There is nothing quite like a fresh cut flower arrangement to brighten the home. They add interest and beauty and always raise a smile. Especially if they’ve been given by someone special. But cut flowers never seem to last so long in summer. Why is that? And what can you do to improve their longevity?
Helping Cut Flowers to Last Longer in Hot Weather
Why don’t cut flowers last so long in summer?
Like us, flowers can often struggle in high temperatures. The hotter it becomes, the more moisture they lose through transpiration. And because the flower stalks begin to deteriorate once cut, it becomes increasingly difficult for them to take up water. This means that in hot temperatures, flowers can often lose more water through transpiration than they are taking it. Resulting in the petals turning dry and brown.
Four ways to make cut flowers last longer in hot weather
Think about transportation
If you’re having flowers delivered from a local florist, such as Blue Florist, this won’t be an issue. But if you’re buying flowers and transporting them yourself, you really need to think about how you’re going to get them home. If flowers are kept out of water for more than 20 means, the stems will begin to close over. Reducing their ability to take on water. So, either purchase your cut flowers from a florist that provides a water pocket. Or be prepared and take a bucket with you! Try to get the flowers home as quickly as possible. And keep your vehicle cool. But beware that open windows may lead to lost flower heads.
Prepare your flowers well
If you’ve not been able to keep your flowers in water while being transported, it’s always a good idea to cut the bottom 1-2cm of each flower stem. This enhances the flower’s ability to take up water. Place your flowers in a clean vase, remembering never to reuse a vase if it hasn’t been thoroughly washed. Fill the vase about two-thirds of the way. And add the supplied flower food.
Place your flowers carefully
While it’s tempting to place your flowers on a windowsill, the light and heat will cause them to fade more quickly. It’s far more sensible to place your floral arrangement in a cooler room, away from direct sunlight. It’s also a good idea to keep your flowers away from fruit. As the ethylene gas produced by ripening fruit will make flowers deteriorate more quickly.
Care for your flowers
Flower preparation shouldn’t be a one-time job if you want your blooms to last. So, rather than simply placing them and admiring them, you need to care for them. You need to change – or at the very least, top up – water daily. Different flowers decay at different rates, so remove any stems that are fading. This helps to prevent rot. On many-headed or multi-bloom flowers, such as gladioli, remove spent flowers, so they don’t detract from the beauty of those remaining. Trim the stems as they begin to decay, ideally every two or three days. And add new flower food after three or four days. If you have room, and really want to preserve the flowers for longer, you could even put your arrangement in the fridge to cool it down overnight!
While, in the UK, most plants really come into their own in the summer months, they don’t do well in extreme heat. But that doesn’t mean that you can’t enjoy cut flowers in your home in the warmer weather. You just need to give them a little more TLC. Then you can sit back and enjoy their splendour.
Check out Blue Florist’s summer flower collection. Which would look best in your home?