Were you spoiled with a beautiful bunch of flowers today? Or do you regularly buy yourself a bunch, but do the flowers wither quickly? If you have a fresh bunch of cut flowers at home, you naturally want to enjoy them for as long as possible. These 10 tips can help you with that. This is how you enjoy your bunch of flowers as long as possible!
1. A clean flower vase
Flowers should be back in the water as soon as possible after purchase. So find a suitable vase and make sure it is clean. One rinse with water is not enough! Wash the vase with soapy water, because bacteria from old flowers can remain in the vase and affect the new bunch.
Clean the vase with chlorine, or preferably with a (biological) cleaning agent. Fill the clean vase with cold to lukewarm water. Do not use hot water, this can damage the cells of the stem and prevent the flower from emerging.
2. Cut the flowers diagonally
The underside of the stem, where the flowers are cut off, can be compared to a kind of wound. If the stems are out of the water for more than a few minutes, the wounds will grow closed and they will no longer absorb enough water. This is the reason that before you put them in a vase, you cut off cut flowers.
Do this at an angle, so that they can absorb as much water as possible through a larger surface. Also make sure that you use a sharp knife and certainly not scissors, because this can dent the handle again. Don’t be afraid to cut the cut flowers too short, a short stem will absorb a lot of water. With a long stem, the path from the water to the flower can sometimes be too long.
3. Make sure there are no leaves hanging in the water
Remove the leaves from the stems, preferably up to the top of the vase. Bacteria multiply easily on leaves, causing stems to rot and flowers to have a shorter life. In addition, it also looks a lot more stylish and ‘airy’ when the vase is not completely overgrown.
4. Mix the water from your bunch of flowers with a little soda
On the internet you can read many myths about how you can keep flowers alive longer by mixing the water with different substances. For example, a copper coin would keep flowers beautiful for longer, but the cut flowers can also discolor. Bloompost also gives a lot of information about the types of plants.
Aspirin even has a negative effect: some flowers actually droop. What can help is a little soda in the water. Acids and sugars keep your flowers beautiful, but it is a lot more difficult to do than regular cut flower food. And that’s still the best option!
5. Put the flowers in the right place
No matter how well you take care of your bouquet, they will wither in the wrong place. Evaporation takes place due to drafts, causing flowers to hang and heat can also be fatal for a bouquet. Furthermore, flowers last shorter in the vicinity of gasses such as cigarette smoke and gasses from ripe fruit.
6. Change the water regularly
Flowers love water, but especially clean water. Therefore, change the water regularly.
7. Add flower nutrition
Adding flower nutrition ensures that the bouquets stay fresh longer. In addition, the right nutrition ensures that the flowers develop more beautifully. Make sure you choose the right ratio. For example, if you add too much food to too little water, the flower stems will burn.
8. Be careful with fruit
It always looks so cozy: on the counter or on the kitchen table a bouquet next to a fruit bowl. Yet flowers do not find fruit very pleasant. Different types of fruit can emit gasses that ensure that your flowers bloom faster. And just like with tip 3, this makes the whole process faster, so you can enjoy your beautiful flowers for less time.
9. The right amount of water in the vase
Filling the vase is also important when caring for flowers. By using the right amount of water, you can be sure that your bouquet will remain healthy and beautiful for longer. You fill the vase with water until the stems are 1/3 underwater. This is best done with lukewarm water. If you have a bouquet of roses, the temperature of the water may be slightly higher. Tulips, on the other hand, prefer cold water. Now add the bag with cut flower food to the water. Consult the packaging for the correct amount. Too little nutrition is not good, but an excess also damages your bouquet. Then place the flowers in the vase. If there are still some leaves that are touching the water, remove them anyway.
10. How do you care for the Lily flower?
The Asiatic lily, the lilium, is the most common Lily in the Netherlands. Although the name suggests otherwise, this lily grows not only in Asia, but also in Europe and America.
Plant in spring or autumn
Buy lily bulbs in the spring or fall and plant them directly in the ground. In general, the larger the bulb, the larger the flower.
Plant the bulbs about 10 to 15 cm deep. The distance you have to keep between the bulbs depends on the bulb size. This is usually between 20 and 40 cm. Provide soil that is well-draining and give the bulbs plenty of water, but don’t overdo it.
At the end of the blooming season, you can remove the dead flowers and seed pods. Let the leaves die and then remove them. The longer the bulbs are in a permanent place, the more beautiful and impressive the root ball will grow. We recommend transplanting the bulbs every three to four years to keep them healthy.
