How To Make Cut Alstroemeria Flowers Last Longer

Whether you order or send flowers for a birthday, Mother’s Day, Valentine’s Day or any other occasion, you want them to last as long as they possibly can.  You want to take every possible measure so that you can enjoy them for the longest possible time.  Also, let’s face it, it also boils down to getting value for money too.  You don’t want to pay a whole lot for a bouquet that lasts just a couple of days.  Fortunately, there are things that we can do to make our flowers last longer.  Here are a few simple steps to follow in order to make your Alstroemeria flowers last.

You will need:

– Alstroemeria flowers
– A clean vase
– Flower preserve
– A sharp pair of scissors
– A bucket of fresh water

Method:

– When you bring your fresh cut Alstroemeria flowers home, the first thing you want to do is place
them in a bucket of fresh, room temperature water.
– While they enjoy absorbing some clean water, you can prepare your vase.  First, make sure
that your vase is properly cleaned and rinsed.  Make sure that you choose a vase that is large
enough to house all the stems and not crush them.  You want the vase to appear full but not
overcrowded.
– Now add a few inches of warm water to the vase and pour your flower preserve in and allow it
to dissolve.
– Take your Alstroemeria flowers one by one and trim a couple of inches off the bottom of their
stems.  As with any other cut flowers, you should always trim the stems underwater.  This
helps prevent any air from entering the stems.  Air bubbles cause an obstruction and will slow
down the rate at which the stem is able to absorb water and nutrients.
– Also, be sure to cut the stems at an angle so that the surface area of absorption is increased
and so that they don’t lay flat on the bottom of the vase.
– As you trim the stems, you should also remove any excess leaves that will end up below the
water line.  This is because bacteria grows in the water and attaches itself to stems and leaves.
The less plant material under the water, the less areas on which bacteria can grow.
– Once you have arranged your flowers, you can now put them on display.  Make sure that you
do not place them in any direct sunlight or wind and far from sources of cold or hot air such as
air conditioners.
– Change the water regularly and add flower preserve to the fresh water to slow the growth of
bacteria.  Trim the stems every few days too because they will become covered with bacteria
in time and the bacteria will obstruct absorption.  By re-cutting the stems, you can create a
new surface area for absorption.
– If you notice any of the flowers start to wilt, remove them from the bouquet before they die
completely.  Dead plant material encourages bacterial growth so this is why it’s so important to keep the vase clean.