Keep cut flowers fresh in the Aussie heat

The first ten minutes

Cut flowers start drinking the moment they are in clean water, so a quick start pays off for days afterwards.

• Unwrap straight away. Paper and cellophane trap warmth and moisture around the blooms. Take everything off and have the water ready beforehand.
• Re-cut every stem. Take off a few centimetres with a sharp knife or clean secateurs. Blunt scissors squash the stem and make it harder to drink. An angled cut is fine for most flowers, as it stops the stem sitting flat on the base of the vase.
• Strip the lower leaves. Anything left under the waterline turns slimy within a day and feeds bacteria.
• Mix the flower food. The sachet supplies sugar for the blooms and something to keep bacteria down. If you have lost it, a fresh change of water matters more than any home recipe.
• Start with a clean vase. Hot soapy water and a bottle brush. A vase that looks clean can still carry yesterday’s bacteria.

Where the vase lives

Most Australian homes are either hot or heavily cooled, and flowers dislike both extremes. A few quick rules:

• Shade over sun. A west-facing windowsill in the afternoon can cook a bunch in hours. A table in a bright room, out of direct sun, is far kinder.
• Mind the air-conditioner. A steady cool room is great, but a stream of air from a vent or fan dries the petals and makes them droop. Keep the vase out of the airflow.
• Keep it away from the fruit bowl. Ripening mangoes, bananas and stone fruit release ethylene, a gas that ages blooms faster.
• Skip the spot beside the oven or toaster. Small heat sources add up on a warm day.
• A cooler night helps. If you can carry the vase to a cooler room before bed, the flowers slow down overnight.

Daily and every-other-day jobs

• Check the level every day. Thirsty stems such as sunflowers and hydrangeas can empty a vase quickly in warm weather.
• Swap the water. In summer do it daily; in cooler months every second day is enough. Rinse the vase each time.
• Trim a little more. A centimetre off the base keeps the stem open for drinking.
• Pick out the tired ones. A fading bloom releases ethylene and drags the neighbours down, so remove it as soon as it goes.

Planning a gift for someone who loves flowers? You can send flowers and pop these tips on the card.

Notes for popular flowers

Roses

• Trim the stems and take off the leaves and thorns that would sit in the water.
• If the heads bow, wrap the roses loosely in paper and let them stand in deep cool water for an hour or so. See the guide to drooping roses.

Tulips

• They keep stretching in the vase and lean towards the light, so choose a tall vase and turn it now and then.
• Give them a shallow drink of cool water.

Lilies

• Pinch off the orange pollen tips before the flowers open. They stain fabric, skin and tablecloths.
• Lilies are dangerous for cats. If a cat lives with you, read our guide to flowers and pets before buying.

Sunflowers

• They drink a lot, so top up the vase daily.
• The big heads are heavy, so use a stable vase and trim the stems to suit.

Browse the range to order flowers online, or read our guide to sending flowers.

What flower food actually does

The little sachet contains three things: sugar to feed the blooms, an acid to adjust the water, and an ingredient that holds bacteria back. Used as directed, it helps most bunches last noticeably longer than they would in plain tap water.

No sachet? A very small pinch of sugar can feed the flowers, but too much just feeds bacteria, so go easy and change the water more often.

Bringing back a droopy bunch

Not every wilt can be saved, but it is worth trying when a bunch looks tired rather than finished.

• Re-cut the stems and stand them in a deep container of cool water for an hour or two.
• Move them somewhere cool and shaded while they drink.
• Put them back in a clean vase with fresh water and food, and remove anything that has not recovered.

Know someone who could do with cheering up? Have a look at flowers online with delivery across Australia.