10 Tips for Long-Lasting Cut Flowers
With Danielle Keeton
Danielle Keeton has a wealth of experience and wisdom to share when it comes to designing bouquets. Her floral arrangements are stunning and inspiring! But creating these works of art isn’t just about picking pretty flowers. Check out Danielle’s tips for long-lasting cut flowers below. These tips are sure to take the beauty and longevity of your cut flower arrangements to another level!
Tip 1
Cut in the early morning or late evening when the flowers are most hydrated
Flowers cut at dawn or dusk don’t have to contend with the harsh heat stress of the day and will always last longer in the vase. Bring your harvest bucket along so the flowers are never without water.
Tip 2
Always use clean tools and buckets
Bacteria significantly decreases a flowers vase life. Always harvest flowers with clean snips and put stems into well-scrubbed buckets with fresh clean water. Ideally, you should be able to drink from your harvest bucket and cut a steak with your snips. If you’re not willing to eat and drink from these tools then they’re not clean enough. Take care to keep your tools sharp as crushing or tearing the stems will restrict water uptake.
Tip 3
Know the proper harvest stage for the flower and foliage you’re cutting
Every flower has a different “stage of harvest.” This refers to the ideal time to pick a flower for the longest vase life. While there isn’t a one size fits all rule, many flowers can be grouped together to make remembering the ideal harvest stage easier.
Spike flowers such as snapdragons, foxgloves, gladiolus, and delphiniums can be picked a third open when only a few florets are open at the base. These flowers will continue to open in the vase.
Sunflowers can be picked when the first petal lifts away from the center of the bloom. They will open in the vase and the petals will remain pristine inside.
Other flowers such as zinnias and dahlias won’t open much more after harvest and should be picked fully open. Once a flower is pollinated, the vase life decreases.
Tip 4
Remove leaves that fall below the water line
As leaves break down, they introduce bacteria into the water which decreases the vase life of cut flowers. It’s easiest to remove lower leaves in the garden and place the excess foliage in the compost pile.
Tip 5
Condition the flowers
Conditioning is the process where cut flowers are left to rest in their original water for many hours in order to rehydrate and recuperate after being cut. Giving them a long soak in a deep bucket of clean water prior to arranging will work wonders for the vase life of your blooms. Generally, 4 hours of conditioning in a cool location is recommended, but overnight is ideal.
Tip 6
Recut the stem at an angle
A stem cut straight across may sit flat on the vases base. Much like a straw at the base of cup, a stem sitting flush at the bottom of a vase can get clogged. Avoid this by cutting the stem at an angle ensuring a clear path for water to travel up to the bloom head.
Tip 7
Add flower food
Cut flowers need sugar to eat, acidity to aid in water absorption, and a biocide to fend off bacteria. Adding flower food to the water gives them these elements and will extend their vase life. It also helps the flowers maintain their vibrant color for longer.
Tip 8
Display cut flowers in a cool spot away from bright light
Heat and sun will cause cut flowers to fade faster. Florists and farmers keep their blooms in coolers to ensure the stems longevity. Enjoy your cut flowers in a cool location away from the sun’s rays for the longest vase life.
Tip 9
Change the water as needed to keep it clean
The type of flowers you pick will determine how quickly the water becomes murky. Flowers, such as yarrow, chrysanthemums and zinnias are known as “dirty” flowers. This means they contaminate vase water more quickly than others.
Strive to always have fresh, clear, clean water in the vase. For a simple bouquet of flowers with no mechanics, pour out all the water, recut the stems, wash the vase, and place the bouquet back into the clean vessel with fresh water. For more elaborate arrangements created in a floral frog or chicken wire, top up the vessel with fresh water as needed. If possible, flush the vase every few days. To do this, take the arrangement to the sink and allow running water to push out the old water while at the same time adding new clean water into the vase.
Tip 10
Water pH makes a difference
If you’re doing everything right and your flowers are still quickly melting down the water pH may be the issue. Water quality has a significant impact on vase life and two of the most important characteristics of water are pH and electrical conductivity, a measure of water’s salinity. Cut flowers are usually placed in tap water, which can vary greatly in pH and EC. Low pH is best for cut flowers and will result in a longer vase life.