . Make sure you wash the vase thoroughly.
Ideally most flowers will last longer under cooler conditions hence try to keep your flowers away from harsh conditions like direct sunlight and high heat .
Step 3 : Prune the flowers
Firstly remove all the leaves which will be going inside the vase as they tend to rot quickly leading to the growth of bacteria.
Now cut each stem at an angle with a sharp knife. You can use scissors too but be careful as they tend to crush the stems . Angled cut stem allow better water absorption.
Note : It is advised to cut the ends under running water .This will renew the water vessels and keep air from entering the stem ,as air bubbles interfere with water absorption .
Step 4 : Feed your flowers
Since your flowers are not getting any food , giving them sugar solution will ensure a longer life . The downside of sugar is that it will also help the growth of bacteria .
Within 3-4 days bacteria create slimy ,gunky residue on stem ends and the water will start to stink( Rings a bell , doesn’t it ? ). This also prevents the stem from taking up water causing more trouble for your flowers .
To counter this you need to add an agent that will slow the bacterial growth like Apple cider vinegar .
Flower food mixture :
To make the flower food , mix 2 tablespoons of Apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar in 1 cup of water. Alternatively you could use 1:1 tablespoon ratio of sugar and salt in one cup of water .
The ratio is variable depending on the number of flowers and amount of water you take.
Step 5 : Repeat the cycle
It is very important to change the water every day or on alternate days to reduce bacterial growth .If it’s possible , wash the vase from inside ,especially its walls.
When you change water make sure to re-cut the stem and remove all the wilting ends to keep a check on the inevitable bacterial growth .
You will need to top the fresh water with sugar and salt/vinegar mix as you did above .
Also , water wisely.
You don’t have to fill the vase upto brim. You just need to feed all the stems.
This will give you enough margin to snip a bit of stem every time you change water.
Lastly , observe and improvise everytime you bring fresh flowers home. All flowers behaves differently but with experience, you can get a better idea on how to take care of them. .For eg , I personally prefer Chrysanthemums as their life is 2-3 weeks.
Fingers crossed, I am sure that the above 5 tricks will tip the scale in your favour and you will emerge a winner with long lasting flowers(Drum rolls playing in background !! )
If you have any new suggestions or tips which have helped you keep your flowers fresh, do share with us in the comment section .
If time permits,do read the articles below to get a better understanding of fresh cut flowers : Read 1 , Read 2  and Read 4