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
This year we are celebrating the United States’ 250th anniversary, its Semiquincentennial....
Tom Clements walked into Porter County Aging and Community Services looking for a tutor to help...
If you want to sharpen your gardening skills and are interested in sharing that knowledge with...
Many people are well into the vegetable-growing season in their home gardens. An activity that...
Are you interested in exhibiting garden produce or herbs at the Putnam County Fair, but unsure...
Purdue Extension Knox County 2026 Newsletter, featuring news in all of our program areas. Learn...