Q: How can I extend the life of the cut flowers I buy?
— Trudi Geiszler, Evanston
A: Fresh-cut flowers can brighten up a room. Some simple steps can help prolong the display.
Try to buy your flowers from a vendor with high turnover, to ensure they are fresh.
Flowers with brown edges may be dried out or past their prime, so choose another bunch. Remove any severely wilted leaves or petals and foliage you find once you get the flowers home.
Flowers need a cellophane or paper wrapper to protect them from excessive heat or cold in transit. It is best to get them home and placed in water as quickly as possible.
If you have a long way to travel, bring a bucket of water in the car and place the flowers in it or wrap the cut ends of the stems in damp paper towels.
Before you use a vase for fresh flowers, wash it in hot, soapy water and rinse well. This will remove microorganisms to help keep the water clear.
Remove any leaves from the parts of the stems that will be submerged. Bacteria from leaves that decay underwater can build up to plug the ends of the flower stems and prevent them from absorbing water.
Cut the stems a little longer than they need to be to fit your vase. Then make the final cut — at a 45-degree angle with a sharp knife — of 1 to 2 inches from the bottom of each flower stalk. Cutting on an angle increases the surface area for water intake.
Try to avoid crushing the stems while cutting. For woody and thick stems, a sharp pair of garden shears will work well.
It is best to make your final cuts under running water or in a bowl of warm water to help prevent trapped air from blocking the stems’ water uptake. If you are unable to cut the stems underwater, place them in water as quickly as possible after cutting. Keep the flowers in fresh water until you are ready to transfer them to a vase or arrangement.
Tap water is generally fine for the vase, unless you have a water softener. Soft water, which has high amounts of sodium, is not good for flowers. Distilled water also will work.
If a packet of flower preservative came with your bouquet, add it to the water, following the package directions. It will work better than homemade solutions. Adding a small amount of bleach — no more than 1 teaspoon per quart of water — can help keep the water clean and deter bacteria.
Check your arrangement daily, and add water to the vase as needed. Most cut flowers will benefit from a daily mist of water. To keep a steady flow of water and nutrients to the flowers, it is ideal to trim a bit off the ends of the stems and change the water every other day.
Cut flowers will last longer if kept at cooler temperatures. Keep them away from direct sunlight and hot areas, such as heating vents, as well as cold areas, such as near a window or door in winter.
Avoid placing your arrangement near ripening fruit, which releases tiny amounts of ethylene gas that can cause flowers to age faster.
Tim Johnson is director of horticulture for the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe.
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