How To Handle Your Flowers For Best Longevity

Surprise, Surprise, You've Received A Flower Bouquet...

Nothing like a surprise delivery of flowers at your doorstep, or someone showering you with a floral arrangement for an occasion. Many people receive flowers and are thankful for the gesture, however they may not be knowledgeable and equipped to care for their flowers to last as long as they can. When someone surprises you with a flower bouquet or mixed flower arrangement, it is very heartwarming and sincere. The first thing we naturally do is unpack and place the flowers in a vase to put them on display in a room in the home. Despite their beauty and radiance now, there are certain steps to take to ensure you are giving your flowers their longest life span. Learning more about how to handle and care for flowers is an essential part to maintaining their growth and longevity.

Here's How To Handle Your Flowers for Best Longevity

There are certain tips and tricks to follow that everyone may not be familiar with when caring for flowers. Everybody knows the basics about caring for flowers; they require water and sunlight, but what other steps can be taken to expand their life span?

Below will explore the various things to complete when receiving flowers until they are ready and on display.

Open and Unpack Your Flowers

When you first receive your packaged flowers in a bouquet, it is important to gently and delicately unwrap and cut off any cellophane or paper. This is used to transport and keep them safe while in transit, but the flower bouquet should never be kept wrapped and enclosed. 

Don't Forget The Nutrient Packs

Most flower bouquets come with a nutrient pack that is provided with the order. This is usually within the wrapping, that you can then remove and use when you need to feed them. This is also known as “flower food".” For those who are not familiar with receiving bouquets, they may think this little pack isn’t important and disregard it, however it is important to keep. These flower nutrient packs contain various ingredients inside that help keep flowers healthy and fresh. 

Not all, but various packages contain important elements such as:

Sugar: After cutting your flowers, it provides them with food they need to grow. 

Bleach:This is used as an element to kill any harmful bacteria that can hurt the bouquet. 

Citric Acid:Effective in lowering the water pH level, to help water fluctuate and move in and around the flower. 

As you are changing the flower water vase many times, you can use part of the nutrients pack each time you update it. 

Cut the Stem Ends at A 45 Degree Angle

After unwrapping your flowers and getting ready to place them in a vase, it is vital to cut the ends of the stem. Grab a working pair of scissors and aim to cut each stem at a 45 degree angle. When the stems are cut, it will allow the flower to absorb and take as much water as possible. 

Arrange in Vase

Many individuals grab the first cup or old vase to throw their flower bouquet in when they receive them. Bacteria is one of the main causes of why flowers wilt and fade rapidly. To prevent these harmful fungi and bacteria, there must be measures taken to ensure your flowers are kept fresh. Choosing the right vase is an important part of this.

You can choose to use an old vase or a brand new one, however it should be thoroughly cleaned before flowers are placed in it. Cleaning the vase will ensure any bacteria in it cannot harm or affect the fresh flowers.

Using the right amount of water within the vase is also an extremely vital factor to prolonging the lifespan of the flowers. There has to be a balance of the correct amount, yet not too little or too much to drown them. A typical amount of water in the vase ranges from ½ to ¾ depending on the size. To determine a healthy amount of water, is to ensure that when the flowers are placed in the vase the leaves are not submerged in the water. In this case, it would be ideal to remove these leaves and place the bouquet back in the water.

When you place water in the vase, many flower owners think that keeping the same water in the vase is standard. Changing the water in the vase is an equally important part in helping the longevity of the flowers. Typically flower vase water should be changed every 2-3 days. Bouquets are beautiful and captivating, however it is unavoidable that their stems release bacteria over time that can be captured within the vase and water. This causes them to wilt and droop over, however if you upkeep the water level and change it consistently, it will keep them healthy and fresh for a longer period of time.

Best Practices for Maximizing Your Flower Lifespan

There are many tips and tricks to learn to help maximize how long your flowers will last. After caring for them when they are first received, cutting the stems and filling them with nutrients and the right amount of water; there are still other tips you can follow.

Flowers love to be in the sun as they grow and blossom, however when flowers are cut this may not always apply. Sunlight can affect cut flower blooms in the opposite way, so it is important to keep them out of direct sunlight. When they are left in the sun directly for a long period of time, flowers can dry themselves out faster. You can keep flowers in a place that is bright, however avoid direct and long periods of direct sun.

Keeping your petals hydrated is also necessary to help expand their lifespan. Watering your flowers is always important, although making sure the petals are also kept healthy is a factor to consider. Spraying them with a light mist of water (can be completed with a spray bottle) will also reap huge benefits to the flowers. This does not require a large excess amount, but a few sprays of water per day will keep them fresh and moist. In the long run, this will help maintain fresh looking flowers. If you ever need even more tips and great flower hacks, online is a best resource for getting excellent, actionable answers.