How to Care for Cut Flowers: Tips From Your Local Berwick Florist

There's nothing more disappointing than watching a beautiful bouquet fade faster than it should. Over the years, I've given a lot of flower care advice to customers, and the same simple tips come up time and time again. Follow these and your flowers will last significantly longer, sometimes up to twice as long as they would without any care at all.

1. Trim the Stems Before Placing in Water

This is the single most important thing you can do. As soon as you get your flowers home, cut about 2 to 3 centimetres off the bottom of each stem at a 45-degree angle. Use sharp scissors or a knife, not blunt ones that crush the stem. A diagonal cut creates more surface area for the stem to absorb water.

If possible, cut the stems while holding them under water or immediately place them in water after cutting. Stems begin to seal up when exposed to air, so speed matters here.

2. Use Clean Water and Change It Every Two Days

Fresh, clean water makes an enormous difference. Bacteria build up in vase water and block the stems from absorbing properly. Change the water every two days, and give the vase a rinse each time. When you change the water, re-trim the stems by a centimetre to open them up again.

Use lukewarm water rather than cold, as most flowers absorb it more easily.

3. Use the Flower Food Sachet

Most bouquets from Berwick Flowers come with a small sachet of flower food. Use it. It contains nutrients, sugar, and a mild antibacterial agent that genuinely extends the life of your flowers. Add it to the water when you first set up your bouquet.

If you don't have a sachet, a home remedy that works well is a teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of bleach per litre of water. The sugar feeds the flowers and the bleach inhibits bacteria.

4. Keep Them Away From Heat and Direct Sunlight

Keep your arrangement away from:

• Direct sunlight through windows
• Heating vents or air conditioning units
• The top of the fridge, as warm air rises from the motor
• Fruit bowls, as ripening fruit releases ethylene gas which causes flowers to age faster

A cool spot with indirect light is ideal. If you want to extend the life of your flowers even further, move them to a cool room on a mild evening.

5. Remove Wilting Flowers Promptly

As individual flowers or leaves begin to wilt, remove them straight away. A wilting flower releases gases that accelerate the decline of those around it. Also remove any leaves that sit below the waterline. Submerged leaves rot quickly and contaminate the water.

How Long Should Cut Flowers Last?

With proper care, most of our arrangements will last 7 to 10 days, and some flowers, like chrysanthemums, alstroemeria, and natives, can last two weeks or more. Roses typically last 7 to 10 days.

A Note on Native Australian Flowers

Native flowers like banksias, proteas, and waratahs are exceptional cut flowers. They last longer than most, they don't need flower food, and they dry beautifully. Simply hang them upside down in a dry spot and they'll dry into a stunning permanent arrangement.

Order Fresh Flowers in Berwick

At Berwick Flowers, every arrangement is made fresh to order on the day of delivery. Order online or call us on (03) 9707 1800. Same-day delivery available across Berwick, Narre Warren, Cranbourne, Pakenham and the Casey region when you order before 12 pm.

Berwick Flowers. 1/10 Adams Lane, Berwick VIC 3806.