Fantastic Flower Care Tips

Flowers create precious memories that most people wish would last forever. Although no one has found a way to create an everlasting bouquet, almost everyone can have beautiful flowers that last long if they follow some basic flower care principles.

Daily Checkup 

Flower owners can preserve their treasured moments by providing the basic care fresh flowers need every day. Simple steps like filling vases and containers with fresh water will extend the life of any flower arrangement. The use of commercially-available fresh flower food keeps flowers bright and healthy, so recipients should visit a local florist to get a supply. Flower recipients should always add fresh flower food to new water according to the instructions that came with the product.

Trim Stems 

Over time, water vessels inside stems can clog or collapse, causing blossoms to fade and leaves to wilt. Proud owners should trim about three-quarters of an inch off every stem every few days to make sure flowers stay healthy as long as possible. With sharp knives, floral cutters or scissors, owners should cut stems at an angle to ensure maximum water uptake. Owners should always use sharp tools to trim stems to avoid damaging internal stem structures. Long lasting flowers must have the ability to bring clean water into their leaves and blossoms.

Recipients of large floral arrangements can provide the care fresh flowers need by tying the stems together with twine before removing them from the water. This helps preserve the arrangement while trimming the stems. When back in the vase, the arrangement will look the same as it did before.

Keep Cool

Proper flower care requires owners to keep their arrangements away from direct sunlight and intense heat. Temperatures between 65 and 72 degrees Fahrenheit provide good conditions for long lasting flowers. Also, when changing water, flower recipients should always replace the water for floral arrangements with room-temperature water. Flower owners should never forget to add fresh flower food the vase when changing the water.

Choose Healthy Flowers 

Not every florist practices terrific flower care. Therefore, those who buy flowers must take responsibility to choose the best ones to buy. Customers should choose the flowers that have buds that have just begun to open. Also, flowers with firm petals will usually have the most life left in them.

Helping you keep your flowers longer...

These are a few handy hints on how to make sure your flowers stay alive much longer:

Hot Weather
Do not expose flowers strong heat. The cooler the room or location where they are displayed, the longer they will last.

Cold conditions below 4 degrees Celsius
Do not subject your flowers to very low temperatures either. Flowers grown in tropical areas, such as Orchids and Anthuriums, are particularly susceptible to low temperature damage. Never put your flowers in a freezer or anywhere that is below 4 degrees Celsius.

Draughty positions
Draughty positions are also unfavourable spots to place your flowers. The petals tend to dry out more quickly in these areas. A corner position is preferable to a hallway or near open doors.

Direct sunlight
Flowers which are subjected to direct sunlight can easily become overheated, resulting in the drying out of petals and reduced vase life.

Air conditioning
Fresh flowers tend to dry out very quickly in air conditioned rooms. This is particularly the case with flowers that have large, exposed petals.

Ripening fruit and vegetables
Perhaps one of the biggest enemies of cut flowers is ethylene gas which is given off by ripening fruit and vegetables. It speeds up the dying process of many flowers. Some of the more sensitive varieties to ethylene gas are Carnations, Roses, Orchids, Lilies, Sweet Williams and Gypsophila.

Crushing or splitting of flower stems
Many people have been led to believe that the crushing or splitting of flower stems is a good way of extending their vase life. Recent tests have shown that this method generally does not work. It actually does damage to the tiny tube-like vessels in the stems, blocking the flow of water up to the flower heads, and leads to a faster discoloration of the vase water.

Other dead flowers
When flowers are arranged in a vase, some of the flower heads will naturally die before others. It is a good idea to remove these heads quickly, because if left on the stems, they not only look unsightly, but will often give off small amounts of ethylene gas, which will diminish the life of any remaining flowers.

Dirty water
Dirty water provides a perfect breeding ground for microscopic bacteria to breed rapidly. These bacteria attach themselves to the stem ends and block the flow of water up to the flower heads. You should always change the vase water regularly or use a good cut flower food which will decrease the rate at which these bacteria breed.

Metal containers
Metal containers can cause reactions with many flower preservatives. This can lead to the preservative being far less effective in solution.

Fresh Flowers