5 Tips to Keep Flowers Fresh Longer

 

Who doesn’t love flowers? They add color, fragrance, and romance to any room in your home, whether they’re fresh or dried! Did you know that there are some simple things you can do to make your blooms last longer? Here are 4 simple tips to help you get the most out of your flowers, whether you just got them or you have them from last year (or several years ago).

 

1) Opt for Dried Floral Arrangements

If you want fresh-looking arrangements for a short period, dried flowers are your best bet. Dried flowers last much longer than their fresh counterparts (some for up to a year!) and work well in both formal and casual arrangements. You can purchase dried flower arrangements in bulk from most florists or craft stores. Although buying them pre-made saves you some time, they’re fairly easy to create on your own as well. To make your own arrangement, use wire cutters to remove stems from a variety of plants (dried corn husks also make great additions). Then simply place them in an attractive container and add water! The combination of texture and color makes these arrangements really pop. Another tip: try adding something unexpected like buttons or colored paper between each layer—it adds interest without being too overbearing.

 

2) Get a Large Vase

Place your flowers in a large vase instead of a small one. The more water a flower has, the longer it will last. A big vase will also help keep your flowers from drying out so quickly. Be sure to change out any water that may have evaporated from your large vase at least once per week so you’re not overwatering your flowers. Be sure, too, that you use clean water each time; bacteria and mold will shorten your flowers’ life even faster than lack of fresh water. Use Water That's Not Too Hot: Make sure you don’t overheat your water when you place it into your vase or when you first add flowers to a freshly filled vase. Using hot water can cause wilting, especially if it stays hot for an extended period.

 

3) Add Citric Acid

Citric acid is an easy way to keep flowers fresh for a long time. Just add about 3 tablespoons of citric acid to 2 liters of warm water and immerse your flowers in it for about 15 minutes. This process removes some of your flower's natural water content, meaning they'll stay fresh longer when you display them. If you add fruit, like lemons or oranges, into your vase, you'll be able to keep them fresher even longer. You can also make homemade vinegar spray with white vinegar and distilled water to make sure your flowers don't wilt. Add 2 cups of white vinegar and 1 cup of distilled water into a spray bottle, then spray on both sides of each flower after watering.

To help preserve petals that have already wilted: Spread some lemon juice onto wilted petals by dipping them into a bowl filled with juice or spraying them with it using a mister bottle.

 

4) Put Them in the Fridge

If you’re not going to be using your flowers for a few days, it makes sense to put them in the fridge instead of leaving them at room temperature. This will slow down their wilt rate and keep them fresh longer. Make sure you wrap your flowers in newspaper or paper towels before putting them in; if they’re wrapped up tightly, they can stay fresh for three or four days. Make sure you take a few minutes each day to gently unwrap and move around each flower as well; if you leave them tightly wrapped for too long, stems can get brittle and break easily. If your flowers are especially fragile (like lilies), don’t bother putting them in a vase—they won’t last long enough anyway. Instead, simply place them directly into the water. They’ll drink from there and stay fresh much longer than if they were left sitting on a countertop.

 

5) Blot Spots with Vinegar

The acids in vinegar naturally mingle with a flower’s nutrients, preventing them from breaking down and spoiling. While you could just pour vinegar directly on your flowers, it’s better to create a solution of one part vinegar and nine parts water; then you can use an eyedropper or spray bottle to apply it. The exact quantities depend on how big your arrangement is—just follow these guidelines: 1 pint = 2 cups, 1 quart = 4 cups, 1 gallon = 8 cups. Just make sure that if you’re using distilled white vinegar, you dilute it with water because it has very little acidity. (If you want to be really precise about things, check out our guide to pH.) For example, if you have a small vase with 10 stems of flowers in it, mix up enough vinegar-water solution for 20 stems. Spray or drip some onto each stem before arranging them in your vase (you don’t need much). Then put some more into a glass pitcher filled with fresh water and pour that into your vase as well.