How to Care for Plants in a Vase

Cut the stems. Flowers need to have their stems cut when they are first put into a vase, and then every two to three days after. Place the stems in a bucket of water before and during the trimming process. This helps ensure that an air bubble does not work its way into the stem and speed up the decaying process. Trim the stems at a 45-degree angle with shears and cut off about 1 inch on each stem.

Remove any leaves or thorns below the water level. Leaves and thorns decay under water and hasten the demise of the flower. Mark where the water level is on your vase and trim all of these items off the stems below this point.

Prepare the water for the plants. Plants should never be placed in cold water, which can shock their delicate systems. Always use lukewarm water. Sprinkle in one packet of plant food or create your own with a mix of 2 tsp. of lemon lime soda and 1 tsp. of bleach. The soda provides citric acid and food for the plants and the bleach acts to keep bacteria out of the water.

Replace the water in the vase every two to three days. Add fresh warm water and new plant food after dumping out the old water. If you notice any decaying vegetable matter in the vase, wash it out thoroughly before proceeding.

Recut the flowers every two to three days. Cutting the stems helps plants live longer. Repeat Step 1 on this time schedule. Each time, cut about 1 inch off the stem. If the flowers get too short for their current vase, transfer them into a new, smaller vase.