How to Make Cut Flowers Last Longer at Home

Most cut flowers arrive in good condition and decline faster than they should because of a few easily avoided mistakes. None of this is complicated. It's mostly about water, temperature, and a clean vase. Here's what we tell every customer who asks.

Start with a clean vase ¶

Bacteria are the main reason flowers die early. A vase that looks clean can still carry enough residue from a previous bunch to shorten the life of the next one significantly. Wash it with hot soapy water, rinse it well, and dry it before you fill it. If you're reusing a vase that had slimy stems in it last time, a quick rinse with a diluted bleach solution before washing will help.

Cut the stems properly. And keep cutting ¶

When you get a bunch home, cut at least a centimetre off the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle. This opens up more surface area for water uptake. Use a sharp knife rather than scissors if you can. Scissors crush the stem tissue and reduce uptake.

The part most people skip: cut the stems again every two days. Each time you do, you're removing the section that has started to block up with bacteria and dried tissue. It takes about thirty seconds and it genuinely makes a difference.

Water temperature and depth ¶

Lukewarm water is absorbed faster than cold water for most flowers. Fill the vase about two-thirds full. Enough to cover a good length of stem without submerging any leaves. Leaves sitting in water rot quickly and contaminate the water.

Change the water every two days when you recut the stems. If the water starts to look cloudy before that, change it sooner.

Where you put them matters ¶

Keep flowers away from direct sunlight, radiators, and fruit bowls. The ethylene gas that ripening fruit produces accelerates the ageing of cut flowers noticeably. A bunch next to a fruit bowl will often last half as long as one on the other side of the room.

A cool room overnight is the single biggest thing you can do if you want flowers to last. We condition all our stems in the cold room overnight before they go out. You can approximate this by moving your vase to a cool hallway or unheated room before you go to bed.

None of this requires special products or flower food sachets. A clean vase, fresh water, and a cool spot will take you most of the way there.