7. Cut Fresh Flowers Early in the Morning

The weather is generally cooler in the early hours of the day and flowers haven’t yet become stressed by the sun or heat.

6. Place Bouquet in a Cool Place out of Direct Sunlight

Have you ever noticed how florists keep fresh cut bouquets in refrigerated areas? This is because the cool air keeps the flowers fresh a lot longer than warmer air. Of course you won’t get to enjoy your bouquet much if you store it in the fridge. Keeping it out of direct sunlight is one way to keep cut flowers from getting too warm. You could set the bouquet on a table near a cold air duct on very warm days.

5. Promptly Remove Dying Flowers

Dead flowers give off a gas called ethylene that causes the surrounding flowers to die quicker. The sooner you remove any dead flowers, the better the rest of your bouquet will look. You don’t have to wait for flowers to be completely dead either. Taking out the severely wilted looking flowers is also beneficial to your bouquet’s appearance.

4. Remove Leaves That Will Be Underwater in the Vase

Leaves that are immersed in water can’t survive and they quickly begin to deteriorate. This is what tends to cause that awful stench that people notice after having a bouquet of fresh cut flowers for a long period of time. Not only do the dead leaves make the water smell bad, but they also cause the water to become cloudy and the other flowers begin to decay more rapidly as well.

3. Trim the Ends of the Stems before Putting Cut Flowers in Water

Unless you are carrying around a vase full of water as you are cutting fresh flowers, you’ll need to trim the stems before placing them in the vase of clean water. When buying a bouquet of cut flowers at the store it’s best to trim the ends when you get home so that they will better absorb the water and last longer. Be sure to trim stems at a 45 degree angle.

2. Change the Water in Your Bouquet Often

Changing the water daily is best, but if you can at least put fresh water in your bouquet every 2 or 3 days you’ll notice that the flowers remain perky longer. Try not to wait until the water becomes cloudy before you change it.

1. Add a Teaspoon of Sugar to the Water

If you combine a quarter teaspoon of bleach with the teaspoon of sugar, the flowers will have something to feed on while the water remains free of bacteria. A crushed aspirin will fight off bacteria in the water too, just in case you don’t have any bleach on hand.

These 7 ways to make cute flowers last longer might help you keep your fresh bouquet a lot longer than usual. What tips have you heard that make fresh cut flowers last a long time?

Top Photo Credit: paperinikkio