How to take care of freshly cut flowers

Cut your flowers properly

Flowers stay fresh longer when they are cut with a sharp knife and plunged immediately into water. Cut the stem at a slant because a slanted cut exposes more stem surface area. Remove leaves that will be under water in the arrangement. Do not remove thorns from roses because it will shorten their life.

Tips to keep cut flowers fresh longer

• Use plain, lukewarm water for most cut flowers. (Distilled water is best, but tap water is OK if it is lukewarm)
• Use cold water for bulb flowers, such as daffodils, hyacinths, and tulips.
• Change the water every 2 days.
• Keep flowers out of direct sunlight
• Move your flowers to a cool place at night.
• Give daffodils their own vase. (Daffodil stems give off a compound that is toxic to other flowers)
• Keep cut flowers away from fruit. Fruit releases a gas that causes flowers to age faster.
• If your flowers did not come with a food packet, add a little sugar to water.

Why flowers wilt so quickly

• Excessive warm or dry storage conditions
• Air bubbles in the water. (Prevent air bubbles by cutting the stem of the flower while it is in the vase)
• Bacteria in the water (Prevent bacteria buildup by changing the water every 2 days).

Flower food packets

If you have a food packet for your flowers, use it. Food packets contain chemicals to kill bacteria, sugar, and an acidifier. Acid is needed to help water move up the stem. Sugar serves as the plant's food.

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