Are You Frustrated With Your Bouquets Dying?

Are You Frustrated Your Bouquets are Dying Prematurely? 

How frustrating is it when you find the most beautiful bouquet only to bring it home and have it die in a matter of a few days? You spent your hard earned money only to be frustrated rather than full of joy! 

There are several things that could be happening to cause this. Read below to see if you’ve ever made any of these common mistakes. 

Refresh the water every 1-2 days.

Flowers need fresh water so that bacteria does not build up, make it murky and inhibit water uptake. Some flowers are considered “dirty flowers” meaning they tend to increase the bacteria production in water more quickly. Some of these “dirty flowers” are zinnias, feverfew, rudbeckia, and sunflowers. If these are in your bouquet, it’s even more important to change the water regularly. 

Make sure your vase is clean (like really clean!)

Along with changing out the water, it is important to start with a very clean vase— clean enough to drink out of! If your vase has a little bit of dust or grime in it, vase life may be compromised because the particles can inhibit water uptake in the stem. 

Remove any foliage below the water line.

Leaves or other plant material below the water line will also make the water less pure. As the foliage breaks down in the water, it becomes grimey. Remove all leaves that will sit below the water line.

Keep them out of direct sunlight and away from ripening fruit.

Fresh flowers placed in direct sunlight will wilt faster than flowers placed in indirect light. They may be beautiful in that bright sunny windowsill, but just know they may not last as long. Also make sure it is not right next to ripening fruits. Ripening fruit emits ethylene which will cause your flowers to die faster as well.

Give them a fresh trim.

Cut flowers also benefit from a fresh trim every few days. This will enhance water uptake as the fresh cut opens up the pores of the stem to receive water more effectively again. This is not necessary to do daily, but every few days is beneficial. You don’t need to cut inches off with each trim, just a little off the end will freshen them up!

Select flowers with a longer vase life.

Lastly, all of these tips help to extend the vase life of your flowers, but some flowers just last longer than others! Some long lasting flowers include ranunculus, tulips, lisianthus, and chrysanthemums. Some flowers that have a shorter vase life include poppies, dahlias, and cosmos. If purchasing flowers from me, feel free to ask how long you can expect your flowers to last! 

Buy local flowers. 

Local flowers are the freshest you can find! Ones that are commercially grown are not only sprayed with chemicals, but are also harvested many days before you purchase them in order to get them to you.  

I hope you found these tips helpful and you get the most joy possible out of your bouquets! 

I’d be happy to answer any other questions you may have! 

Shelby