Florist-Approved Tips For Caring For Your Floral Delivery
If you received some cut flowers today from a local florist and you want them to last as long as possible, then follow each of these florist-approved tips for caring for cut flower floral arrangements:
Florist-Approved Tip: Recut the Flowers and Place them in a Vase of Warm Water
If your cut flowers arrived in a wrapped bouquet as opposed to being already cut and soaking in water, then you need to cut off the end of each flower's stem and put them in a vase filled with warm water. As you trim the stems, make sure you remove any leaves or greenery that will be under water because it will quickly start to degrade and contaminate the water.
Cut each stem at an angle while holding it under warm running water and then immediately place each one in your vase. Use warm water as it is more easily absorbed by the flowers' stems.
If your home uses well water that contains a lot of minerals, then you should place your flowers in a vase with room temperature bottled water for the best results.
Florist-Approved Tip: Add the Packet of Floral Food that Came with Your Flowers
Your floral arrangement should have arrived with a packet of floral food. Place this packet in the warm water in your vase and gently stir it into the water. The floral food helps keep the stems open to absorbing water which will help keep the flowers alive longer.
Florist-Approved Tip: Extend the Life of Your Arrangement by Changing the Water Every Other Day
One of the best things you can do to extend the life of your cut flowers is to change their water every other day or as soon as their water starts to look cloudy. Cloudy water indicates there is bacteria and broken down plant matter in the water and both of these things will lead to a much quicker demise of your cut flowers than necessary.
Florist-Approved Tip: Cull Flowers as They Start to Die to Freshen the Arrangement and Preserve the Health of Longer-Lasting Flowers
Finally, it is important to note that you can keep your floral arrangement longer if you cull the faster-dying flowers as the days pass. Some stronger flowers in your arrangement will survive longer than others will. If you leave the weaker, dying flowers in the water, then their decay will lead to the stronger flowers dying sooner than necessary.
Visit a florist like Pamela's Flowers to learn more.