Your next bouquet of flowers could last even longer if you make one simple change to the way you cut the stems.
A fresh bouquet can brighten up any room in your house, and while they’re typically given as presents for special occasions like birthdays or anniversaries, there’s nothing to say you can’t pick yourself up a bunch as a treat.
However, anyone who has ever dealt with putting flowers in a vase will know they can be notoriously tricky to keep alive. The flowers have been cut from the plant and have no roots of their own, so they can’t live forever, and in some cases, you might find them wilting and looking sad within just a few days.
But according to one home expert, there are a couple of things you can do to keep your bouquets looking lively for longer. Alongside a two-ingredient concoction which can be added to the water in your vase, one cutting technique could help ensure no air gets trapped inside the stems, meaning each flower may take in more water.
When you get a new bouquet, it’s important to trim the stems a little to help the flowers drink more water. This is because the stems can dry out, and if you put them in water without cutting them, the dried tissue could also prevent water absorption.
According to home expert Chantel Mila, however, cutting the stems can create air bubbles inside the stem which can block water uptake and lead to premature wilting.
To combat this, simply cut the stem of each flower under water. It’s not advised to do this in the vase you’ll be using to display the flowers, as you’ll need to fish the cut sections out of the water, so fill a second container with some fresh water and dip each stem in before cutting at an angle.
The flowers can then be taken out of the water and placed in your display vase, where they should last much longer than normal.
In her TikTok video, Chantel also shared a “genius” two-ingredient solution that can be added to your vase to increase the lifespan of your blooms. All you need to do is mix sugar and vinegar with your water before arranging your flowers.
She said: “Fill a vase with water and then add one tablespoon of sugar to nourish the flowers, and two tablespoons of white vinegar to inhibit bacterial growth. Trim the stems underwater at a 45-degree angle to prevent air entering, and enjoy your fresh blooms.”
Adding sugar to vase water can help provide nutrients to flowers they would normally get from photosynthesis, while the vinegar acts as a mild disinfectant to prevent bacteria which can clog the stems and reduce water uptake.
Commenters on Chantel’s video were thankful for her advice, with many hailing it as “very useful”.
One thankful commenter wrote: “This is such a simple yet effective trick to keep flowers fresh much longer. Definitely going to try this next time!”
