Flower Care Tips from DotFlowers

Water is Life . . .

• The quality of your water will determine your flowers' quality of life. If the weather is on your side, collecting fresh, clean rain water is an excellent way to treat your flowers to the very best. Hard water or 'softened' water is not a good choice and should be avoided if at all possible. The minerals make the water too alkaline, which flowers find more difficult to absorb. Even some 'helpful' water supply additives like fluoride can damage certain blooms, so consider using bottled water if possible. Generally, flowers prefer a pH of around 3, which can be achieved using florist-provided flower preservatives. If you have no alternatives to using hard or 'softened' water, lemon juice can be added to the vase to lower the pH.
• For most flowers, it is best to use warm water when filling the vase, since it is easier for the flowers to draw in and it contains less oxygen, which can create stem-blocking air bubbles. Some flowers, including spring bulbs like daffodils and tulips, actually prefer cooler water. When it doubt, opt for warm water, but never too hot, which can damage your flowers and cause wilting.
• Add fresh water mixed with florist provided preservatives to your flowers whenever the water level decreases. If your arrangement was created using floral foam, be sure that it remains soaked, although the foam itself will probably have been pretreated with preservatives by your florist. If you're up to the task, you may want to consider completely refilling the vase every day or two. But whenever you take your flowers out of water, you expose them to stem-blocking air, and so changing the water generally means having to re-groom your stems as described below. A good suggestion is to simply place your vase in the sink and continually add fresh water until all the old water has been displaced.
• Cloudy, discolored water is the result of bacteria, and should be replaced immediately. Be sure to thoroughly disinfect your vase as described previously, and trim your stems again according to our grooming instructions.

An important part of preparing your flowers' environment is to add a dose of flower food to your flowers' water . . .