A fresh flower vase can add an elegant edge to your décor whether it is at your home or office. The element of adding nature into the décor will not only enhance your artistic taste but also add a fresh fragrance in the room’s atmosphere. However, keeping a flower vase is not as easy as it might seem. Fresh Flower care is a sensitive and delicate task because you do not want your flowers to start wilting off quickly; but at least grow through a few days. Fresh Flower care is not the same for every flower; different types require different tips but there are some that apply to almost all kinds and extend the life of your fresh cut flowers; these are as following.

 

1.    Recut the Stems

In case the flower stems have been out of reach of water for a while, recut the stems and add them into water instantly. This will assure that the fresh flowers do not get trapped with air in their stems and are rather soaked with water. Recutting and trimming the fresh flower stem everyday when changing water of the vase can prolong the life of fresh flower stems. This has also been recommended by several professional gardeners as well as botanists through different studies. The trick to trim and cut the flower stems perfectly is to use sharp blade scissors. This will help you to cut the ends of the stems easily. Normally, the ideal trim should be an inch long and cut at a diagonal angle rather than a straight cut. This tip will go a long way to give more surface area access to the fresh flower stem tip. Another effective tip is to cut the stem under water rather than in air to avoid getting any air into the stem.

Another Handy tip for preserving the freshness of flowers in a vase is by a process known as hardening. This can be done easily by placing the freshly cut stems in heated water; about 110 F and then put into a cool are for an hour. This will enable water molecules to move about rapidly at high temperatures, so it will travel along upward with the stems. This will boost the initial water uptake of the fresh flower stems and take up maximum water from the start.

 

2.   Floral Food and Preservatives

It is important to understand that fresh flower care is sensitive because their natural food and nutrient supply from their plants is cut off the moment they are separated from the plant. For keeping the flowers fresh, supplementary food is necessary for better health of flowers and to prolong their life. This can be one easily by adding floral food or floral preservatives along with the water in the vase. These floral supplements come along with the fresh cut flowers and sometimes if not; you can easily get them from a store nearby.

These packets of floral supplements help the flower stems to get their complete dose of necessary nutrients which nourish them to grow, remain fresh and last longer. These usually consist of nutrients such as phosphorous etc an acidifying element to maintain the water’s pH level and bleach to remove bacteria. Try not to add a whole packet of supplemental food at once in the vase rather just sprinkle it moderately every time you change the water. Normal beliefs of adding aspirin etc hardly assist you in fresh flower care.

3.   Avoid Hot or Cold Environment for Cut Flowers

Flowers require the right environment and temperature for ideal perfection in their growth and freshness. Keeping them in hot or cold atmosphere will affect their health as they will speed up the loss of water in the flowers and enable them to wilt quickly. Locations such as television, radiators, speed up respiration in plant utilizing their life a lot more quickly. Flower arrangements best survive in a cool environment, which is away from harsh sunlight or heat; but not too cold as well. Usually, people store flowers overnight in their refrigerators to keep them fresh and healthy for longer period of time which is an excellent and easy tip for people who keep fresh flower vases at home.

 

4.   Use a Clean Vase

Cleanliness is to fresh flower care as water is to life. Dirt, fungal growth and bacteria from the atmosphere into the plant and water can affect the health of fresh flowers at a major level reducing their life in turn. This is why, sterilizing the vase before setting the fresh flower arrangement is an excellent way to start; you can clean it with bleach and water. Bleach helps to keep the bacteria way more than any solution of soap and water. Bacteria and fungi are very common in growth if the vase and flowers are not properly cared for, and thus reduce their life. A handy tip is to remove any leaves from stems that come under the water in the vase, so they do not add to growth of bacteria.

 

5.   Balance and Change Water in Vase

Water balance is a very sensitive element to fresh flower care. Most fresh flower arrangements wear out rapidly only because their water is not enough or either too much to keep up a balance which makes the flowers less fresh and less crisp. Filling up normal tap water is common in fresh flower vases but adding filtered water will further add to its health. Regular change of water in a fresh flower vase is essential to maintain the cleanliness and health of the arrangement.

 

Conclusion

Fresh Flower care is a delicate and sensitive process which helps in keeping your flower arrangements fresh and crisp. Whether is a bunch of flowers you picked, or rearranging a bouquet in a vase, the secret to keeping the flowers healthy is regularity. Regularity in terms of water change, cleanliness, trimming of stems and floral food. All such factors add up to bring out the best results for your flower arrangements.