How to Keep Flower Arrangements From Drooping

Fill a clean container -- such as a bucket -- with warm, fresh water and commercially produced floral preservative. Floral preservative contains sugar to serve as an energy source for cut flowers. It also has an acidifier to lower the water pH to between 4 and 6, and a microorganism inhibitor.

Pick or purchase fresh flowers. Avoid older, decaying or wilting flowers. Place each flower stem in the water container. Submerge the stem below the waterline. Use a sharp knife or shears to cut off a small section of the stem at a 45-degree angle. Don’t flatten or break the stems. Harden the fresh flowers by keeping them in 110-degree Fahrenheit water for one to two hours. This should prolong the life of the flowers. Store non-tropical flowers at 33 to 35 degrees. Keep tropical flowers in a 50- to 55-degree area.

Clean a vase or container with soap and water. Fill the vase with water and floral preservative. If you're using floral foam as a base for the arrangement, soak the foam until it's completely saturated with water. Insert the flowers into the floral foam once. Avoid removing a flower stem and reinserting it. This creates an air pocket and water may not move up the stem. Remove any foliage that sits below the waterline in the vase.

Place the floral arrangement in a cool area. Avoid placing it in a draft or in hot spots such as next to a heater. When people aren’t in the room, place the arrangement in a refrigerator or the coolest area in the house to prolong its life. Don’t store the arrangement near fruits and vegetables. Fruits and vegetables give off ethylene gas that causes flowers to age.

Check the water in the vase or container daily. Change the water if it becomes cloudy. Keep the floral foam saturated with water. Remove any decaying or diseased flowers. Sanitize all equipment and work areas to reduce bacteria and fungi growth.

To revive a drooping flower, remove the flower from the arrangement. Re-cut the stem at a 45-degree angle. Submerge the entire flower in warm water for one to two hours. This may extend the life of the flower for several days.