How to Make Flowers Last Longer in 6 Steps

Fresh flowers can bring color and life to a room, but unfortunately, most of them don’t last very long. Luckily, 5-Minute Crafts has made a simple guide on how to increase the vase life of your cut flowers.

Step 1. Prepare the vase.

✅ Take your vase and wash it thoroughly with a small capful of bleach and hot water together with a sponge to disinfect it.

✅ Regular soap will also do, but bleach will kill the bacteria better.

⛔ Don’t dry your vase with a towel.

✅ Instead, place the vase upside down and let it dry naturally. This will prevent bacteria growth on the inside of the vase.

Step 2. Prepare the water.

✅ Look at the stems of your flowers.

• Woody stems (like roses) prefer a deep drink, so you should fill the vase up two-thirds of the way with tap water.
• Softer stems (like tulips) prefer a more shallow drink, so you should fill the vase about halfway with tap water.

✅ Once you’ve filled the vase with tap water, leave it for a while to let the air bubbles escape and for the water to reach room temperature.

⛔ If you put your flowers in the vase immediately, air bubbles might get stuck in the bottom of the stems and interfere with proper water uptake.

Step 3. Make your own flower food.

✅ Mix 1 teaspoon of sugar, 1 teaspoon of clear unscented bleach, and 2 teaspoons of lemon juice together with 1/4 cup of warm water.

✅ Stir the mixture until it’s fully dissolved.

✅ Add the mixture to your vase.

✅ These ingredients will nourish your flowers, kill harmful bacteria, and help the stems soak up water better.

Step 4. Prepare the stems.

✅ Place your flowers next to the vase to measure how much of the stems need to be cut.

✅ Take sharp scissors or a sharp kitchen knife and cut about 1-2 inches off the end of each stem at a 45-degree angle to help the stems take in water more easily.

⛔ Don’t use dull scissors as they could crush the stems.

✅ Remove all the extra leaves that fall below the waterline to prevent bacterial growth.

✅ Place the cut ends into some water as soon as possible. Otherwise, the stems will suck on the air, which will clog them and prevent water uptake.

Step 5. Choose the location.

⛔ Don’t place your flowers near any sources of heat such as household appliances and radiators, direct sunlight, on windowsills, or near open windows.

⛔ Keep your flowers away from fruits like tomatoes, bananas, and apples since they produce high levels of ethylene. This gas might influence ethylene production in your flowers and make them wilt faster.

✅ Instead, choose a cool, draft-free area for your flowers.

Step 6. Take care of the flowers.

✅ Change the water and clean the vase every few days.

✅ When changing the water, always re-trim the stems of your flowers and remove all dead leaves and petals.

✅ To keep your flowers alive for longer, place them in the fridge overnight, then put them on display again in the morning. The cold temperature in your fridge will help to preserve them better.