7 Tips to Make Your Valentine’s Flower Bouquets Last

The language of flowers gets no better occasion to shine than on Valentine’s Day. There is a rose to communicate every sentiment and a host of spring flowers shining their brightest for the most loving day of the year. The only downside to receiving cut flowers is that they don’t live very long.

As someone who likes to have fresh flowers in the house as often as possible, I’m always looking for ways to stretch my flower budget. A few years back, I started a cutting garden, and now I enjoy a fresh bouquet on my table throughout most of the year. 

Over the years, I’ve learned a few tricks to make sure that my blooms last as long as possible. While the type of flower certainly plays a role in its vase life, the way you treat them can mean a difference of several days to a week of freshness. Here are some ways you can maximize the vase life of that beautiful bouquet from your very own Valentine. 

Clean Your Vase

Starting off with a clean slate is the first step to prolonging the life of your cut flowers. With their open stems, they will be more vulnerable to fungus and bacteria. Make sure that you thoroughly clean your container before using it to house a fresh bunch. 

I know that sometimes I get a little lazy about really scrubbing my vase clean after using it. But, any bit of organic material left behind from the last bouquet can be problematic. These small amounts of organic material can house pathogens that are certain to shorten the vase life of your blooms. 

Clean your container well before you use it. Plain water isn’t usually enough to get the job done, although heat can go a long way. I recommend mixing in a bit of vinegar or bleach. This will make sure that the inside of your vase is disinfected. 

Give Them a Fresh Cut

One of the most important steps in preserving any cut flower is to give it a fresh cut immediately before you place it in its final destination. This is important for the same reason that we always give a Christmas tree a fresh cut before standing it up. 

Plants deliver moisture to their flowers by taking it up through their stems. Once you cut them, those stems will set about forming a callus as protection. This is so that they don’t lose the moisture they already contain. That won’t get you very far, though. If you’ve ever left a bunch out of water for an hour or two, you know how quickly they can dry out and wilt. 

By making a fresh cut, you remove any trace of a callus, opening the stem back up to absorb moisture. Any time you change out the flower food solution, make a new cut. Even when submerged, the ends of your stems can get mushy and begin the break down. When those ends begin to decay, they stop taking in moisture. A fresh cut will open them back up. The longer they stay hydrated, the longer your blooms will last. 

Put Them In Water as Soon as Possible

The longer your flowers stay out of water, the shorter their life will be. Hydration is vital to their survival. As soon as possible, place your stems in water. Even if you don’t have time to go through giving them a fresh cut, get them in water. You can always go back later when there is more time and re-trim them before putting them back in the vase. 

If your flowers arrived in their own container, as is commonly the case, you’ve got a head start. In this case, you’re not off the hook indefinitely, but you have some time to just enjoy them without doing any maintenance. Just make sure that there is enough water in the container. After a few days, you can freshen up the water and give all the stems a snip to get them rehydrated.

Use Flower Food

Those little packets of food that come attached to flowers may seem negligible. But, they contain important ingredients that will make your beautiful Valentine’s bouquet last longer in a vase. There are three different components in flower food that serve valuable functions:

• A form of sugar that makes all of those buds open fully so you can enjoy their true beauty. 
• Citric acid, which acidifies the water, makes it inhospitable to bacterial pathogens.
• A biocide. This is another chemical that inhibits the growth of harmful organisms. 

These work together to maximize the blooming power of your flowers and keep bacteria and fungi out of the water. 

Keep Them Away From Sunlight

While attached to the plant, flowers need sunlight to keep them looking their best. Once you snip them, they not only do not need the light, exposure will only expedite their demise. Sun will cause them to fade and wilt faster. 

 Find a shaded location for your bouquet. Try to keep it away from warm, sunny windows. 

Keep Them Cool

In the same way that sunlight will shorten the life of your bouquet, heat will as well. There is a reason florists keep their wares in large coolers until they are ready to send them out. Heat causes them to open faster and, thus, to wilt and die faster, as well. 

Since it’s still pretty chilly in February, try to keep your bouquet away from heating vents. Stay away from incandescent lightbulbs as well, as these can put off heat over time. Kitchens are typically the warmest room in the home, so that’s not the ideal spot. 

Aim to keep your arrangement in a cool spot, out of direct sunlight. If you really want to go the extra mile, and you have the space for it, pop your flowers in the refrigerator at night to extend their life. Just keep them away from fruit which can release gasses that will wilt them quickly, too. 

Change the Water Often

Finally, don’t forget to refresh your flower food solution often. Any time it looks cloudy or gets low, it’s time to swap it out for fresh water. Some flowers can take in a lot of moisture in the first day or two after bringing them home. Check your container after a couple of days to make sure it’s not dry. 

Refresh your vase with a clean flower food solution every few days for the best results. But, at the least, keep your vase topped off and try not to ever let the ends of your stems dry out.