How to Keep Flowers Fresh

When I worked for a company that supplied fresh flowers to grocery stores, I used to deliver them to stores in the San Francisco Bay area. The fresh flowers stayed in the van for hours sometimes before they reached their destination. Then at the store, it might be days before someone bought them. While working for the flower delivery company, I learned a few tricks that will teach you how to keep flowers fresh for a long time.

Fresh flowers actually continue to grow while in a vase. So in order to keep flowers fresh, you need to consider what the flowers need to grow and stay healthy - 1) water, 2) light, and 3) food. Additionally, in learning how to keep flowers fresh, you need to be aware of a few precautions to take.

How to Keep Flowers Fresh Hint #1: Cut Flowers Properly

Cutting fresh flowers properly allows them to draw up the most water possible. If you use kitchen scissors, they will pinch the end of the stem and cut off or minimize water supply to your fresh flowers. Instead, use a sharp knife or pruning shears. Cut off any leaves that will end up under water, but leave rose thorns on.

Cut your fresh flowers under running or still water and put them into water immediately. Cutting your fresh flowers under water prevents a bubble from forming on the end of the stem, which effectively blocks water uptake. Cut the stems on a slant. That way, more stem surface area is exposed to the water.

How to Keep Flowers Fresh Hint #2: Use the Right Water

Distilled water is the best kind of water to use for your fresh flowers, because there are no additives or chemicals in it. That way you know that whatever you put into the water is the only thing in there besides water. Lukewarm water is best for most fresh flowers, but for tulips, daffodils, and other bulb flowers, use cold water.

Change the water for your fresh flowers every day or no less than every 2 days to avoid bacteria build up. Recut the stems under running or still water before putting them back in the vase so that they will be able to draw water up easily.

How to Keep Flowers Fresh Hint #3: Put Them in the Correct Light

Keep your fresh flowers out of direct sunlight. At night, put them in the refrigerator. This will prolong their life. Before arranging them, put your fresh flowers in the refrigerator for a few hours as another way to prolong their life. Now you know why fresh flowers are kept in refrigerated areas in flower shops.

How to Keep Flowers Fresh Hint #4: Give Them the Right Food

Adding commercial flower food to good water is probably the best method of keeping fresh flowers fresh. Some people put sugar in the water for food, which is OK, but commercial flower food has bacteria-killing ingredients, an ingredient to make the water more acidic, and of course, sugar. If you want a more natural food for your fresh flowers, try 1 C. water and 1 C. 7-Up plus ½ tsp. bleach. That solution will also give the water acidity, sugar, and bacteria-killing ability.

How to Keep Flowers Fresh Hint #5: Observe Cautions

1. Daffodils need their own vase. Their stems contain a toxic compound that will kill your other fresh flowers.

2. Keep your fresh flowers away from fruit. Fruit gas, or ethylene, will reduce the life of your fresh flowers, making them get older faster. Ethylene is what makes fruit ripen. Ethylene is given off by dead flowers, too, so be sure to remove them.

3. When you change the water, be sure to re-cut the stems under water and immediately put the fresh flowers in the new water.

If you observe these "how to keep flowers fresh" hints, your fresh flowers will last a long time and beautify any room in which you put them.

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