Flowercare

How to make your bouquet last a week and longer: our florists’ tips for every flower and a guide you can print.

8 min read

The bouquet has just arrived Guide

Cut flowers on a white table: hydrangea, delphinium, secateurs and a ball of twine

A week and longerThat is how long a bouquet lasts if you follow the care rules

How long they last

Roses 7–10 days
Garden roses 5–7 days
Peonies 4–6 days
Tulips 5–7 days
Chrysanthemums up to 3 weeks
Hydrangeas 5–7 days
Lisianthus up to 2 weeks
Lilies up to 2 weeks
Carnations up to 2–3 weeks
Gerberas 7–10 days
Alstroemeria up to 2 weeks
Ranunculus 5–7 days
Gypsophila 7–10 days
Daisies 7–10 days
Sunflowers 7–10 days
Gladioli 7–10 days
Stock 5–7 days
Freesias 7–10 days

The first15 minutes

The bouquet has just arrived. What you do now decides how long it will last.

.01
Remove the wrapping
Film and paper keep moisture around the stems, where bacteria grow faster. You can keep the ribbon if you want the bouquet to hold its shape.
.02
Recut the stems
With a sharp knife, at a 45° angle, 1–2 cm up. Ideally — under running water so that no air gets into the stem.
After that Repeat every two days
.03
Remove extra leaves
Everything that would be below the water line: leaves in water start to rot within a day.
.04
Water and flower food
A clean vase, settled room-temperature water and the sachet of flower food we put in with the bouquet. For tulips — cooler water.
After that Change the water daily
.05
Choose the spot
Coolness and diffused light. Away from radiators, sunlight, draughts and fruit bowls.
After that Keep it away from fruit: fruit releases ethylene, and flowers wilt faster

Enjoy it for a week
and longerPrintable guide

Every flowerhas its own character

Eighteen flowers from our bouquets and what each of them needs

Roses

Love a deep vase and coolness

Last: 7–10 days
Water: deep, up to half the stem
Cut: every 2 days

Remove the lower leaves and thorns that would end up in the water
Fill the vase to half the stem height
Recut the stems every two days
A drooping bud can be saved by a fresh cut and an hour in cool water up to the head

Garden roses

Open faster than classic roses

Last: 5–7 days
Water: deep, up to half the stem
Cut: every 2 days

Care as for a rose: a deep vase and water up to half the stem
A bud opens in 2–3 days, so they last less than classic roses
Keep away from draughts and fruit: ethylene makes the petals drop
An open head is heavy — cut the stem shorter if it starts to lean

Peonies

Open before your eyes

Last: 4–6 days after opening
Water: 5–7 cm, cool
Cut: every 2 days

Tight buds open in 1–2 days in a warm room
Want to slow them down? — Move the bouquet somewhere cool overnight
A little water, 5–7 cm, change it every day
Heavy heads need a stable vase with a wide base

Tulips

Keep growing even in a vase

Last: 5–7 days
Water: cold, 5–7 cm
Cut: every day, straight or angled

A little cold water — 5–7 cm, you can add an ice cube
Stems reach for the light: turn the vase so they do not bend
Do not put them with daffodils: daffodil sap shortens the life of tulips
Bent? — Wrap the bouquet in a paper cone and stand it in cold water for a couple of hours

Burgundy chrysanthemum on a grey background

Chrysanthemums

The most long-lasting in a bouquet

Last: up to 2–3 weeks
Water: a third of the vase
Cut: every 2–3 days

Leaves rot first — strip everything below the water line
The stem is tough: cut it with a sharp knife, not scissors
Change the water every two days
In a cool room they bloom for up to three weeks

Hydrangeas

Drink even through their petals

Last: 5–7 days
Water: plenty + misting
Cut: every day

Use plenty of water — fill the vase two-thirds
Mist the flower heads with a spray bottle every day
Split the stem lengthwise by 2–3 cm: it drinks better that way
The head has wilted? — Submerge it entirely in cool water for 30–40 minutes

Lisianthus

Delicate to look at, sturdy in a vase

Last: up to 2 weeks
Water: a third of the vase
Cut: every 2–3 days

The stems are thin: cut with a sharp knife so they are not crushed
Little water — a third of the vase: in deep water a thin stem rots
Cut off faded blooms — the buds next to them will open in turn
Do not mist: water drops leave spots on the petals

Pink lily with buds on a grey background

Lilies

Open bud after bud

Last: up to 2 weeks
Water: half the vase
Cut: every 2–3 days

Once a bud opens, remove the anthers with a tissue: pollen stains petals and clothes, and without it the flower lasts longer
Fill the vase halfway and change the water every day
Cut off wilted blooms so the top buds have the strength to open
Lilies are poisonous to cats — both the pollen and the vase water are dangerous. With a cat at home, choose other flowers

Carnations

Outlast almost every other flower

Last: up to 2–3 weeks
Water: half the vase
Cut: every 2–3 days

Cut the stem between the swollen nodes: water does not pass through a node
Fill the vase halfway and change the water every two to three days
Keep away from fruit: carnations are very sensitive to ethylene — the buds stop opening
Do not mist the heads: water drops leave spots on the petals

Gerberas

Drink a little at a time

Last: 7–10 days
Water: 3–5 cm, change every day
Cut: every 2 days

Very little water — 3–5 cm: the downy stem rots in deep water
Change the water every day and wash the vase — gerberas are sensitive to bacteria
The head is heavy: choose a tall vase so the stem can rest on the rim
Recut the stems every two days, at an angle

Alstroemeria

Bloom in a vase for up to two weeks

Last: up to 2 weeks
Water: half the vase
Cut: every 2–3 days

Strip the leaves below the water line: they yellow before the flowers do
Fill the vase halfway and change the water every two days
Remove a faded bloom together with its stalk — the buds next to it will open
Alstroemeria sap can irritate sensitive skin — wash your hands after cutting

Ranunculus

A hundred petals on a thin stem

Last: 5–7 days
Water: 5–7 cm, cool
Cut: every 2 days

The stem is hollow and soft — it needs little water, 5–7 cm: in deep water it rots
Change the water every day and recut the stems every two days with a sharp knife
Remove all leaves that would end up in the water
They love coolness: move the bouquet away from radiators overnight

Gypsophila

Dries beautifully right in the vase

Last: 7–10 days
Water: a third of the vase
Cut: every 2–3 days

Loosen the tight bunch: the sprigs need air, otherwise they go mouldy
Fill a third of the vase and change the water every two days
Strip the small sprigs that would end up in the water
To keep it for long, leave it in the vase without water: gypsophila dries and holds its shape

Daisies

Simple and easy-going

Last: 7–10 days
Water: a third of the vase
Cut: every 2 days

Strip all the greenery below the water line: small leaves rot quickly
Fill a third of the vase and change the water every day
Recut the stems every two days with a sharp knife
Keep away from sunlight and radiators: in the heat the petals droop within a day

Sunflowers

Drink more than any other flower

Last: 7–10 days
Water: plenty, vase two thirds full
Cut: every 2 days

Fill the vase two thirds full and check the level every day: they drink fast
The head is heavy — use a tall, stable vase that supports the stem
Leave a couple of top leaves and strip the rest: they take water from the flower
If the head droops, re-cut the stem by 2–3 cm and stand it in deep water for a couple of hours

Gladioli

Open from the bottom up

Last: 7–10 days
Water: a third of the vase
Cut: every 2 days

A tall spike needs a tall, heavy vase: a light one will tip over
Pick off the faded lower florets — the upper buds will open in turn
Fill a third of the vase and change the water every two days
Pinch out the top one or two buds — the rest will open more evenly

Stock

Matthiola with a scent that fills the room

Last: 5–7 days
Water: change every day
Cut: every day

Strip all leaves below the water line: on stock they rot first
The water clouds quickly — change it every day and wash the vase
The stem is soft: re-cut it every day with a sharp knife
The lower florets fade first — pick them off and the top buds will open

Freesias

A delicate scent and buds that open in turn

Last: 7–10 days
Water: a third of the vase
Cut: every 2 days

Pick off faded blooms — the next buds on the spray will open
Fill a third of the vase and change the water every two days
The stems are thin: cut with a sharp knife and do not squeeze them
Keep away from fruit and draughts: ethylene stops the buds from opening

A young woman holding a hat box with pink roses and hydrangea

No vase neededThe flowers stand in wet floral foam

Arrangementin a box

Do not take the flowers out. The foam holds water and the shape of the arrangement — once a stem is pulled out, it cannot be put back.
Water the foam. Every two days pour 100–150 ml of water between the flowers, straight into the foam, so that it does not leak onto the bottom of the box.
Keep it cool. The cooler the room, the longer the arrangement stays fresh.
Remove faded flowers. Gently take out a wilted flower — the rest will look as good as on the first day.

Watering: every 2 days
Water per time: 100–150 ml
Basket, hat box: the same care

Six mistakesthat steal days

Almost everyone makes them — and the bouquet wilts three or four days earlier

Scissors instead of a knife
They crush the stem, and the flower drinks worse. You need a sharp knife — a kitchen one will do.
Topping up instead of changing
Bacteria multiply in old water, even if it looks clear.
Leaves in the water
They rot first and make the water cloudy within a day.
Fruit nearby
Apples and bananas release ethylene — it makes buds wilt faster.
Radiators and sunlight
The heating season in Almaty dries the air: keep the bouquet away from radiators and the windowsill.
Sugar and aspirin
Flower food from the sachet works better: it contains both nutrients and an antiseptic in the right proportion.

If the bouquet
droops

The roses hang their heads

Recut the stems by 2–3 cm, wrap the bouquet tightly in paper so the stems straighten, and stand it in deep cool water for 1–2 hours.

The hydrangea wilted overnight

Submerge the flower head entirely in cool water for 30–40 minutes, then recut the stem and put it back in a full vase.

The water turns cloudy on the second day

Wash the vase with detergent, remove all leaves below the water line, recut the stems and add flower food.

The tulips have bent

That is normal: they keep growing and reach for the light. Wrap the bouquet in a paper cone and stand it in cold water for a couple of hours.

The peonies will not open

Put them in warm water and a warm bright room. The buds will open within a day or two.

Did not help?

Send a photo of the bouquet on WhatsApp — a florist will tell you how to save it. And if the problem is the quality of the flowers, we will solve it under our return and replacement rules.

Message a florist Returns and replacement

Daily, 9:00–24:00 · +7 (778) 746-00-36

A guidefor your fridge

Six rules on one card. Print it or save it as a PDF — and keep it next to the vase.

probuketBouquet care

To make your bouquet last a week and longer

Remove the wrapping and recut the stems with a knife at a 45° angle
Remove the leaves that would end up in the water
Change the water every day and recut the stems — every two days
Add flower food from the sachet
Keep the bouquet away from radiators, sunlight, draughts and fruit
Water a boxed arrangement: 100–150 ml into the foam every two days

Ask a florist+7 (778) 746-00-36pro-buket.kz

Flowercare

The first15 minutes