How to Preserve Flower Delivery?

When you just received your fresh flowers from the delivery driver, you can’t help but smile and stare at your flower. Then you start to wish that they won’t wilt and maintain its radiance. Luckily, there are ways of preserving your flower delivery to keep them longer and maintain its freshness.

Cutting and Preparing

If you want your freshly delivered flowers to maintain its radiance, here are the important things that you should remember.

• Cut your flowers at the right stage of its development

Each flower lasts for different lengths of time. So, it should be cut in different stages of its development. There are varieties of flowers that have multiple buds on its stems like Delphinia and lilac. These flowers should have at least one bud starting to open and showing internal color. On the other hand, there are flowers who have one flower per stem-like marigolds and sunflower. They thrive best when they are allowed to fully open before you cut them.

• Place your freshly delivered flowers in a clean and big container or vase.

Make sure to put your flowers in a clean container in order to avoid any risk of bacteria and other microorganisms that might infect your flowers. Ideally, your container must have a wide neck so that your flowers will fit and breath easily while inside it. Put in separate containers those flowers that have different lengths so that they will be visible enough.

• Treat your fresh flowers with a hot bath.

This stage is also known as hardening. However, this is optional. After cutting your flowers, immediately put its stem in hot water with a 45 degrees Celsius temperature. Keep the container or vase in a cool location for at least 1 hour.

The hot water molecules move more quickly up the stem while the flowers lose less water to cool air. The combination of the hot and cool temperature will give the flowers a huge increase in the water that it sips thus increasing its lifespan at the same time.

• Keep the stems of your fresh flowers in lukewarm water.

It is important that the ends of flower stems should have a means of water. Lukewarm, water makes it easier for your flowers to absorb the water. However, if you are not using any hot water, you can add water with room temperature in the container. Flowers that are still attached to its bulbs thrive better in water with cold temperature.

Maintaining the Freshly Cut Flowers Fresh

When you just cut the flowers, it is important that you maintain its freshness and radiance. Here are the things that you should remember to keep it fresh.

• Separate the leaves that submerged in the water.

If you start to see that the leaves submerged in the container, immediately remove it from the container. Leaves that are kept submerged in the water promotes bacteria and microorganisms in yours thus may lead to wilting. It can also infect and damage the other flowers. Cut off the leaves that touched the water to prevent contamination.

• Replace the water from time to time

Change the water inside the container or vase every day to maintain the freshness of your flowers. Make sure to check if there is any debris left on the container before adding fresh and clean water to avoid any infection from bad bacteria.

It is important that you replace the water from time to time even if you have put a floral foam to hold the flowers together. Make sure to let the floral foam sink naturally because if you force it, it might form harmful air bubbles in the stems.

• Prune the stems of your flowers regularly.

Every time you change the water of your flowers, you may also trim the stems. Use only sharp and bladed scissors, knife, or shears to cut its stems. Make sure to cut it with a 45-degree angle. An angled cut will actually help increase the surface area that your flowers can use to sip water.

The moment you received your flower delivery, immediately trim or prune its stem before you place them in water.

If you are having roses, one important thing that you should remember is that it is vulnerable to air bubbles that are trapped in the stem thus preventing it from absorbing water. You can prevent this from happening by cutting the roses underwater.

• Use flower food.

 

Flower food is also known as flower preservative. It helps the flower thrive better and maintain its radiance. You can buy it from your trusted florist, gardening supply stores, or even from your local supermarket. It should contain the essential ingredients such as sugar for energy, acid to stabilize its color, and water to balance the pH level, and lastly biocide to kill any bacteria and fungi. You can check the label at the back for instructions on how to use it.

However, if you do not want to buy commercial preservatives or you find it ineffective, you can make your own flower food.

• Keep your flowers away from any environmental harm

There are varieties of flowers that do not like to be exposed in direct sunlight. So, make sure to research more about your flower before you place them in a particular area. You can also ask from your trusted florist. Make sure to keep your flowers away from direct sun, heater, on top of the TV set, and other sources of heat that might put them in risk. Also, avoid putting your flowers in an area where there are fruits because the latter produces ethylene gas that will cause the wilting of your flowers.