Fresh cut flowers are those commonly found at your nearest florist. They come in a variety of colors and choices and you have the option to choose any variety of flowers of any color to make your own bouquet. As beautiful as fresh cut flowers are, it is quite unfortunate they do not last long. However, there are ways we can ensure that the flowers that we purchase lasts longer. The obvious tip is to choose the freshest flower. The secret is in the petal. Flowers with firm and ‘upright’ petals are considered to be freshest and make sure that you purchase flower buds or those that are just beginning to bloom.

The vase or container that you choose to place your flowers has to be clean and filled with cool or lukewarm water. Cut of the leaves from the stems from below the water line of your container and cut of one or two inches of the bottom stem to allow the flowers to absorb water easily. Flowers last longer in cool / cold atmosphere therefore do not leave the flowers overnight in warm rooms and do not place them near heat or heat generating appliances. Flowers in water tend to generate slime caused by bacteria. To avoid this, use a few drops of household bleach and a spoonful of sugar. Even though there are commercially produced flower foods available in the market, it is not as effective as the combination of bleach and sugar. Re-cut the bottom stems every few days to allow better water absorption and fill your vase or container with fresh water everyday.

For instance, bulb flowers like daffodils lasts longer if their stems are snipped across at an angle and by removing the sticky white secretion. Woody stem flowers like roses last longer if their bottom stems are crushed and split to allow them to absorb water easily. To stop tulips from slumping over, the bunch should be wrapped tightly with wet newspaper left in 2-3 inches of water for at least one and half hours. Then push small pins through the stems just below the flower heads and voila the flowers will be uprigh.

When a flower is cut from the plant, photosynthesis is no longer an option for the production of sugar. The sugar is needed to continue development of the flower bud into a flower. With this sugar, the flower will perform better in terms of size, color and vase life. While cut flowers will not photosynthesize, they will transpire. That is, water still is taken up by the stems and released into the air through the stomata. A turgid flower is a hydrated flower. A wilted flower is one where the cells do not have their full amount of water. The water in the vase or container can quickly become a bacteria soup. All it takes is a few stray pieces of plant tissue and some latent bacteria. Add some sugar from the preservative and you’ve got a recipe for cloudy, smelly water. The problem is not just an aesthetic one. Bacteria in the water will form plugs in the stem of the flower, blocking the water from flowing through the stem of the flower. A good floral preservative contains an antibacterial agent to stop all of this from happening.

Most packets are 5 gram packets which make one pint of solution. Most average vases hold at least one quart of water. If you do not follow the instructions for mixing the vase solution, and end up making a solution that is too weak, you may be providing enough sugar to grow bacteria while not providing enough antibacterial agents to stop the growth. This is a case where clear water with no preservative would be better than an improperly mixed solution. As soon as you notice that the water in your vase has started to become cloudy, it’s time to dump the water, rinse the stems, give them a clean cut and put them back in the cleaned vase with fresh water. This alone will double the life of your flowers.

Unfortunately, some flower distributors believe that the consumer’s initial perception is all that matters. They believe that the most important factor when choosing a preservative packet to distribute with their flowers is the price. They will not spend the extra three to five cents to provide the 10gram packet that should be provided. Instead, they believe that the consumer will be satisfied with any packet because they do not know any better. That shortsighted view means that consumer’s overall perception of flowers is that they do not last as long as they should, and the water gets dirty and smelly very quickly. In the long-run, these consumers may turn to alternate gift ideas other than flowers, and this hurts the floral industry as a whole.