How to make cut flowers last longer: cutting, conditioning and vase care

TUREFF• •0

Cut flowers start ageing the moment the stem leaves the plant, but how quickly they fade depends a great deal on how they are treated. A few simple habits, the same ones gardeners' organisations such as the RHS recommend, can add days to a vase of flowers.

If you are cutting from the garden

Cut early in the morning, when stems are full of water. Avoid picking in warm, sunny weather, when plants are already short of water; if you must, wait until the evening.
Take a bucket of water with you and put each stem in straight after cutting.
Choose flowers that are not fully open. Many varieties last longer if picked when buds are showing colour but are not yet at their peak.

Preparing shop-bought or garden stems

Strip the lower leaves. Remove the foliage from the bottom half or so of each stem. Any leaf sitting in water rots and feeds the bacteria that shorten vase life.
Re-cut every stem. Use a sharp knife or secateurs and make a clean, angled cut. Blunt scissors crush the water-carrying tissue, and an angle gives a larger surface for drinking.
Put stems straight into water. Air can enter the cut end and block the flow of water if stems are left lying around.
Condition before arranging. Stand the flowers in deep, cool water somewhere cool and out of the sun for a few hours, ideally overnight. This lets them take up as much water as possible before they are arranged.

Clean vases matter more than you think

Bacteria are the main enemy of cut flowers. They multiply in the water and clog the stems so the flowers cannot drink, even when the vase is full. Wash vases and buckets thoroughly with hot soapy water between uses, and rinse well.

What flower food actually does

The sachet that comes with a bouquet is worth using. Commercial flower food generally combines three things:

Sugar, which gives the flower energy now that it cannot make its own.
An acidifier, which lowers the pH of the water and helps stems take it up.
A biocide, which slows the growth of bacteria and fungi.

Mix it at the strength on the packet. Too much can harm flowers, and too little leaves it ineffective. Home remedies such as a coin, aspirin or lemonade are often suggested, but they do not reliably do all three jobs; the purpose-made sachet is the safer option.

Daily and weekly care

Top up the water every day. Many flowers drink a surprising amount, especially in the first day or two.
Change the water completely every couple of days, or as soon as it looks cloudy. Add fresh flower food if you have it.
Re-cut the stems a little each time you change the water to open up fresh tissue.
Remove fading flowers and any leaves that slip below the water line.

Where to put the vase

Keep it cool. Warmth speeds up ageing. Out of direct sunlight and away from radiators, ovens and the top of the television is best. Some people move flowers to a cool room overnight.
Avoid draughts, which dry petals out.
Keep flowers away from the fruit bowl. Ripening fruit gives off ethylene, a gas that makes many cut flowers age and drop petals faster.

Some flowers need special treatment

Daffodils release a sap that harms other flowers. Many arrangers stand them in water on their own for several hours before mixing them in, and do not re-cut them afterwards.
Woody stems such as lilac or blossom drink better with a longer, angled cut and plenty of water.
Tulips keep growing and bending towards the light in the vase; this is normal.
Lily pollen stains fabric and is toxic to cats. Many people remove the anthers as the flowers open.

Advice varies for particular flowers, so check guidance for any variety you grow or buy often. Share your own tricks for keeping flowers fresh, or ask about a stem that always wilts too fast, in the comments.