Have You Been Cutting Your Flowers Wrong All Along? It Depends

Adding fresh flowers to your home is a great way to brighten your space. Whether picking flowers from your garden for an instant pick-me-up or opting for a beautiful store arrangement, they can make an excellent addition to any room. While you are sure to spend significant time choosing the perfect vase to showcase them, you also need to consider how to cut your flowers to best preserve their beauty and longevity. Is there a best way to cut flowers to keep them fresh for as long as possible? Turns out, yes, there is. For most flowers, you should cut them at a 45-degree angle to maximize water absorption and avoid the stem resting flat on the bottom of the vase.

However, there are a few exceptions to this rule. Woody-stemmed flowers, like hydrangeas and lilacs, should still be cut at a 45-degree angle, but should also have their stems split to break up the fibers and improve water absorption. Flowers like tulips and daffodils (which are hollow-stemmed bulb flowers) should have a straight cut to maintain stem integrity. 

Once you've determined if an angled or straight cut is best, you'll need to give thought to some of the logistics of flower trimming. Even though you'll be trimming the stems to fit your vase, you'll need to consider whether the flowers have been out of water for a while. If they have, you may need to cut off a bit more to reach a fresh part of the stem. Otherwise, you can trim off one or two inches from the bottom. Also, remove leaves and other foliage that would be below the waterline in the vase, which is an essential step when arranging cut flowers for your home.

And it's not just how you cut that matters — what you use to trim the stems is also important. You should use sharp, clean garden shears, floral snips, or a sharp knife to make the cuts. You'll want to avoid using dull scissors (even though they might be the most convenient option). Scissors can crush the stem's vascular system, hindering the flower's ability to absorb water and nutrients. Make sure that you cut the stems and immediately place them in the vase with water to prevent air bubbles from forming, which can block water from reaching the flower head.

Once you've dedicated the time to trimming your flowers just right to fit into a vase, you'll want to make sure that you're taking the steps to prolong their life. The last piece of the floral cutting puzzle is knowing how often to cut your flower stems — after all, this is not a "one and done" type of job. You'll need to retrim the flower's stems every two to three days, and at the same time, change the water. Since the cut ends of flower stems can seal over time, you'll need to reopen the stem's vascular system to transport water throughout the entire plant. Also, the part of the stem in water can get soft and slimy over time. Trimming this off helps keep the water clean and free of bacteria, keeping your cut flowers fresh longer.

Although you might think that displaying your flowers in the window is a good way to show them off, it actually shortens their lifespan. Cut flowers should be stored in a cool place away from direct sunlight. Additionally, be sure to store them away from ripening fruit like bananas and apples. Ripening fruits give off a gas called ethylene — this gas accelerates the aging process in plants, causing flowers to wilt and leaves to turn yellow prematurely. In the same sense, as flowers start to wilt, they should be removed from the vase since they produce the same gas.