Unfortunately it is inevitable that in very warm weather it is harder to keep fresh cut flowers looking their best for as long. Flowers are more prone to wilting in the heat and bacteria, which cause the decline of cut flowers in the vase, which grow and multiply faster in warmer conditions.
But who wants a summer without cut flowers decorating the house?! And what could be better than a bouquet of summer blooms as hostess gift to take with you to a bbq gathering at a friends house.
We’re just going to have to be clever with how to beat the heatwave so we can still enjoy our flowers and help them last as long as possible in the vase.
Here are our top tips for prolonging the vase life of your cut flowers in warmer weather.
1. Keep Your Flowers in a Cool Spot
On hot summer days ( also applies to even in winter when the central heating is on) it can be hard to find a cool spot in the house which is also good position to display your flowers but the cooler your flowers are- the longer they will live. Keep the flowers out of bright, hot sunlight. Avoid a conservatory or a south-facing windowsill in the summertime. Simply try as best as you can to find a good compromise between somewhere to show off and enjoy looking at your flowers, and keeping them as cool as possible.
2. Keep the Water in the Vase Fresh and Re-Cut the Stems
Cut flowers need plenty of clean, fresh water in their vase to keep them at their best. They take up water through their stems which keeps them turgid and upright. Since water evaporates at a faster rate in warmer conditions, you need to keep an eye on the water level in the vase to make sure the flowers have plenty to drink.
What’s more, bacteria in the water will cause the flowers to perish and since bacteria grow and multiply more rapidly in warmer conditions, this is something to be aware of even more in hot weather. To keep bacteria levels as low as possible, make sure the vase you use is hygienically clean before you fill it, and every two or three days (or as required), remove the flowers from the vase, clean it, re-fill with fresh, clean water and trim the bottom inch of the stems at an angle before putting them back in the water.
Re-cutting the stems helps the uptake of water because it removes the ends of the stems which can get clogged up and reveals the open channels further up the stems. Cutting at an angle exposes more surface area for water uptake.
3. Keep Flowers Away from Ripening Fruit
As fruits ripen they release ethylene gas, also known as ‘the plant-ripening hormone’. As well as promoting the ripening of fruits, ethylene also has an effect on flowers, accelerating the ageing process to and causing buds, petals and leaves to drop. Fruits like bananas, tomatoes and apples produce particularly high levels of ethylene so you should definitely avoid placing your cut flowers near to your fruit bowl or even close to the tomatoes ripening on your kitchen windowsill if you want to keep them looking lovely for longer.
4. Flower Food
lf you want to keep them looking lovely for longer Make your own cut flower food. Simply mix 1 litre of water + 2 tbsp lemon juice + 1 tbsp sugar + 1/2 tsp bleach for a homemade flower food and water solution.
To elongate the life of your cut flowers we have invented our very own flower food in the form of a spray. We have called it Posy Potion: Simply spray lightly onto the foliage and flowers to extend their life and retain their colours for longer. One bottle of Posy Potion goes a long way there’s no need to drench them. A light spray will do nicely. It acts as an Anti-transpirant and stops water evaporating allows the stems to retain water for longer.
It is an all-natural, organic, biodegradable, and non-hazardous solution.
This Anti-transpirant made from pine resin is a natural compound applied to plant leaves to reduce transpiration of moisture.
Although we recommend spraying them outside or in a similarly safe location to prevent the solution from getting on unintended surfaces (e.g. counters, tables, walls).
The packaging looks great too so apart from being a vital tool it will look great on display along side your arrangement.
As always, thank you for reading and we hope that this inspires you to bring some nature into your home through flowers.
