BeLoved tips to longer lasting
flowers - These tips should keep your flowers looking fresh for as long
as possible.
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Make sure the flowers are put into a clean vase. Clean
the vase with some bleach to get rid of any bacteria. |
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Cut an inch or so diagonally off the end of the stems under water
before putting the flowers in water. They should be recut every three
days. A fresh cut removes the bacteria, opens a new part of the stem
to take up water, and prevents air pockets from forming inside the
stem. |
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Stems should never be broken off or flattened - not even "woody
stems". Scraping off the bark will also shorten the flower life. |
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The flowers will last longer if you add our cut-flower food to the
water (see also our homemade flower food, below). |
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Strip off leaves that will be below the water level in the vase,
leaves in water will promote bacterial growth and clog up the stems
restricting the water uptake and the flowers won’t last so well. |
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Put the flowers in a cool place, out of direct sun and draughts,
and not above a heat source. |
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Top up the water in the vase regularly, and add more cut-flower
food if possible. Change the water completely after three days. |
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As blooms start to die, remove them — they give off gases
that cause the other flowers to die more quickly. Fruit may have a
similar effect, so it’s best to keep your flowers away from
the fruit bowl. |
Homemade flower food
You can use the following recipe if you run out of cut-flower food:
Add half a teaspoon of sugar, a small pinch of citric acid (or a teaspoon
of vinegar or lemon juice) and a not-quite-full teaspoon of bleach to
a litre of lukewarm water. The bleach inhibits bacterial growth, which
the sugar encourages.
“My flowers don’t stand up straight…”
It could be your vase is too short for your flowers, or your flowers are
too tall for your vase! A good rule of thumb is that your flowers should
be two to three times the size of your vase. Build a grid across the top
of your vase with clear tape and place the flowers within the grid.
“Oh no! I've cut my flowers too short!”
Don't worry. Just add pebbles or marbles to the bottom of your vase or
simply float the head of a broken flower in a clear bowl for a charming
display.
Whenever I water my flowers I water my furniture as well!
Avoid spills when watering your flowers; use a baster to reach into narrow
vases and full arrangements.
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