How to Revive a Wilting Bouquet?

Nothing can be more disheartening than seeing your bouquet of flowers is wilting and dropping down. Any time of the year, whether it is hot or cold outside, cut flowers just tend to wilt. But there is no reason for you to frown and be sad. You don’t even have to throw the flowers right away, too. Smile and keep the spirit high because there are ways to revive your wilting flower bouquets. With the right tools, proper handling, flower food, clean water, and clean vase, you can bring back your flower hand bouquets into life. Check out these useful tips on how to revive a wilting bouquet:

• Trim the Flower

The first step is to trim the flowers from any loose petals, yellowish or brownish leaves, and wilting stems. They will only take half of the nutrients that should be distributed to healthy blooms. You will also need to cut the bottom part of the stems at an angle to remove the wilted part and allow the stems to absorb water efficiently. By trimming and cutting, the flowers will get the nutrients they need and revive their blooms back to life.

• Replenish the Water

Fresh flowers need water to survive. To revive a wilting bouquet, you have to make sure that the water is clean and free from the bacteria build-up. By replenishing water after 3 days or when the water turns cloudy, you are helping the flowers to stay fresh longer. When you replenish water, don’t forget to clean the vase or change the vase.

For water to be free from bacteria build-up, it is best to add bleach. A few drops of bleach on the water will prevent bacteria from infecting the bottom of the stem.

• Give the Blooms Recommended Dosage of Flower Food

Flower food or flower preservative is an essential item in keeping flowers fresh longer. It can also help revive wilting flowers. Most flower bouquets are treated with flower preservatives and they also come with a pack of flower food that is ready to mix with water. Each pack comes with direction on how to mix and how to use to keep flowers fresh and to bring blooms back to life. By adding the solution to the water, you can help prevent and kill bacteria in the water while keeping the blooms nourished just make sure that they have not overdosed. If you don’t have packed flower food, you can use a citrus-based soda and bleach mixture.

• Recut the Stems

The bottom part of the stems becomes dry and rotten, which hinders the absorption of water and nutrients. Once water gets blocked, the flowers will wilt eventually because they cannot drink as much water as they need. To help your flowers revive its freshness, you need to recut the stems at an angle. Cutting the stems flat and straight will only make it hard for the stems to absorb or drink water. Use only a clean, sharp knife or scissors to cut at least one inch of the bottom of the stems.

• Soak Recut Stems of Flowers in Warm Water

Soaking the recut stems of flowers in warm water will further help the stems absorb the water efficiently if you will soak them in lukewarm water for a few minutes. Warm water removes air bubbles that block the water from passing through the stem to the blooms. However, florists reiterate the importance of using warm water and not “hot” water. Lukewarm water is enough to open up the stem and get rid of blockages for better absorption of water.

• Put the Flowers in a Safe Spot

While clean and freshwater is essential in reviving flowers to its freshness, as well as flower food, and extra care, it is also important to choose a place where to put the flowers. The most suitable location for your flowers should be somewhere away from direct sunlight and far from the heat of the kitchen and household appliances such as microwave oven, stove, refrigerator, and air conditioning unit. The flowers should also be placed away from any ripe fruits and vegetables because they emit chemicals that cause dryness and wilting of flowers.

On the other hand, the flowers also need some light and fresh air. If you want them in the window, make sure that the area is shaded or the window has a filter that blocks the UV rays from wilting the flowers.

Flowers also prefer an environment with a humidity level. For most fresh, cut flowers, the ideal room temperature ranges from 33°F to 35°F. For tropical flowers, it should be from 50°F to 55°F. Temperature above this range will cause the flowers to wilt and reduce the vase life.

• Continuous Care for Flowers

A flower bouquet is expected to last one week or two in a flower vase if properly and continuously taken care of. As you provide water and nutrients, it will be helpful also if you will keep the blooms hydrated by changing the water after three days, by feeding the flowers, and by keeping water clean and free from bacteria build-up. Loose petals should also be removed before they fall inside the vase.

Freshly cut flowers in a beautiful bouquet look wonderful in a flower vase. However, they are still subject to limited vase life. You can do things to revive them and make them fresh again but you can never stop them from drying. Moreover, you can be crafty and creative using dried flowers.