7 Tips for Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh

There are several steps you can take to ensure your flowers don’t wither and wilt as soon as you bring them inside.

By Jane Alexander |
No wilting flowers here!
No wilting flowers here! / Tatiana Cheremukhina/Moment/Getty Images

Summer is bursting with fragrant, colorful flowers. But unfortunately, those beautiful blooms you clipped from your home garden or snagged from a local farmer’s market won’t last forever. Here are seven tips you should try to keep your cut flowers fresh for as long as possible.

  1. Cut flowers in the morning (except during hot weather).
  2. Use a clean vase.
  3. Avoid submerging any foliage in the water. 
  4. Change the water every day.
  5. Keep your flowers away from direct sunlight.
  6. Don’t put your flowers near any fruit. 
  7. Add aspirin to the water.

Cut flowers in the morning (except during hot weather).

Morning is the best time of day to cut your flowers. It’s when their stems are full of water, which will help keep them hydrated. That said, if it’s particularly hot and sunny, you’ll want to wait until evening, when the plants will be less stressed.

Use a clean vase.

The vase doesn't need to be fancy, but it should be clean.
The vase doesn't need to be fancy, but it should be clean. / istetiana/Moment/Getty Images

If you want your flowers to last, make sure you put them in a clean vase, as the presence of any lingering bacteria can accelerate floral decline. You should also let a vase air dry after washing it—using a towel can introduce bacteria back into it. 

Avoid submerging any foliage in the water. 

All flowers and leaves should remain above the water line once you’ve put them in a vase. Submerged foliage will lead to microbial growth that can damage the flowers by hindering the plants’ ability to absorb the water they need to stay fresh.

Change the water every day.

Fresh water results in fresher flowers. Aim to change the water at least once every few days, though doing it daily will yield the best results.

Keep your flowers away from direct sunlight.

Direct sun won't do your cut flowers any favors.
Direct sun won't do your cut flowers any favors. / Panga Natalie Ukraine/Moment/Getty Images

Growing flowers require sunlight—but once they’ve been cut, they actually last longer when kept away from it. Stick your vase full of cut blooms in a shadier spot. It’s also important to keep the flowers cool and away from both the warmth of the sun and indoor heat sources like radiators. 

Don’t put your flowers near any fruit. 

Fruit releases a substance called ethylene, which causes flowers to deteriorate quicker. Apples are one of the worst fruit to store near cut flowers.

Add aspirin to the water.

Some claim that putting aspirin—and it must be aspirin, and not another pain reliever—in the water can help your cut flowers stay fresh. The drug is a form of acetylsalicylic acid, which lowers the water’s pH and may help the plants absorb water better. Simply crush a couple of aspirin pills and put them in a vase filled with water before adding your blooms.

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