How to help your lilies open
Lilies are one of the most beautiful types of flowers found at florists worldwide. They smell delightful and they are known for being wonderfully colourful too. If you receive a bunch of lilies and they have not yet opened, here are some steps to follow to ensure that they open up and show off their amazing beauty.
Fill a vase: Before you begin, you will need a vase of warm (not hot) water.
Food: Add some flower preserve to the vase water and make sure that it dissolves completely. This will help keep bacterial growth to a minimum and it also provides your flowers with nutrients.
Trim the stems: Next, you will need to trim each flower stem. Trim them at an angle to increase the amount of surface area the stems have for absorption. It also prevents the stems from resting on the base of the vase which would otherwise restrict absorption.
Trim leaves: While trimming the stems, remove any leaves that will end up below the water in the vase. Bacteria grows on plant material in the water, which is why it’s so important to keep this to a minimum.
Lots of water: By filling the vase with water, you will increase the turgor pressure which helps speed up blooming.
Pluck the stamens: Once your lilies open up, you can remove the stamens. Not only will this help the flowers last longer, but it will also mean that you don’t need to worry about those pollen stains.
Comfortable setting: Make sure that you set your lilies in a warm area but away from sources of heat. Do not set your lilies in direct sunlight or they will perish prematurely.
Change the water: Change the vase water regularly and, every time you do, you should add more flower food.
Re-trim stems: If you notice the bottoms of the stems become slippery, give your stems another trim. This slimey feeling is bacteria that will clog the bottom of every stem in the vase. Trim and discard these clogged ends.
Remove dead flowers: If you notice any of the lilies start to wilt, it should be removed promptly to prevent it from affecting the rest of the flowers.