Flowers From Your Fiancé: The Proper Way to Take Care of Flowers in a Vase

After getting out of work yesterday afternoon, my fiancé showed up with some beautiful, yellow flowers to surprise me. I immediately grabbed the vase off my dresser (he brings flowers often) and headed upstairs to make sure it was washed out properly. As I was filling the vase with water for my newest room decor, I realized that I didn't actually know the correct amount to put in.

I've received flowers countless times, but each time I did I simply filled the vase halfway or so with water, and stuck the flowers inside. Sometimes I refilled the water every couple of days, and other times I forgot completely that it needed changing. No matter how I managed to care for them, though, the flowers only ever seemed to last about a week, normally less. I finally realized I should probably learn how to properly care for them so I could enjoy their beauty for as long as possible. When you get flowers from your fiance, (or another special person in your life) you can't just stick them in water and call it good like I always did. There are proper ways to take care of flowers in a vase that should be remembered if you want your flowers to live longer.

Cut the Stems Before Placing Them in Water

Whether the flowers were purchased from the store, or simply picked from a garden, the stems need to be cut correctly before placing them in your water-filled vase. Recommendations say a 45 degree angle is best. You should cut approximately half an inch off the ends. It is also ideal to cut the stems while they are underwater. This gives them a lower chance of air getting into their veins, causing them to die quicker.

Keep the Bottom 4 Inches of the Stems Covered

Rather than simply filling the vase with what you think is a good amount of water, you should actually measure more carefully. The bottom 4 inches of the stems should be covered by water. This ensures the flowers can get the necessary amount of water they need to survive. Putting too little water in means they won't have enough to sustain them. Putting in too much, however, means they won't be able to take in the gases they need to survive, essentially causing them to suffocate.

Add Sugar

It might seem strange, but sugar can actually be helpful when added to a plant's water. Sugar alone will not do the trick, though. Sugar and white vinegar need to work together to make the flowers last. Adding approximately 3 tablespoons of water will give plants and flowers some nutrition. 2 tablespoons of white vinegar work to inhibit bacterial growth. These measurements are per liter, though, so you need to measure accordingly based on how much water you have in your vase.

Never Put Cut Flowers in Direct Sunlight

You might think that placing flowers in sunlight gives them their best chance at surviving. This is actually not the case. Cut flowers placed only in a vase of water should be kept away from the sun. A cooler, darker environment is what's best for them. Too much heat will cause cut flowers to wilt quickly.

Use Bleach

A small amount of bleach works even stronger than vinegar does. It fights bacteria so the flowers can remain alive longer. For every liter of water, one tablespoon of bleach can be used.

While there are other suggested methods for taking care of flowers, these are the ones that seemed like the easiest and most sensible to do. Whether you choose to use them or not, you at least now have some ideas of how flowers can be cared for to make them last. I, for one, am going to try to start remembering these methods so I can keep my beautiful flowers from my fiancé alive longer.