Flower Care 101: 3 Steps To A Longer Vase Life

Step 1: Remove foliage

Bacteria grows quickest on the leaves of flower stems. Removing whatever foliage you can helps to keep your blooms fresher longer. It is especially important to take off any leaves that will fall below the water line, as the water serves as an incubator for the icky stuff to grow!

Step 2: Cut each stem at a 45º angle

Cutting your stems at an angle (preferably under running water) opens up the stem to “drink” more water. Picture the inside of a flower stem as a straw. If the end of the stem is crushed or obstructed, the water will not make its way to the bloom. Because of this, you should always use sharp scissors or flower shears to trim flower stems and try to reduce any “sawing” of the stem. Continue to cut your stems back by roughly 1/2″ every other day to keep the inside tube clean!

Step 3: Replace vase water as often as possible

Many people practice the “set it and forget it” method with fresh cut flowers. But we’re here to tell you it doesn’t work that way! To keep your flowers fresher longer, it’s best to replace your vase water with fresh water every other day. This keeps bacteria from forming inside the vase, which is ultimately what makes fresh flowers – well… not so fresh. Combine this step with step #2 to save on time and give your flowers the best possible chance at life.