Cut flowers do not tolerate transportation well. To make it do them less harm, ask the florist to wrap the bouquet tightly in paper and try to get it home as soon as possible. If the journey takes more than 30 minutes, transport the flowers in containers with water or wrap the end of each branch in a damp paper towel.

After coming home, do not rush to immediately put the bouquet in the water. Let it get used to the new temperature and lie in the wrapper for 5-10 minutes. Only then remove the paper.

Now remove the leaves from the lower third of the plants so that they do not rot when in contact with water. Cut about 2 cm of stems at an angle of 45 degrees, so the flowers will absorb the liquid better and will stand longer. This should be done under a stream of water so that air bubbles do not clog the tubules through which nutrients flow.

Footage: Daisy Creek Farms with Jag Singh / YouTube

In order not to further injure the plants, use a pruner or a sharp knife without teeth. Scissors can crush the stem.

If the bouquet consists of several types of flowers, then for better preservation it is better to divide them into different vases. Some species do not like the neighborhood and wither faster.

What to add to water

After pruning, the flowers can be put in a vase. Before that, it needs to be washed well. Choose a wide enough container with a neck diameter about twice the girth of the bouquet.

The water in the vase should be clean, filtered or kept for several hours, at room temperature or slightly colder. To make the bouquet live longer, you can add to the water:

Special top dressing. It contains antibacterial substances and minerals necessary for plants, so the remedy will give the best effect. Usually you can buy the liquid in the same store where you chose the bouquet.

A mixture of sugar and vinegar. The first will become a top dressing for flowers, and the second will slow down the reproduction of bacteria. Add 2 tablespoons of sugar and weak vinegar, for example apple , per liter of water and mix well. Instead of vinegar, you can use the same amount of lemon juice.
Sweet soda. Thanks to the sugar and acids in the composition, it acts in the same way as the previous remedy. You need to pour about 50 ml of sweet soda without dyes to a liter of water.
Vodka. Alcohol can slow down the process of wilting flowers. A teaspoon of alcohol per liter of water is enough.
Bleach. Flowers with it will not stand much longer, but the water will remain clean and will not bloom. A drop of the remedy is enough for a liter of water.

Where to put a vase with a bouquet

It is important to choose the right place: away from direct sunlight, heaters, open flames and drafts. It is good if the room is cool and humid air.

If you put a bouquet in the kitchen, make sure that there are no fruits and vegetables nearby, especially bananas. They release ethylene, which can accelerate the wilting of flowers.

How to take care of a bouquet

Proper preparation of flowers and fertilizing is not all. Daily care will also be required. Here are the rules to follow:

Change the water daily, wash the vase and trim the stems by about 1 cm. Stems of flowers that emit thick juice, such as gerberas, after pruning, rinse under running water.
Moisture is needed not only for stems, but also for leaves with flowers, so once a day spray the bouquet with warm water from a spray gun or turn on the humidifier. This is especially important during the heating season. But you should not be zealous either, because of the excess of water, the buds may begin to rot.
Immediately remove all withered flowers and leaves. They spoil the appearance of the composition and pollute the water.

How to keep different types of flowers fresh

The tips above are relevant for almost any color, but you need to know the features of different types.

Roses

Roses feel best in the cool. Low, but not subzero temperatures are the key to the freshness of the bouquet. You should also carefully monitor the purity of the water, rinse the vase regularly and do not forget about fertilizing.

Chrysanthemums

Chrysanthemums are real long—livers and can stand in a vase for up to two weeks. To extend this period, after pruning, make a cross-shaped incision with a sharp knife at the end of each stem and slightly push the parts apart. So the flowers will be able to absorb more water. The liquid itself should be a little cool, in summer you can add a couple of ice cubes to the vase. When changing the water, the stems of chrysanthemums should be rinsed well from the mucus.

Tulips

Tulips do not have such hard stems as roses or chrysanthemums, so for stability they need to be cut not at an angle, but straight. You don't need to pour a lot of water into the vase, 5-7 cm is enough. In this case, the liquid should be cool.

Additionally, you can pierce through the stems with a needle 2-3 cm from the inflorescence. So the flowers will get more oxygen.

Lilies

Lilies are often sold with closed buds. If you want them to open up as soon as possible, put the bouquet in a warm place. Blooming flowers, on the contrary, are better kept cool, away from direct sunlight.

Stamens with pollen from inflorescences should be carefully pulled out with your hands. This way the lily petals will stay fresh and elastic longer.

Carnations

Carnations are quite unpretentious and can stand in a vase for two weeks or more. The main thing is that they have moist air and clean water. It is better to trim the flowers by retreating about 1.5 cm from the thickening on the stem. The cut should be well rinsed from mucus when changing water.

Mimosas

Hard mimosa branches dry up quickly, so it is important to prune them regularly. To make the water flow better, the cut place can be slightly flattened by pressing a hard object. To keep the yellow balls fluffy, moisten the air and spray the mimosa well with a spray gun.

If the flowers have dried out and lost their appearance, try holding them for a few seconds over steam.