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There’s nothing like fresh flowers around the house, especially when they come straight from MyFlowerDepot. Surely you’d like the flowers to last forever or at least for more than a few days! Here are some tips for extending the vase life of your flowers.

In a NUTSHELL:

• Give them water.
• Give them food.
• Protect them from decay or infection.
• Keep them cool and out of direct sunlight.

How do you ensure these:

1.  Recut stems at a 45 degree angle. 

Recut stems on a slant indoors under water to eliminate air bubbles that block uptake of food and water. The angle increases the amount of water absorbed.

To prevent decay, remove leaves and foliage below the water line.  If the leaves are submerged in the water in the vase, they will die and cause the flowers in the bouquet to rot.

2.  Place the flowers in a clean vase.

Dirty and dusty vases are often filled with bacteria. These bacteria can cause the flowers to quickly wilt and die.

3.  To slow aging, place the vase in a well-ventilated cool place (as low as 38° F).

Keep the flowers in a cool room. The fresh flowers should not be in direct sun or placed near a heating source. This causes the water in the vase to evaporate quickly.  Also, don’t store flowers near ripening fruits and vegetables, which produce ethylene, a gas that hastens ripening, or in the case of flowers, aging.

4.  Add water.

Freshly cut flowers have enough stored sugars to survive in a vase. But if you would like to add a preservative, try adding sugar. However, sugar can cause bacteria to grow (so we prefer you just change the water regularly).

5.  Change water and cut the ends constantly.

Change water every couple of days. In mixed bouquets, some of the flowers may give off sap that is toxic to other varieties in the vase shortening their vase life, a process that is avoided by frequently refreshing the water.  Replace the water in the vase at least every three to four days.  Every time you replace the water, also cut the stems.