How to keep flowers in a vase for a long time? This question is asked by everyone who receives a desired bouquet as a gift or collects a fragrant armful in the garden. In order for the flowers not to fade, they need proper care. In this article we will talk about how to keep the beauty and freshness of flowers in a vase for a long time.
Bouquet preparation
In order for the bouquet to stand longer, the flowers need preparation and favorable conditions.
Temperature. Flowers do not like sudden changes in temperature. Before putting the bouquet in the water, you need to wait 10-15 minutes for them to adapt. In winter, the bouquet is first placed on the balcony.
Vase. The vase is selected according to the size of the bouquet so that the stems are not pressed against each other. It is preferable to use ceramic vases and vases made of dark glass (light promotes the growth of bacteria).
Leaves. Before immersing the bouquet in water, all leaves, thorns and side shoots are removed from the stems to prevent the process of decay.
Slice. In flowers with a hard stem, an oblique cut is made on it with a sharp knife to increase the area for absorbing moisture. The procedure is carried out under water (in the pelvis) to avoid air bubbles. The stem is split by 2-3 cm and a toothpick is put into the split for better absorption of moisture.
Leaves are removed from the branches of shrubs (jasmine, lilac) and the tip of the trunk is split.
To keep flowers with a soft stem (tulips, daffodils) in a vase, cut the lower part of the stem or make several vertical scratches on it with a needle. Cuts of callas and gerberas are treated with salt, and the stems of carnations are dipped in alcohol for 10 seconds.
Flowers should be cut with a sharp knife or pruner. Scissors damage the fabric, and the bouquet fades very quickly.
Water. Daffodils and lilies of the valley love warm water, and ice is added to tulips, chrysanthemums and irises. The level of water in the vase also has an effect. For gerberas, irises and freesias, the filling height is 5-7 cm, for chrysanthemums, roses and tulips - up to 10 cm, for carnations and daffodils - 10-15 cm. Dahlias and phlox require a large amount of water.
Not all flowers need a full vase of water. For example, the filling height for tulips is up to 10 cm
Water disinfection
Flowers need soft and clean water, such as spring or rain water. In urban conditions, melted, filtered, distilled and settled water is used. By the way, flowers can also be placed in sparkling water.
| A remedy that can be added to a vase with a fresh bouquet | Description |
| Silver and copper | It can be a coin, spoon or decoration. Silver and copper neutralize bacteria |
| Wood and activated charcoal | A bar of charcoal or 1-2 tablets of activated charcoal will stop the growth of bacteria. Recommended for flowers with soft stems: tulips, daffodils, gerberas |
| Acetylsalicylic acid and streptocide | The tablet is crushed and stirred until complete dissolution. Proportions: 1 pc. for 6 liters of water. The solution is suitable for almost all colors |
| Soda | Soda slaked with vinegar or lemon juice works well. Proportions: 1 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water |
| Vinegar | Apple or regular 9%. Proportions: 1 tbsp. l. for 1 liter of water. Acetic solution is loved by asters, dahlias, carnations, daffodils and tulips. |
| Alcohol | To keep flowers in a vase longer, chrysanthemums, asters, daisies, orchids, carnations, poppies and crocuses are placed in water with alcohol. You can use vodka. Proportions: 1 tsp. for 1 liter of water |
| Salt | To keep the flowers longer, roses, callas, dahlias, camellias, hydrangeas and gladioli are placed in salted water. Proportions: 1 tsp. for 1 liter of water |
| Boric acid | Proportions: 100 g per 1 liter of water. This solution is suitable for carnations |
| Potassium permanganate | A pinch of potassium permanganate is good for daffodils and tulips. Proportions: 0.003 g or several crystals per 1 liter of water |
| Lemon acid | Proportions: 2-3 g or several crystals per 1 liter of water. The solution has a beneficial effect on roses and lilacs |
| Household chemicals | You can use 2-3 drops of whiteness or washing powder on the tip of a knife for disinfection. For a bouquet with roses, take 2-3 drops of bleach or dishwashing detergent |
Most flowers need daily water changes. When using solutions, water is changed 1 time in 2 days (for carnations - less often). At each change, you need to thoroughly wash the vase, prepare a new solution, rinse the stems, renew sections and remove dried flowers.
From time to time, the flowers are sprayed with water from a spray bottle (avoiding the middle of the bud). Roses, carnations, lilies of the valley and freesias are sprayed several times a day, but orchids, violets and sweet peas will darken and curl up from spraying.
Top dressing flowers
To keep flowers in a vase, they need to be fed. On sale there are ready-made mixtures for feeding plants. At home, sugar is used (1 tablespoon per 1 liter of water) or glucose (1-2 tablets per 1 liter of water). You can add sweet soda to the water (50 ml per 1 liter of water).
Alcohol, vinegar and aspirin are disinfected and fed at the same time.
However, not all flowers are "sweet". Do not add sugar to cyclamen, lilies of the valley, amaryllis, chamomile and clematis - this will only speed up their wilting.
Experiment and combine ingredients to find the best solution. The bouquet can please you for up to several weeks. Much depends on the quality of the water, the fertilizers used to grow the flowers, and the fertilizer used in the flower shop.
Correct neighborhood. The wrong combination of colors can speed up the wilting of the bouquet. To preserve the bouquet, roses, carnations, lilies, daffodils, orchids, lilies of the valley, poppies, iris, yellow primroses, hyacinths and sweet peas should be placed separately from each other. Lilacs, forget-me-nots and tulips die if lilies of the valley are placed next to them. Flowers with bulbs are kept separate from others.
There are also nice neighbors. For example, sprigs of thuja, geranium and woodruff prolong the life of bouquets.
Place for a bouquet. A bright, cool place away from sunlight and heating appliances is suitable for placing flowers. Keep vases away from fireplaces, TVs, and computers. Flowers do not tolerate sudden changes in temperature and drafts. The proximity to fruits also contributes to rapid wilting. The latter emit ethylene, which is detrimental to flowers (roses and carnations are especially sensitive to it). The same applies to wilted flowers - they must be removed immediately, they have a detrimental effect on fresh "brothers".
Do not put the bouquet next to the fruit - they release ethylene, which leads to the rapid withering of flowers
Revitalization of flowers. If the flowers begin to fade, the stems are dipped in boiling water for 2-3 minutes (hot water expands the capillaries and activates vital processes). Then they make a new cut under water, put the flowers in cool water and add top dressing.
Floral foam. A special sponge will not only keep the freshness of the bouquet for a long time, but also allow you to compose a flower arrangement for a gift or decor. The sponge is saturated with water in a matter of seconds and retains moisture for a long time (40 times its own weight). Like a bouquet in a vase, a flower arrangement immersed in floral foam must be watered (moisten the sponge once every 2 days), and plant leaves must be sprayed with water. Use purified water with a disinfectant solution and top dressing.
With the help of floral foam, you can create an original floral decor.
Video from YouTube on the topic of the article:
She graduated from the author's physical and mathematical lyceum and art school. Received a higher economic education in the direction of "innovation management". Freelancer. Married, actively travels. He is interested in Buddhist philosophy, enjoys transsurfing and loves Mediterranean cuisine.
Fresh lemon is not only good for tea: clean the dirt from the surface of an acrylic bath by rubbing with a half of a cut citrus, or quickly clean the microwave by placing a container of water and lemon slices in it for 8-10 minutes at maximum power. The softened dirt will simply be wiped off with a sponge.
The habit of using the washing machine “economically” can lead to the appearance of an unpleasant odor in it. Washing at temperatures below 60 ℃ and short rinses allow fungi and bacteria from dirty clothes to remain on internal surfaces and actively multiply.
If the first signs of gestation in the form of untidy pellets appear on your favorite things, you can get rid of them with the help of a special machine - a shaver. It quickly and effectively shaves off clumps of fabric fibers and returns things to a decent look.
The threads of gold and silver, with which clothes were embroidered in the old days, are called gimp. To obtain them, the metal wire was pulled for a long time with tongs to the state of the required fineness. This is where the expression “pull (raise) the gimp” came from - “engage in long monotonous work” or “delay the execution of the case”.
The easiest way to remove scale and soot from the sole of the iron is with table salt. Pour a thick layer of salt on the paper, heat the iron to the maximum and several times, pressing lightly, run the iron over the salt bedding.
In the dishwasher, not only plates and cups are washed well. It can be loaded with plastic toys, glass shades of lamps and even dirty vegetables, such as potatoes, but only without the use of detergents.
Before removing various stains from clothes, you need to find out how safe the chosen solvent is for the fabric itself. It is applied in a small amount to an inconspicuous area of \u200b\u200bthe thing from the inside out for 5-10 minutes. If the material retains its structure and color, you can move on to stains.
Stretch ceilings made of PVC film can withstand from 70 to 120 liters of water per 1 m 2 of its area (depending on the size of the ceiling, the degree of its tension and the quality of the film). So you can not be afraid of leaks from neighbors from above.
People. Evidence of this can be found in folklore and myths. Some flowers have found their wide use in medicine, others can be used as a source of food.
But the most important and most important use of colors - of course, aesthetic, capable of evoking an emotional response in the human soul.
Not without reason, some people who do not know how to express their emotions in words resort to the help of flowers. Flowers are a symbol of sophistication, sophistication and harmony. A beautiful bouquet has the ability to bring comfort to your home and delight the eye.
Have you ever noticed that many photographs of the interior necessarily contain flowers? After all, they always decorate and bring some liveliness and a sense of celebration into the interior.
However, in order for cut flowers to live the longest period, you need to know a few simple rules that will help flowers significantly extend their life.
For proper care of cut flowers special preparations and materials will be needed:
Watering can
Secateurs
sharp knife
small nail file
Wire
Adhesive tape or tape
Charcoal
Salt
Sugar
Lemon acid
Ammonia
Vinegar
Rule of thumb for cutting flowers is that the whole plant itself is not affected in any way. Only the freshest plants are cut. Before this, you need to thoroughly shed dry soil with water and allow the flowers to dry.
How to extend the life of flowers
*In order for the flowers to last as long as possible , make it a rule to cut them either early in the morning or late in the evening.
But if circumstances are such that pruning needs to be done during the day, try to do this only in cloudy weather.
The most favorable period for cutting flowers and for cut flowers to stand as long as possible is evening.
*If you have just cut flowers for yourself , soak them completely in a bath of water for about eight hours. It is advisable to do this for the whole night. Submerge them in the water as deep as possible.
*It is not customary to cut the stems immediately after the last rain, as their petals can become dark from moisture.
*Advice:Asters and Chrysanthemums are recommended not to be cut with a knife, but to break the stem by hand.
*Almost all kinds of flowers keep well if you cut them directly under the knot. If you start cutting roses from a bush, then be sure to make a cut above the node, but if you plan to only cut the flower, then do it only under the node.
*Many types of plants can be cut when they have not yet opened and are in the budding phase. This includes flowers such as: orchids, lilies, gladioli.
*Chrysanthemums, asters and cyclamens it is recommended to cut when they have fully blossomed, because they cannot open in water.
*Flowers with a hard stem, such as roses and asters, before putting into water, it is recommended to thoroughly clean the thorns and leaves. You should also make fresh oblique and long cuts with a very sharp knife.
*And for soft daffodils and tulips cuts should be straight and even. Thus, you will increase the water absorption surface.
*Make it a rule to always cut flowers under water so that air cannot enter the passing vessels.
*Always and for all kinds of flowers it is recommended to use only clean vases.
*Water poured into vases must be fresh and clean, boiled, spring, rain or snow, and must be chilled to at least 20 degrees.
*The height of the vase should not be located higher than the middle of the peduncle.
*Water in a vase should always be fill no more than halfway.
*Some colors may not be compatible with each other. For example, roses are only compatible with their own species and not with any other.
*One single flower having milky juice in less than a day, will destroy all other flowers. Therefore, when cutting flowers, carefully monitor each. If you find that some flower has released "milk", immediately separate it from others.
*Plants that can produce white sap , preferably immediately after cutting, pour boiling water over the ends of the stems, or lower them into it for literally a few seconds.
*Into the vase containing the anemones add a little water every morning.
* Lilac loves very much, when it is doused with boiling water before being placed in a vase.
*To make buds of individual flowers opened faster, dried and obsolete flowers should be removed from time to time.
*To extend the life of all kinds flowers, you can try to use a coniferous extract, due to which you can not change the water in the vase and do not cut the stems of the plant.
*Increases the life of any plant species ammonia, which you need literally a couple of drops, as well as one tsp. table salt (per 1 liter of water).
*If mixed with water just a little bit of charcoal or some of the powdered charcoal, the cut flowers will last much longer.
*A mixture is considered effective from two st. l. granulated sugar dissolved in one liter of water (necessarily boiled and then chilled) and two hundred gr. boric acid. This composition will make your flowers literally go crazy and bloom quickly. For the fastest opening of all the buds on the flower, add a little of this water to the vase.
*Never keep flowers in your kitchen . Usually there is ethylene, which is very detrimental to any kind of flowers, released, as a rule, from vegetables or fruits.
*If rot has appeared in a vase of flowers , the water began to turn green, then it must be urgently changed, thoroughly clean the entire stem, add half a tablet of aspirin or simple alcohol to fresh water and add one teaspoon of table salt.
* Mandatory daily spraying your flowers from a spray bottle will keep them fresh for a longer time. And also, after this procedure, your flowers will look much more magnificent and joyful.
*More powerful influx of life-giving moisture can increase one small trick. Cut the bottom of the hard-stemmed flowers lengthwise into several pieces and place in a vase. As a rule, this refers to lilac or rose.
*When you change the water in a vase, do not forget to rinse the vase itself, even with the addition of soda, as well as the stems of plants.
*To make flowers fresh , you need to let them stand a little in the cold. Or a fairly well-known method of laying flowers in a bath of water. In just one hour, they will be soaked to such an extent that they will be able to stand additionally for some more time.
* Lilac does not like heat very much .
*If the petals of your flowers began to lose their color , and the plants look withered and dull, add one tablespoon of vodka to the water. Alcohol is very helpful in keeping your flowers in their hue.
*Some spring flowers such as hyacinth, daffodil, iris or tulip cannot be cut for very long. To help them, you should add a little lemon juice to a vase of water.
Lemon is a preservative that will perfectly support the structure of the plant, preventing it from withering quickly.
* One teaspoon of apple cider vinegar added to water with plants will cause the leaves and green tops to turn a rich green color.
* Cube of refined sugar thrown into the water almost any flower will extend the life of twice. Glucose saturates the plant in such a way as if it were growing in the ground.
*If added to water with colored plants one teaspoon of cola, the color will remain bright for a very long time, due to iron dioxide, which preserves the piece dye.
To keep your flowers alive for as long as possible, try to purchase exclusively fresh flowers and always try to check this.
To determine the freshness of any flower, squeeze it in the place where the bud begins at the base and the stem ends. If this part is not dense and hard, but soft, then you should not buy such a flower. In a fresh flower, this place is always only elastic.
Water for any flowers is their life . The more time the flowers are without water, the less time they will live.
Therefore, if you buy flowers and plan to keep them for a very long time, then ask the sellers to pack your plants in some kind of container with water. Well, if this is not possible, then at least wrap the base of the stems of the flowers in a wet towel.
*Try as carefully as possible clean the stems of the flowers, removing all spoiled leaves and petals. Clean well the part of the stem that will be lowered directly into the water.
*Great if you are everyday cut the stem of the plant by one centimeter. Because of this, it will receive a constant supply of water as well as nutrients.
*Water before pouring into a vase , it is desirable to clean from impurities of salt. This can be done with the help of special filters, which in our time are in almost every apartment. Purified water will significantly increase the life of any flowers.
*Once the flower is cut, then it can no longer get any nutrients from the soil. Therefore, now our direct task is to take care of the plants.
In flower shops you can find special powder for flowers. It will purify the water well, helping it to remain clean and transparent for a long time, and will also be able to stop the process of the appearance of harmful microorganisms in the water.
* Any flower loves coolness, not the heat. Therefore, keep your bouquets away from fireplaces and other heating appliances. Keep them out of direct sun as well.
*If you add sparkling water to a vase of water , then the flowers will remain fresh and attractive for almost two weeks.
* Ordinary pennies made of copper, lowered into the water, can help keep plants longer, since copper contains an oxidizing agent. It successfully slows down the growth of harmful microbes.
*Since hydrangeas consume a lot of water , then instead of spraying them, you can simply lower them for a minute in a container of cool water.
*Poisonous flowers usually stay in a vase for a very long time , because they contain those substances that prevent the formation of bacteria. Therefore, for almost three weeks, without losing their appearance at all, azalea, lilies of the valley, lily, carnation and oleander can easily stand in a vase.
The most interesting thing is that these plants can still be extended further life if a few drops of whiteness are dropped into a vase of water. Chlorine, which is in whiteness, is able to completely neutralize the aggressive environment that flowers will begin to release over time.
*Increase the life of the flowers in the vase a solution of boric acid or potassium permanganate will help. It is enough just to add a little to the water. Just make sure that the solution is not too concentrated.
* A solution of citric acid with sugar, mixed with ascorbic acid, it can give splendor to chrysanthemums for twenty days at once. Every 4-5 days, such a solution must be changed, while thoroughly washing all the vessels.
* Fragile and delicate mimosa it is possible to keep it fresh for seven days if you first put it in warm water with the addition of a few drops of vinegar for forty minutes, and then freshen its cut and crush the end of the stem with a hammer, and then put it in a vase.
By following these completely simple rules, you can significantly increase the life of your flowers.
Fresh flowers can transform even the most boring and dull decor, but the age of cut plants is very short-lived. Fortunately, florists know how to keep a bouquet for a long time and are happy to share their secrets with others. If you properly perform all the manipulations, you can admire a beautiful flower arrangement in an elegant vase for several weeks. It will take a lot of effort, but the result is definitely worth it.
And it all starts with the purchase of a bouquet, because today only a few are engaged in growing flowers. When choosing a suitable plant ensemble, you need to pay attention to the following points:
- Petals and leaves should have a bright and juicy color. Dark spots and dried edges indicate the beginning of the withering process and no measures will allow you to keep the bouquet longer than a few days.
- Short stems with a slimy, darkened cut are signs of older flowers.
- Freshly cut plants are characterized by sufficient moisture and elasticity. If you bend a piece of a leaf or petal, then it should quickly return to its place without the formation of fold marks.
- Sellers often try to hide signs of wilting by removing individual parts of the flower. If a certain specimen looks naked, most likely it has fallen under such a correction.
A bouquet will stay in a vase for a long time only if it is made up of fragrant flowers that literally exude moisture, with tight buds and leaves tightly sitting in the beds.
Proper bouquet preparation and water disinfection
Cut flowers will last many times longer if the following manipulations are carried out before placing them in a vase:
- We lower the stems into the water and make an oblique cut on each. After that, it is no longer possible to remove the plant from the liquid. This procedure prevents the process of clogging of vessels with air bubbles, which provokes dehydration of the flower.
- Immediately before placing the bouquet in a vase, you need to remove all the leaves, antennae and spines that will be located in the water. Then the reproduction of bacteria will slow down, and the absorption of nutrients by unnecessary elements will be reduced.
- Very dense and thick stems must not only be cut, but also split 5 cm deep by inserting matches into the cracks. Then the flowers will not experience a lack of moisture and will last longer.
Tip: The same technique can be extended to tender plants with soft stems. In this case, the cut surface only needs to be scratched with a sharp needle, this will significantly increase the absorption capacity of the element.
- Particular attention should be paid to specimens with hollow stems. Carefully pour water into them and plug the holes with cotton wool or gauze. With a significant release of milky juice, you can lower the tips of the trunks into boiling water or lightly burn them.
- Flowers such as lilies and tulips will last much longer in a vase if their anthers are removed immediately. This applies to all plants with long stamens.
Cut plants prefer soft water, it is best if it is rain, melt, well or spring. If there is nothing besides the tap liquid, you must first defend it for a day and drain it so as to get rid of the sediment.
You can cope with bacteria that rapidly multiply in water with flowers by carrying out a simple disinfection:
- At the bottom you can put a silver coin or some charcoal.
- A good effect is given by a pinch of washing powder or a crushed aspirin tablet (one piece per 5 liters of liquid).
- For high-quality disinfection in a vase with water, it is enough to dissolve a pinch of potassium permanganate, a teaspoon of table salt, 100 mg of boric acid or a tablespoon of vinegar to choose from.
All of the above manipulations will help the flowers to last as long as possible, but we must not forget about the proper care of the bouquet. You can't just put it on and forget it, maintaining the attractiveness of flowers involves a number of ancillary daily operations.
Suitable feeding options for fresh cut flowers
Cut plants will not last longer than one week if they are not provided with full and regular top dressing. For this purpose, it is customary to use one of the following products at home:
- Sugar. It is introduced in the ratio of 1.5 teaspoons per liter of water. This is a universal remedy, but most often it is used to care for tulips, carnations and daffodils.
- Alcohol. Recommended for keeping asters fresh. You need to add no more than a teaspoon of the product for every liter of water.
- Aspirin. Just one tablet is enough to maintain the attractiveness of an impressive bouquet of roses or chrysanthemums.
- Vinegar. A weak solution of table vinegar will preserve cut dahlias for a long time.
- Industrial supplements. They can be universal or specialized, in the form of powder or drops. Using the selected tool, you must act strictly according to the instructions. If you exceed the recommended dosages, the plants will not stand longer, but there is a risk of burns in the flowers.
The water in the vase needs to be changed every day, while top dressing needs to be updated. It is undesirable to change it; for delicate representatives of the flora, this can become a serious stress.
Where is the best place to put a bouquet and how to care for it?
The correct arrangement of the bouquet has no less impact on the condition of the flowers than caring for the plants. In the case of cut elements, the following rules apply:
- Lighting should be as natural and of high quality as possible, but direct sunlight is unacceptable. With increased solar activity, it is better to shade the buds and leaves or even remove them deep into the room.
- Fresh flowers do not like heat. The bouquet is best placed in a cool room. At the same time, we must not forget that drafts for living plants are detrimental.
- Particular attention should be paid to composition. There are flowers that are absolutely incompatible and do not get along in the same bouquet. For example, roses, orchids, lilies of the valley, lilies and daffodils are considered recognized egoists, they need to be placed apart. But geranium and thuja, on the contrary, love complex ensembles and maintain the freshness of their neighbors.
- It is highly recommended not to place flowers in close proximity to fruits. Foods release ethylene, a gas that promotes the ripening and wilting of plants. Such an ensemble will look attractive, but will not last very long.
- Changing the water daily, you need to remember not only the introduction of top dressing, but also the disinfection of the liquid.
- Withered or dried leaves and petals should be removed immediately.
- Stem sections also need to be regularly updated by literally a few millimeters. If you do not do this daily, then the access of moisture and nutrients to the elements of the plant will be disturbed.
- Large leaves will have to be sprayed with lukewarm water from a spray bottle. Some types of flowers at night can be laid out in a bath of cool water. In this case, the liquid should not fall on the buds.
- The temperature in the room where the flowers are standing is best kept slightly below comfortable, within 15-18ºС. In extreme cases, the room should be well ventilated several times a day. In this case, the bouquet must be taken out to another room.
The importance of the physical and chemical conditions of fresh flowers is undeniable, but the atmosphere in the room should not be dismissed. Plants are no less acute than people are experiencing stress. Therefore, you should not count on the fact that the bouquet will stand for a long time if there is some tension between the inhabitants of the house.
Whether it's a bouquet of roses from a loved one, a friendly bouquet of daisies from a fan, fresh peonies from your own garden, or a bouquet of tulips you impulsively bought on your way home, here are some helpful tips to help you keep those flowers fresh and beautiful for much longer.
1. Buy only fresh flowers
If you buy roses yourself, always check how fresh they are. This can be done by squeezing the flower where the stem ends and the bud begins. If this part of the flower is soft, then the rose is old and should not be bought. If firm, then the flower is fresh.
2. Don't leave flowers without water
Water keeps flowers alive. The longer the flowers are left without water, the less they will last. Therefore, if you buy flowers yourself and want to keep them longer, listen to these three recommendations:
- Ask to pack the bouquet in an individual container of water.
- Take a container of water with you so that you can immediately place flowers in it after purchase.
- Wrap the base of the stems in damp paper towels.
3. Remove any wilted petals and leaves
To keep the water in the vase cleaner and fresher longer, remove any rotten leaves and petals. Especially carefully clean the part of the stem that will fall into the water.
Leaves in water promote the formation of bacteria that are detrimental to flowers. Moreover, when the leaves fall into the water, it becomes cloudy, acquires a putrid odor.
4. Cut your stems often
Before putting flowers in a vase, pay attention to the base of the stems. You may notice that some of them have dried up. We need to cut those places.
Trim the flower about 3-5 cm. Do this under running water or immerse the stems in a container of water. This is necessary so that air bubbles do not clog the vessels of plant tissue and do not interfere with the absorption of water by the flower. Cut the flower should be at an angle of 45 degrees to increase the suction surface of the flower.
It's a good idea to prune the stem a little (about 1cm) daily or every other day. This will enable the flowers to consistently receive an influx of nutrients and water.
5. Use a sharp knife to cut flowers
Scissors in most cases pinch the stem too much, which leads to tissue damage. Therefore, for these purposes, it is better to use a sharply sharpened knife. And in the case of thick stems, garden shears come in handy.
6. Place flowers only in a clean vase
It is very important to always place flowers only in a clean vase washed with hot soapy water. This will remove all microorganisms that are harmful to the flowers.
7. Change the water more often
Some flowers grow even after they have been cut. For example, anemones continue to grow and consume huge amounts of water every day.
Look at the hydrangeas in the picture above, and you will notice that they have absorbed three-quarters of the water in the vase in a day.
We are used to pouring tap water into a vase. There is nothing wrong with this, but if you want to extend the life of flowers, then pour salt-free water into a vase. It can be obtained by running tap water through a filter, which is in almost every home today.
8. Feed the flowers
Once the flowers are cut, they no longer receive nutrients from the soil. And this becomes our concern if we want to prolong their life.
In any flower shop you can buy a special powder to preserve freshly cut flowers. To the nutritional powder, you can add a little soda to the water (¾ teaspoon per liter of water). This will help keep the water clean and clear and slow down the growth of bacteria and flower-damaging microorganisms.
Just do not overdo it with soda, otherwise you will destroy the flowers that you so want to keep.
9. Spray flowers
Almost all flowers love moisture, so they will only benefit if they are sprayed about 1-2 times a day.
10. Keep Flowers Cool
Flowers last longer in cool places. Move them there overnight and keep them away from fireplaces, radiators, heaters, and direct sunlight at all times.
The temperature also matters at the moment when the flowers are cut. If you are doing it yourself, do it in the morning when the air is cooler.
- You have probably heard that you can extend the life of flowers by adding aspirin or vinegar to the water. But there is another interesting method - soda water. If you pour soda into a vase, the flowers can look great up to two weeks (according to eyewitnesses). Haven't tried it myself. If you've tried it, let me know in the comments.
- Simple copper coins dipped into a vase of water can also help preserve flowers. Copper will act as an oxidizing agent and slow down the growth of harmful microorganisms.
- Another tip is for tulips. Immersing the stems in ice water every morning and shortening them by 1 cm per day will keep the flowers longer.
- Hydrangeas use a lot of water, so instead of spraying, you can just quickly dip them in a bowl of cold water.
So, now you have enough tips in your collection that will help you save the next presented bouquet much longer. And if something is forgotten, our video will help to quickly refresh their memory. :)
By the way, on our YouTube channel you can find many more useful tips that will make your life easier and better. ↓
If you have any tips that are not included in our list, or experience on how to extend the life of flowers, please share in the comments. I'm sure everyone will be interested to know about them.
Fresh flowers, along with their aroma and colors, bring joy to the house. However, it does not last long, because soon traces of wilting begin to appear on the petals and leaves. Often the flowers do not stand fresh for a day. Before you spend money on a purchase, you should think about how to keep flowers in a vase for a long time.
It may be worthwhile to determine in advance which flowers stand in the water longer and will delight the owners of the house for more than one day.
How to extend the life of flowers at home
There are a lot of tricks that will help keep bouquets fresh longer. All methods are easy to perform, you just need to follow the recommendations exactly.
cutting stems
- The vase in which you plan to put the bouquet should be optimal in size. This means that the stems of the plants should not be tightly pressed against each other.
- Water should not be taken running, but one that has settled a little or has been filtered. Any bouquet should be cleared of the lower leaves and branches, which will preserve the cut flowers for a long time. Roses also need to remove the thorns, because any part of the plant left on the stem will quickly cause the rotting process.
- Hard-stemmed flowers, such as roses, lilacs, chrysanthemums, should be cut under running water. The incision is made obliquely, while the base is slightly split, thus increasing the area of \u200b\u200bthe area for absorbing moisture. Scissors are not suitable for this procedure, as they will crush the stem tissue. It's better to use a knife. A piece of a match can be inserted into the gap formed in the base.
- For flowers with an empty stem, such as dahlias, a different technique is used. Water is poured into the stem and a cotton swab is inserted into it. The lower leaves also need to be completely cut off.
- On the basis of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, etc., scratches are made with a pin.
Proper arrangement of plants
There should be enough water in the vase. It depends on how much moisture this type of flower consumes.
It is better to put a vessel with flowers in a dark place where there are no drafts, away from electrical appliances. The air in the room should be cool.
Water disinfection
Purification of water from bacteria will guarantee that the flowers will stay fresh longer.
For disinfection in a vase, you can put one piece of charcoal, a crushed aspirin tablet, 2 tbsp. l. acetic acid and sugar, 1/2 tsp. salt or hold the tips of the plants in a solution of potassium permanganate.
Feeding flower arrangements
Top dressing will help the flowers not fade early. You can add sugar to the water with a bouquet of tulips and daffodils to make the flowers last longer (take 1.5 tsp per 1 liter). The freshness of asters can be preserved by adding 1 tsp. alcohol (also per 1 liter of water).
Depending on the type of plant
Rose is the queen of flowers
This is a classic of the genre. A rose is given on the first date, presented to the boss and used in a wedding bouquet. Despite its popularity, this flower is quite whimsical.
- Firstly, if you were presented with a complex bouquet of several components of different types, always place the rose separately. She doesn't like the neighborhood.
- If it is winter outside, do not bring the bouquet immediately into a warm room. Or let him stay unpacked for a while and get used to the temperature inside. Sharp temperature changes are not to the liking of gentle beauties.
- There should be a clean stem in the water: thorns and leaves from the lower level must be removed.
- It is necessary to cut the stems obliquely under a stream of cold water. After making a cut, pinch it with your finger and place the plant in a vase of clean water.
- At night, arrange water procedures for roses - put them in a bath of cold water. However, make sure that the buds are not flooded. To do this, you can wrap them in cellophane.
Don't you feel sorry for this bouquet of lilacs?!
Oh, how these amazing armfuls smell! But the life of such beauties at home, unfortunately, is rather short. Especially if you do not know the secrets of care. They are pretty simple:
- Each stem must be split with a sharp blade so that it absorbs moisture better.
- The water in the vase must be hot. Add liquid as it evaporates.
- Trimming of the tips must be carried out immediately before being sent to the water.
- Keep plants out of direct sunlight.
- Lilac loves a humid environment - give her pleasure by spraying from a spray bottle. You can also cover the inflorescences at night with a wet newspaper.
- If the lilac has already begun to wither, give it a shock therapy: pour boiling water over the stems, and then place it in water at room temperature.
Tulips - not the eighth of March alone
- Pick up a shallow container and pour some water. Change the contents of the vase daily, updating the cut.
- Remove the leaves from the lower level so that they are above the water.
Tulips are one of the few plants that continue to grow even when cut.
- Do not place in a draft or near heating appliances.
If the composition is mixed
Agree, a set of different types of plants that complement each other in color and size looks luxurious. However, when the first impression is made and the question of extending the life of the flowers remains, everything becomes more prosaic.
It is important to know that many flowers prefer proud loneliness in a vase, proximity to others can adversely affect the appearance of one of them.
As mentioned above, it is better to place a rose with its own kind, carnations, lilies, poppies, lilies of the valley and daffodils are also unfriendly.
Moreover, different subspecies require different temperatures and amounts of water. So if you want to admire the armful for as long as possible, it is better to disassemble the composition and arrange the components in separate containers.
Of course, the main requirement for the long life of flowers is their freshness when purchased. Demand that the bouquet be made right in front of you, do not take ready-made ones - they are most often made from stale goods.
