Most of us received cut flowers in a form of presentation hand-tied bouquets. But do you know that cut flowers that are wrapped into these exquisite bouquets tend to have a shorter life span as compared to the loose cut flowers that you usually purchase at your local florist? This is due to the fact that cut flowers need clean; lukewarm water to stay fresh and its stems need to be cut regularly to ensure that the flowers can take up as much water and nutrient from the flower food as possible.

On the contrary, most bouquets are aqua packed, meaning the bouquets are packed with their own water “pods” at the bottom of the stems. Since these “pods” are only meant as temporary measures to preserve the flowers and its effectiveness usually lasts no longer than two days (in this tropical weather), below are a few essential guidelines for you to make sure that your cut flowers or bouquets last longer and look lovelier.

Here’s a quick 3-Step Guide:

(1) Upon receiving your bouquet, remove all wrapping materials from the flowers i.e. papers, nettings, or ribbon, leaving only the binding string since these flowers are already nicely arranged and it will not damage the flowers.

(2) Then, detach the water “pod”.

(3) Re-cut the stems before placing the flowers immediately in a very clean vase containing clear lukewarm water.

Re-cutting the stems of the cut flowers will ensure that its vascular cells are wide open to absorb sufficient water and nutrients. Always cut at least 3cm (approximately 1 inch) off all stems using a very sharp scissors or a sharp knife.

All leaves below the water level must be stripped off to prevent them from decaying and spreading harmful bacteria into the water, which will eventually kill the flowers. You can also add flower food into the water to further prolong the life and maintain the beauty of the flowers.

Store in a Cool Dry Place
Do place the flowers away from direct sunlight, heat, or drought which can reduce the life of your flowers. Flowers should also be kept away from fruits since fruits tend to emit ethylene gas which ages flowers precipitately. Similarly for the same reason, wilting or dead flowers should always be removed from the vase.

It is advisable to repeat the above process of cutting and conditioning the flowers every two to three days in order to preserves your flowers and keep it looking at its best.