Skip to Main Content

Making Cut Flowers Last Longer

St. Valentine's Day is the time many of us are given cut flowers as gifts. How can you make these beautiful gifts last longer? Here are tips for preserving your cut flowers:

  • Use a thoroughly cleaned vase or container.
  • re-cut stems back about an inch at a 45 degree angle. Cutting at an angle exposes more stem surface so that the flower can more readily absorb water.
  • Remove any leaves from the stems which would be immersed in the container water. If not removed, these leaves will deteriorate and shorten the life of the cut flowers.
  • Remove any dead flowers. Dead flowers will contaminate the water, causing other stems to die prematurely.
  • Change the water in the container every other day and re-cut the stems again.
  • Use a commercial cut flower preservative in the container water. These preservatives provide nutrients to the flower, thereby preserving the flowers longer.
  • Keep flowers out of direct sunlight and in a cool area. Direct sunlight or excessive heat will dehydrate the blooms and shorten the bloom life.

Featured Stories

opening bud in snow
How Did Your Plants Fare This Winter?

With lawns greening up, we’ll soon take that first really observant stroll through the home...

Read More
Two people exercising with laptop
Virtual Fitness

Sometimes fitting exercise into our busy schedules can be difficult. For some it may come easy...

Read More
Adult Mental Health
Knox County Adult Mental Health First Aid for Rural Communities

Purdue Extension Knox County is presenting Adult Mental Health First Aid for Rural Communities on...

Read More
Casserole-Dish
Knox County ServSafe Food Manager 1-Day Class & Examination

Purdue Extension Knox County is presenting a ServSafe Food Manager 1-Day Class & Examination...

Read More
poorly pruned tree
Learn to Prune Trees Correctly and Recognize Risk Factors

Do you have pruning anxiety? Have you wondered what to do about tree branches that just...

Read More
Purdue Extension.
4-H Newsletters

Want information about what is going on in Lawrence County 4-H? Check out the latest newsletter!

Read More
To Top