Not to mention, everyone loves giving and receiving flowers or even just treating yourself to a bunch.
However, taking care of them isn’t as easy as a simply popping them in water. By adding these few easy tips into your routine, your flowers will be as fresh as daisies (literally) for so much longer!
Trim the stems
Cut 2-4cm off the ends of the flower stems at a diagonal angle. This will increase the amount of base area that the flower has to stay hydrated. To ensure a longer and healthier bunch, trim the stems each time the water is changed.
Apple cider vinegar and sugar
Is there anything apple cider vinegar can’t do? Along with benefitting your gut health, it also aids the growth and maintenance of your flowers. Add 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of sugar into the vase of water and stir. This mixture holds the freshness of the flowers and provides essential nutrients. Make sure you change the water every few days and add a fresh amount of vinegar and sugar.
Keep flowers in the fridge overnight
This is what florists do to help preserve their flowers so it’s a definite tip for your home. No one will be there to see the flowers when you are sleeping so might as well pop them in the fridge (if you have one big enough) so you can wake up to a freshly preserved bunch of flowers the next morning.
Remove leaves and outer petals
By removing the leaves that are below the waterline, you save growing bacteria that would sabotage the growth of the flowers. It will also make your bunch look much fuller and brighter. If you are dealing with flowers such as roses, remove the outer layer of petals to allow the flower to blossom to it’s full extent.
Keep away from direct sunlight and heat
Flowers are kept inside because they often can’t handle an outdoor environment. It’s important keep them away from windows where they’ll receive constant and direct sunlight and instead have them in a cool area where they can fully blossom.
This article originally appeared on Starts at 60.
