Fresh Flower Care Tips: How to Keep Your Bouquets Blooming Longer
A beautiful bouquet deserves to last as long as possible. With just a few simple flower care habits, you can significantly extend the life of your fresh flowers — whether they came from SweetPetals or your own garden. Here are our florists' top tips.
Trim the Stems Immediately
As soon as your flowers arrive, trim about an inch off each stem at a 45-degree angle using sharp scissors or shears. This fresh cut allows stems to absorb water more efficiently, which is one of the simplest ways to keep flowers fresh longer.
Remove Excess Foliage
Strip away any leaves that would sit below the waterline in your vase. Submerged foliage decomposes quickly, encouraging bacteria growth that shortens your bouquet's lifespan.
Use Clean Water — and Change It Often
Fill your vase with clean, room-temperature water, and refresh it every two to three days. Cloudy or discolored water is a sign that bacteria are building up and it's time for a change.
Add Flower Food
The small packet of flower food that comes with your bouquet isn't just a formality — it provides nutrients and helps control bacteria, both of which extend the life of cut flowers significantly.
Keep Flowers Away From Heat and Direct Sunlight
Display your arrangement somewhere cool, away from direct sunlight, heating vents, and ripening fruit (which releases ethylene gas that speeds up wilting).
Re-Trim Every Few Days
Every two to three days, give the stems a fresh trim to keep them absorbing water efficiently. This small habit can add several extra days of beauty to your bouquet.
Watch for Wilting Blooms
Remove any flowers that begin to wilt or brown so they don't affect the rest of the arrangement. A little regular upkeep goes a long way toward keeping your bouquet looking fresh.
Let Your Flowers Last
With these fresh flower care tips, your SweetPetals bouquet can stay beautiful well beyond the day it arrives. For more advice — or to order your next arrangement — visit our Brooklyn flower shop online any time.