The Best Way to Keep Fresh Cut Lilacs

Cutting

• If you are cutting your own lilacs, early morning is the best time; after a cool night the flowers have morning dew and stems filled with water and carbohydrates. A cluster flower, like the lilac, should be harvested when at least one bud shows color and one bud is beginning to open. If lilacs are gathered while still tightly budded they will not open when put in a vase of water, according to the Brooklyn Botanic Garden.

Stem Prepartion

• The type of stem determines the type of preparation needed to keep cut lilacs fresh. Because lilacs have a woody stem, the stems should be split at the ends and not smashed. By splitting the stems the vascular tissues will remain intact, which creates a greater surface area to absorb water. If your lilacs go limp it means they are not absorbing enough water and should be re-cut.

Ready Made Preservatives

• A variety of brand name preservatives are available that will help extend the life of fresh cut lilacs. The commercial preparations contain bleach to eliminate bacteria in the water, with sugar added for nutrition and citric acid added to acidify the water.

Homemade Preservatives

• The simple ingredients used in commercial preservatives are readily available. Make your own lilac preservative by mixing a teaspoon each of bleach and sugar, with two teaspoons of lemon added to a quart of lukewarm water. Additionally, the Brooklyn Botanic Garden says a common suggestion is to add an aspirin to the water; the carbohydrates in aspirin is probably what makes it effective. A copper penny works as an acidifier, which in turn decreases the pH content in the water. Solid copper pennies may be difficult to find because they are no longer minted.

Water Temperature

• Lukewarm water is used by commercial growers and florists. A water temperature between 100 to 110 Fahrenheit creates the warm water molecules needed that can be absorbed more easily by lilacs. This will get water and necessary nutrients to the flower head as fast as possible.

Location and Maintenance

• Keep the lilacs in a cool, draft-free room, away from heat sources and direct sunlight. The vase should be thoroughly cleaned and, if using florist's foam, make sure it is thoroughly saturated. Water should be changed daily, the stem re-cut and the floral preservative added again. Faded blooms and any decayed foliage should be removed. Keep the flowers away from ripening fruits and vegetables because they produce ethylene gas that will shorten the life of the flowers, according to the University of New Hampshire.