Tips for Making Fresh Cut Flowers Last Longer

Start with a clean vase

If you use your vase on the regular, it may contain microorganisms that will mess with your flowers. Before placing your new bouquet, give your vase a thorough cleaning by filling it with hot water and stirring in a tablespoon of baking soda and white vinegar.

Avoid placing them in a sunny locale

Make sure you steer clear of placing your bouquet near a window that gets a lot of sun. “The sun beats down on the flowers and makes them sweat/wilt,” says Barker. “It also warms the water in the vase, which spoils the hydration of the flowers.” Display them in a locale that’s room temperature (65-70 degrees).

Keep them away from vents and tech

Keep your fresh cut flowers as far away from heating vents and items that give off heat as possible (such as your television or computer). “Flowers can’t stand warmth and will die within a 24-hour period—even if you just got them,” says Barker.

Keep tabs on the water level

If you received flowers already in a vase, Barker recommends checking the water level: “Sometimes the water is at a much lower level due to travel, so the key is to have the vase filled almost to the top.”

To keep your bouquet fresher longer, change out the water daily and give the stems a small trim so the flowers get better access to water. Make sure to cut them on a slant using a sharp knife that isn’t serrated.

Mist the petals

If it’s particularly sweltering out, give each of the flower heads a spritz. It turns out flowers love it as much as we do!

Do some plucking

Sometimes some flowers tend to die quicker than others. Simply pluck out the sad looking flowers to keep the rest of your bouquet looking purdy.