Fresh-cut flowers are a great gift to deliver love, thoughts, and glamour on special occasions like Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Mid-Autumn Festival, Christmas, Birthday, anniversaries, marriage proposal, or even new business openings. You can easily get a bundle of fresh brilliant bouquet, or flower boxes from online florists or flower shops in Hong Kong to spruce up your space, lifting the spirit of those who lay eyes on it.
Unfortunately, despite online florists usually provide very speedy flower delivery service, fresh-cut flowers don’t last very long after they’re cut and delivered. Most cut flowers can last for 7-12 days if being cared for properly, but several easy tricks can make the flowers from your arrangement last even longer and look fresher.
Before we get into the useful tips of keeping flowers fresh, we should first understand why cut flowers don’t last long. Flowers use a transport system called xylem to absorb moisture through capillary action. Flowers are like straws, but instead of sucking water upwards to keep the petals and leaves perky and fresh, flowers use water tension to transport moisture and keep afresh.
When the fresh flowers are pruned, the open wound will gradually dry up and decay, causing the flowers to wither and droop. Once the flowers are cut, they get fewer nutrients than when they had roots. The bacteria in the vase water are also harmful to the flowers’ longevity.
HOW TO PROPERLY CARE FOR CUT FLOWERS TO MAKE THEM LAST LONGER?
1.CUT THE STEMS PROPERLY
To make sure your fresh flowers can “drink” properly before you place the flower arrangement into the vase, cut about half an inch at the end of the stems at a 45 degrees angle. Use a pair of sharp scissors as dull scissors can crush the stems. For a better result to make the flowers last longer, you can cut the stems underwater in a sink to prevent air bubbles from getting into the veins in the stems and blocking the water transport.
2. PRUNE YOUR FLOWERS
Remove all leaves underneath the waterline to keep your flower arrangement last longer. Excessive leaves in the water will cause the water quality to deteriorate and proliferate bacteria growth. Flowers like roses have guard petals at the outermost part, you can pluck those petals away to make your roses bloom to open up fully. Be sure to check your flowers every day for dead petals and loose leaves to prevent rotting.
3. FILL YOUR VASE WISELY
Cut flowers will need sufficient water to stay buoyant and lively. However, too much water can cause the stem to rot and shorten the flowers’ life span. The trick is to place the cut flowers in deep water for a few hours before moving them to shallower water. Check the vase regularly, keep the water clean and fresh, and replace the water every 2-3 days when it looks too stale. You can even sprinkle some flower food or nutrients into the water to keep the flowers long-lasting and fresh.
4. STAY AWAY FROM HEAT, DIRECT SUNLIGHT, AND FRUITS
Heat sources and direct sunlight can dehydrate your flower arrangement. Avoid placing your flower arrangement near open windows, heating or cooling vents, and ceiling fans, and choose a cooler location for your flower arrangement to ensure longer flower longevity. Another curious fact is, fruits that are ripening can release a small amount of ethylene gas, which can affect the freshness and life span of your flower arrangement. So be attentive to your flower display location options!
5 INTERESTING HACKS TO MAKE FLOWERS LAST LONGER
It’s worthwhile to go the extra miles to keep a tasteful and elegant flower arrangement fresh and long-lasting. Chances are you already have the right ingredients in your daily household items to make your flowers last longer!
A) SODA DRINKS – THE FRIDGE ESSENTIAL TO MAKE FLOWERS LAST LONGER
The sugar from the fizzy soda can nourish the flowers, so add ¼ cup of soda to your vase to make your flower arrangement last longer! If you have a clear vase and want the water to remain clear, use a clear soda, such as Sprite or 7-Up.
B) VODKA – THE WAY TO PREVENT FLOWERS TO MATURE
Vodka (or any clear spirit) is said to inhibit ethylene production, which is the same ripening gas from fruits that helps the plants to mature. Add a few drops to your vase to disinfect the bacteria, change the water every other day, and refresh the vodka each time.
C) COINS – TOSS A COIN TO YOUR FLOWERS TO MAKE THEM LAST LONGER
We all have coins that we never got a chance to use. Simply toss a copper coin into your vase (and make a wish!) to keep your flower arrangement fresh and long-lasting. The copper in the coins can act like an acidifier to suppress bacteria growth in your flower arrangement.
D) SUGAR – A HOMEMADE FLOWER FOOD TO MAKE FLOWERS LAST LONGER
We get sugar high, now we know flowers do too. Make your preservative by dissolving 3 tablespoons of sugar per litre of warm water. When you fill the vase, make sure the cut stems are covered by 3-4 inches (7-10 centimeters) of the prepared sugar water. The sugar acts as a flower food to nourish the plants, you’ll be surprised how long your flower arrangement stays fresh!
E) FRIDGE – MAKE FLOWERS LAST LONGER BY KEEPING THEM COOL
Fresh flowers are said to thrive in colder temperatures. Place your flower arrangement in the fridge before bed (around 8 hours a night) can help to prevent dehydration of the flowers, and slow down the aging of the cut flower stems.
Although multiple ways can keep flowers fresh as a long-lasting, stylish floral decoration, in the end, picking the perfect seasonal flowers for the arrangement is what matters the most.
If you hope to find a luxurious flower arrangement or bouquet from your online florists or flower shops in Hong kong to elevate your living space or to delight someone as a gift, check out our Flower Bouquet Collection for some uber-chic flower bouquet designs and enjoy our premium flower delivery service!