How long can flowers remain fresh without water?
For the most part, when you order flowers, you plan on displaying them in water or wet floral foam. That said, there are times when you simply cannot keep your flowers in water. When your florist delivers flowers, they do so using special vehicles and they ensure that your flowers are properly hydrated on the way. Once you receive the delivery, it’s up to you to take care of them. If you know that you won’t be able to keep your flowers in water permanently, you might want to choose flowers that last the longest of all. Flowers that are particularly thirsty are best avoided.
Firstly, there are a number of flowers that are known for lasting longer than others. Carnations are an excellent example of flowers that last especially long. They even last longer than roses. This is largely due to the differences in their stems and the weight of the flowers. Roses have heavier flowers whereas carnations are far lighter. Heavier flowers will put extra weight on the stems which will cause in them wilting sooner rather than later. Even though rose stems are fairly strong and rigid, the closer they get to the flower, the thinner they become. This is why the flowers tend to bend over at the point located just belower the flower.
When in water, carnations are known to last for several weeks. That said, the water still needs to be changed on a regular basis and flower food will also help provide the flowers with essential nutrients while keeping bacterial growth a bay. Carnations can last at least a couple of days without any water at all. Therefore, if you are forced to transport flowers without water, you can be sure that your carnations will be just fine. Provided, of course, that you keep them away from sources of heat, wind, and cold air. You should also place them in water as soon as you reach your destination. If you have a fairly long trip ahead of you, you can tie a plastic bag around the stems to help prevent moisture loss.
If your flowers have been out of water for an extended amount of time, they might need some reviving. All you need to do is place each stem under water as you trim the ends. Make sure that the water is lukewarm in order to allow the stems to absorb water that much faster. Let them soak up the water for approximately half an hour. It’s also important to note that some flowers, like tulips, prefer cold water. Ask your florist or search online to find out if your flowers are grown from bulbs. Bulb flowers are known to prefer cold water over warm water.
There are also a number of flowers that prefer particularly large levels of humidity. You can increase the humidity around the flower by placing it inside a plastic bag, closing the bag around the top of the stem, and leaving it to stand overnight. The next morning you will notice a remarkable difference.
If you need to display flowers without water for an event, for whatever reason, then you might not be able to successfully revive them. After a certain amount of time passes, you would have reached the point of no return. However, this does not mean that you have to toss them! You can still dry them out or press them and save for later use! If you hang bouquets upside down, they wll dry out beautifully without losing their shape.
It’s also important to remember that all flowers eventually perish. If you want to preserve them by drying, you need to start this process before they start to wilt. If you want to press flowers, you need to do so before they start to dry out or else they will simply break apart under the pressure of the flower press.