How do you care for your flowers after bringing them home from our farm or farmer's market?
Here at New Petal Flower Farm we prioritize treating Mother Earth gently and investing in practices that will increase life and biology on our land rather than decreasing it (cough pesticides cough). We do not spray any kind of pesticide, including those that are rated for organic use, and we do not utilize chemical flower foods.
We want to enable all of our customers to maintain and enjoy a clean, chemical-free home so that they and their families can enjoy a beautiful, healthy life! Flowers add to our mental and physical health in so many ways!
So how do you make sure your flowers thrive in your home for the longest period of time possible?
Follow these steps and you'll be sure to get the longest vase life out of your beauties.....and the biggest benefits of having gorgeous flowers in your life!
- Cut an inch of stem off the bottom of your bouquet before putting them in water at home. This ensures maximum hydration.
- Be sure to use clean scissors and a clean vase to avoid any bacterial issues to start.
- Use clean, cool water in your vase, and fill it half-way or about 2-3" depending on how tall the arrangement is.
- Every other day, cut another inch off the bottom and replace the vase water with more clean, cool water. Some flowers create more dirty water than others, so whenever you notice the color of the water changing, it's time to refresh!
- Make sure to remove any leaves off of the stems that will be below the water line in the vase. Leaves in the vase-water encourage rot (ie. bacteria) which shortens vase-life.
- Keep your flowers as cool as possible. Cool temps increase hydration, and prolong the vase life of your flowers. Conversely, if you want your flowers to open faster for an event like a dinner party or baby shower, put them in a warm, sunny spot. Just remember, they will go by faster.
- Other factors that effect how long your flowers last include:
- The type of flower (for example, zinnias can last two weeks, while dahlias have about a 5 day vase life).
- Your water's pH: more acidic pH increases vase life while a more neutral pH lessens it.
- Harvest stage: each flower has an ideal stage of harvest that varies widely. Make sure you purchase your flowers from an expert grower that follows best practices.