Left: Tahni Mesann | Right, Photography: Tim Roberts | Styling: Michele Cranston
I love receiving flowers as a gift, but they do come with work attached – and the advice I’ve received from well-meaning friends and florists over the years has varied greatly. So when the topic of how to make cut flowers last as long as possible came up during a Better Homes and Gardens team brainstorm, I was adamant we should do more than spout the same old advice.
The problem was, there was really only one way to settle the debate over which tips actually work: test the various cut flower longevity hacks ourselves.
KEY TAKEAWAYS
- Our flower hack longevity test revealed that some tips to extend the life of cut flowers really do work. Commercial flower food earned its reputation while sugar water was a surprisingly effective alternative
- The way the stems were cut also impacted longevity – for tulips, cutting the stem vertically worked well.
- Avoid adding bleach, vodka and vinegar to vase water, unless you’re looking for mushy, discoloured flowers!
How I tested each of the ways to make cut flowers last longer
I ordered 20 fresh tulips and divided the flowers into pairs, setting up 10 bud vases, each with its own treatment. In those we tested popular water additives such as sugar, bleach, vodka, vinegar, commercial flower food and a combination of vinegar and sugar, leaving one vase containing plain water as our control.
I also put stem-cutting tricks to the test, comparing a straight cut, a 45-degree-angle cut and a stem split vertically down the middle. All that was left to do was wait, watch and see which flowers held out the longest.
The winners: 4 flower hacks that actually work
Four treatments stood out from the rest: commercial flower food, sugar water, a simple straight stem cut, and stems split vertically down the middle.
All tulips subjected to those treatments showed signs of ageing by the end of the test, with brown-tipped leaves appearing after several days, but the blooms held on remarkably well. The petals retained their vibrant colour and the flowers opened slowly and gently, rather than racing to full bloom. Even the stems stayed fleshy and supple for longer, before finally succumbing to wilting on day eight.
The ‘ok’ hacks that were not bad but not brilliant
Neither stand-out successes nor outright flops, the tulips placed in plain water and those with stems cut at a 45-degree angle delivered fairly average results. They lasted about 1-2 days less than the winning stems.
My takeaway here is that plonking flowers in plain water and hoping for the best is actually perfectly acceptable – lazy flower lovers rejoice!
The flops: don’t bother with these tips
After conducting this test, I can safely say don’t bother adding vinegar, bleach, vodka or a vinegar-and-sugar mix to your vase water.
Vinegar was the worst contender of all, resulting in mushy, grey stems and drooping flowers by day four. Bleach was also a surprising disappointment. Rather than preserving the tulips, it destroyed the stems and seemed to suck the vibrancy out of the petals.
Vodka initially looked promising, with the flowers holding up well during the early days of the test, but it wasn’t long before the leaves and blooms became dry and shrivelled.
Meanwhile, vinegar and sugar combined was only marginally better than vinegar in water, making it another treatment we’d avoid.
In conclusion
The biggest lesson we learned, however, is that flowers are individuals. Even tulips from the same bunch aged at slightly different rates, and no two stems followed exactly the same path.
If you’re looking to get the most from your next bouquet, our advice is simple: use flower food if you have it, try a teaspoon of sugar if you don’t, and save the vodka, vinegar and bleach for your cleaning caddy!
Pro tips for keeping flowers fresh for as long as possible
1. Shop like a florist
Silva Issa, owner of The Grounds Florals by Silva, notes that survival starts at the market. When shopping for flowers at Sydney Flower Market, Silva says to skip the fully open showstoppers and look for:
- Firm petals
- Healthy, vibrant green foliage
- Tight, closed buds rather than flowers that are already open
2. Vase placement matters
It’s also important to place the flowers in the right spot says Silva. Somewhere out of direct sunlight, away from draughts and away from the fruit bowl, as “ethylene gas from fruit accelerates decay,” she explains. “At the end of the day, flowers are living things,” she adds.
“Give them a little care and a little love and they’ll reward you by looking beautiful for even longer.”
3. Choose the right vase
Mr Roses founder James Stevens advises that, as a rule of thumb, your vase should be roughly half the length of your stems – tall enough to support them without allowing them to droop.
4. Daily care goes a long way
For ultimate longevity, James recommends to trim flower stems and replace vase water daily.
For roses specifically, he recommends peeling away one or two outer petals daily to allow the newer petals underneath to come through.
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