How to Care for Fresh Flowers
Six things that will get you another few days out of any bouquet, from the florists who made it. None of them take more than a minute.
Trim the stems
Cut 2cm off the bottom of each stem on a sharp angle before the flowers go in water. It reopens the channels that draw water up the stem.
Change the water
Fresh water every second day, and rinse the vase while you are there. Cloudy water is bacteria, and bacteria is what shortens a vase life.
Keep them cool
Out of direct sun, away from heaters and off the top of the fridge. Brisbane heat is the fastest way to lose a week of vase life.
Away from the fruit bowl
Ripening fruit gives off ethylene gas, which makes cut flowers age early. Keep the two on separate benches.
Strip the low leaves
Any leaf sitting below the water line will rot. Pull those off before arranging.
Re-trim as you go
Every few days, lift the flowers out, take another centimetre off the stems and top up the water.