Walk into the studio any morning and you'll hear the same advice given three different ways: recut the stems, change the water, move the vase. It sounds too simple, which is exactly why nobody does it. Here's why each step actually matters.
The cut is a wound, not a formality
A stem seals over within an hour of being cut. The plant is trying to stop the leak. When it arrives at your place, that seal has to come off. Cut two centimetres off at a sharp angle with a clean knife or secateurs, never scissors, which crush the drinking vessels shut.
Water is a food source, not a bath
Bacteria in old water is what actually kills cut flowers. It clogs the stem and the head starves. Fresh tap water every second day beats any additive. The little sachet we include helps, but it's backup, not a substitute for clean water.
Strip every leaf that would sit below the waterline. Submerged foliage is bacteria food.
Placement does the quiet damage
Direct sun, a heater vent, or a fruit bowl. All three shorten vase life fast. Ripening fruit breathes ethylene, which tells flowers to hurry up and finish. Move the vase two metres from the bananas and you might get four extra days.
The two-minute routine
Every second day: dump the water, quick rinse of the vase, recut a centimetre, back in fresh water. That's the entire routine. Do it and a $65 bunch from us will still look deliberate on day nine.
From the bench
The visual version
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Questions
Asked about this
The follow-ups this guide always triggers.
Mostly no. A drop of bleach slows bacteria; sugar feeds flowers and bacteria equally. Clean water outperforms every kitchen remedy we've tested on the bench. And we've tested most of them for fun.
If you have room, yes. Florists' fridges exist for a reason. Keep them away from fruit in there too. Most homes won't bother, and they still get a week out of a good bunch.
Usually an air lock in the stem. Recut underwater, literally submerged, and stand them in deep warm water for an hour. About half of 'dead' roses revive that way.
Ruth Kessler
Senior florist — Choice Action Grid, Camden Park
Senior florist — Choice Action Grid, Camden Park
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