How to Keep Flowers Lasting Long in the Aruban Weather – Top 6 Tips to Take Care of Your Fresh Flower Arrangement at Home

1. Keep flowers in a cool spot.

Most flowers prefer temperatures between 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit (18 to 22 degrees Celsius) and are best displayed away from direct sunlight or cooling vents. But how about if you live in Aruba, where the sun shines every day, with an average temperature of 27 degrees Celsius? This sounds like perfect weather to humans, but is it also for flowers?

We love it when the sun is out, but your flowers prefer to shine in the shade. Flowers like to be kept cool at a certain temperatures to breathe and intake food properly. Most flowers can survive the temperature in Aruba if we treat them right. Find the coolest room in the house or office to place the flowers. Rooms that have airconditioning would be preferable however, do not place them directly where the air blows. Although Aruba has a fresh breeze, avoid putting your flowers in a room with a lot of wind. A cool and calm place should do the trick.

2. Flowers are thirsty! Replenish the water frequently.

Flowers drink a lot of water! it is not uncommon for a large flower arrangement to suck up all the water within the first day.

A quick tip: Refill the container every 1-2 days with water.

Water tends to evaporate faster when it’s warm so it is important to always keep your flowers hydrated. Keep the vase with water to ensure flowers do not dry out. Check the vase often to ensure it is full (or the foam material is saturated).

So should we fill the flowers with cold water? For most florists, the use of lukewarm (water at room temperature) water is ideal. Lukewarm water is preferable as it has less oxygen in it and its molecules are more easily absorbed by flower stems than cold water.

Since flowers are highly likely to build bacteria at their stems, changing the water in the vase will also keep your flowers fresh for a longer time. For large flower arrangements, this is not needed as most of the time the water will be fully consumed from the foam. For flowers in a long vase with visible water, carefully tip the vase over a sink to let the water drain without disturbing the design. Then re-fill the vase by gently pouring water in at the side of the arrangement.

3. Do NOT put flowers near fruits or vegetables.

A common question we get is “Can I put my flowers in the refrigerator?” or “Does putting flowers in the fridge make them last longer?” Well If you have a new empty fridge, big enough to fit a flower arrangement, and also set to the perfect temperate, SURE! However, most of us have a home fridge that is mainly used for storing food. Fruits and vegetables produce a deadly gas called ethylene. This gas will influence the ethylene production in the flowers and by this cause more rapid aging of flowers. Commonly used fruits like tomatoes, bananas, and apples produce high levels of ethylene. Also to be noted is that cigarette smoke contains high levels of ethylene. So when deciding where to place the flowers, choose a non-smoking room.

4. Re-cut stems for more efficient water absorption.

By cutting the stems just before placing them in water, you expose fresh tissue that can suck up the water more efficiently.

Use sharp scissors when cutting to ensure a clean cut that leaves cells undamaged. Damaged stems can’t drink enough water. If you have flowers in a vase, cut the stems at a sharp angle, (roughly 45 degrees) so when they touch the bottom, they have a more free surface area to suck up water.

Some arrangements are assembled in floral foam where recutting stems isn’t possible. Don’t worry! Just make sure the flower stems are seated firmly in the foam (heavier flowers like hydrangeas sometimes wiggle loose) and simply add water daily.

5. Wash old vase/container thoroughly before placing new flowers.

Bacteria builds up in dirty vases and do not go away just because the vase dries out. As soon as you add water again, the vase will be prone to bacteria. Wash the vase/container very thoroughly in hot soapy water or, in your dishwasher. Before putting fresh flowers in a vase, be sure no debris is floating in the water (such as leaves and stem parts) as this could promote the growth of bacteria which can shorten a flower’s life.

6. Add additional flower food.

What is flower food?
Flower food is a concoction of bleach (bactericide), sugar, and citric acid (acidifier). The three ingredients contained in flower food create a perfect environment for cut flowers.

Why does it work?
Bleach eliminates harmful bacteria. Sugar provides flowers with the energy to allow them to blossom. Citric acid balances the PH of tap water, dissolves air bubbles, and improves the effectiveness of the bleach.

If you didn’t already get a sachet from us, don’t worry you can easily make it at home with ingredients you probably have in your home already.

How to make flower food at home:

Ingredients:

1. Two teaspoon lemon or lime juice
2. One teaspoon Bleach (clear & unscented like “Clorox”
3. One teaspoon sugar
4. 1-quart lukewarm water (4 cups or 1liter)

Mix the ingredients well and use the resulting solution to fill your vase or arrangements that contain floral foam.

It’s a wrap!