How to make a bouquet last longer
How to make a bouquet last longer
Small habits that make a big difference: with the right care, fresh flowers can last twice as long.
Florist tips · Florex Alicante
A bouquet doesn't wilt "for no reason". Most of the time, with a little care, those same flowers could have lasted many more days.
Receiving or giving flowers is a pleasure, and everyone wants them to last as long as possible. The good news: keeping a bouquet fresh is no secret, just a few habits florists use every day. This guide walks you through them step by step.
At Florex we make every bouquet with fresh seasonal flowers. And we want them to last as long as possible once they're in your home. Here are our tips.
The 4 essentials
If you take only four things from this guide, make it these. They have the biggest impact on how long your flowers live.
Cut stems at an angle
Before putting the bouquet in water, trim 2–3 cm off each stem at an angle. This increases the surface the flower drinks through.
Clean, fresh water
Change the water every two days. Cloudy, bacteria-filled water is the number one reason a bouquet spoils.
Remove the lower leaves
No leaf should sit below the waterline: they rot quickly and contaminate the whole vase.
Away from heat and fruit
Avoid direct sun, radiators and the fruit bowl: ripe fruit releases a gas that speeds up wilting.
Why cut the stems at an angle?
It's the most important step and the one most people forget. When you cut a stem straight, it can sit flat against the bottom of the vase and "seal", stopping the flower from drinking. An angled cut always keeps the opening clear and increases the surface area for absorption. Use a clean knife or scissors, ideally under running water so no air gets into the stem.
"A flower cut properly and kept in clean water lasts twice as long as a neglected one."
The "flower food" trick
That little sachet that sometimes comes with a bouquet isn't decorative: it contains sugars that feed the flower and an antibacterial agent that keeps the water clean. If you don't have one, you can improvise with a teaspoon of sugar and a few drops of bleach or lemon per litre of water. But the most important thing is still changing the water often.
Common mistakes that shorten a bouquet's life
- Leaving the bouquet in the sun or by a warm window
- Never changing the water in the vase
- Leaving leaves submerged in the water
- Placing it near ripe fruit
- Using a dirty vase from the previous bouquet
- Cutting stems straight instead of at an angle
Extra care for the Alicante heat
On the Costa Blanca, especially in summer, heat is a flower's worst enemy. A couple of extra steps make the difference: keep the bouquet in the coolest room in the house, away from direct air conditioning, and change the water daily rather than every two days. At night, if you can, move it somewhere cool. Your flowers will thank you.
Frequently asked questions
How often should I change the water?
Ideally every two days, and daily in summer or hot weather. Trim the stems a little while you're at it.
Why do my flowers wilt so quickly?
Almost always it's dirty water, heat or direct sun. Check those three factors first, they're usually the cause.
Does sugar in the water actually help?
Yes, it provides nutrients, but only if the water is clean. That's why it helps to add a few drops of lemon or bleach as an antibacterial too.
Can I revive a slightly wilted bouquet?
Sometimes: re-cut the stems at an angle, change the water for cold water and leave the bouquet somewhere cool for a few hours.
Want to learn floristry properly?
At Florex Academy we teach you to handle flowers like a professional, from the first cut to the finished bouquet. In-person courses in Alicante, in small groups.
Want to learn floristry hands-on?
At Florex Academy we run in-person floristry courses in Alicante, in small groups and with fresh flowers from the very first class.