How to Keep Flowers Fresh For Floral Arrangements

Cutting

• 1

  Cut flowers for your flower arrangements early in the morning before heat, sun and wind dry them out. Although you can't always wait for ideal conditions, flowers collected after a period of rain last longest.

• 2

  Select flowers that are almost open. The best stage of maturity for cutting depends on the type of flower, but most flowers last longest when they open in the vase.

• 3

  Cut the stems on a diagonal and immediately place them in a bucket containing a few inches of warm water.

Prepare the Stems

• 4

  Recut the stems of your flowers 1 inch above the original cut while holding them under water. This assures that the stem doesn't have an air bubble which will prevent the uptake of water.

• 5

  Seal hollow stems like those found on poppies, zinnias and most bulbs by dipping them in boiling water or holding them over a candle flame for a few seconds. This prevents the plant's store of nourishment from oozing out the stem.

• 6

  Peel back an inch of bark from the end of woody stems and then lay the stem on a solid surface and hit the peeled area with a hammer. One sharp rap will do. This increases the stem's ability to take up water.

• 7

  Split hard green stems on plants such as roses and other shrubby perennials while holding the plant under water. Using a sharp knife, make a vertical split from the end of the stem about 1/2 inch long.

• 8

  After preparing the stem, immediately return the flowers to the bucket of water.

Conditioning

• 9

  Remove the foliage that would otherwise be under water in the vase.

• 10

  Dump the water from the bucket and add several inches of fresh water. Add a floral preservative prepared according to the package instructions.

• 11

  Return the flowers to the bucket and allow them to soak in a cool, shaded location for several hours or overnight.