Skip to content

How to Keep Flowers Fresh: Care and Transportation Tips!

by Leah Britt 31 Mar 2022 0 Comments
Girl trimming flower stems as part of our how to keep flowers fresh tutorial

How to Keep Flowers Fresh: Care and Transportation Tips!

So your long-awaited blooms have finally arrived on your doorstep - Now what?! Receiving flowers is an exciting experience, but it also poses the question: How do you keep them beautiful? We often receive this question, especially from those who are ordering flowers for weddings and events. Fear not, we've got all the tips and tricks you'll need on how to keep flowers fresh!

Taking care of your flowers starts the moment you open your box. It's important to prepare and store them properly in order to preserve their quality and extend their vase life! Here's our step by step guide on how to keep flowers fresh:

1. Remove your flowers from the box

When your boxes arrive, it's important that you get your flowers in water as quickly as possible. Open your boxes and remove any protective packaging, such as foam or paper, and cut any straps inside the box. (Pro tip: don't throw the boxes away quite yet — they will come in handy if you plan on transporting the flowers later.)

Cutting straps and opening flower box after delivery

2. Fill clean buckets with at least 4 inches of cool water

Gather clean buckets or containers to hold the flowers. Depending on the flower type, you may need different sized buckets and containers. For example, shorter stemmed flowers, like ranunculus, will need shorter and smaller vessels. Meanwhile, long-stemmed roses and greens will fit well in five gallon buckets.

One way to keep flowers fresh is to ensure that their buckets and containers are very clean. You can do this by rinsing them out with warm water beforehand. Then, filling the containers with at least 4 inches of fresh, cool water.

3. Keep your flowers fresh with flower food

Mix flower food in the water to prevent bacteria, and to give your flowers extra nutrients. When it comes to flower food, a little goes a long way! You can split a small packet of food between two, three, or even four buckets, depending on the amount of water and stems. If you don't have flower food, you can find some at any local florist.

Adding flower food to clean buckets of water to keep flowers fresh

4. Remove foliage that will fall below waterline

Did you know that leaves below the waterline can cause bacteria to form? This can shorten the life of your flowers! To keep your flowers fresh and you water clean, remove the foliage on the bottom half of your stems before placing them in their containers. You can remove them with sharp, clean flower shears or scissors.

5. Trim the stems of your fresh flowers at an angle

Next, trim about one inch off of the bottom of your stems at an angle. An angled cut creates a larger surface area for water absorption and prevents your stems from sitting flat in the container which will block water absorption.

How to keep flowers fresh: Trim their stems regularly at an angle

6. Place the flowers in your prepared buckets

Now you're ready to hydrate those blooms! Immediately after cutting the stem, place your flowers in the prepared water. Make sure that you have enough room in each bucket for the number of stems that you will be storing. You never want to overcrowd your containers, as this may damage the stems or impact the blooming process. Give your flowers room to bloom wide open!

7. Let your blooms hydrate for 4-12 hours

Finally, give your blooms at least four hours to hydrate. Just know that it can take as long as 8 to 12 hours for them to properly rehydrate! Check the water levels regularly, as flowers drink a lot of water when they first arrive, and their buckets may need a refill. Every 24 hours, change out the water and recut the stems to keep the flowers fresh.

Place flowers in fresh, cool water to keep them hydrated

8. Store your flowers properly to keep them fresh

Learning how to keep flowers fresh involves learning how to store them properly too! Most flowers should be kept in a cool, dry area leading up to the event. (If you are trying to speed up the blooming process, though, you'll want to introduce some light and warmth - just not direct sunlight.)

Some people believe that they need to keep their flowers in a refrigerator, but for the most part, that isn't necessary! The average household refrigerator is kept much colder than a florist's cooler, which runs the risk of damaging the flowers. In addition, most flowers are sensitive to ethylene gas (a gas that is emitted by fruits and vegetables) making the refrigerator a dangerous place for flowers. The exception to this is dahlias or peonies that are opening too fast upon delivery.

Speaking of peonies, these flowers require special care, so check out our post on Peony Flower Care for more information.

Store flowers in cool, dark area to keep them fresh

Videos on How to Take Care of Flowers

Still looking for some guidance on how to keep your flowers fresh? Or maybe you're still feeling a little nervous about the arrival of your flowers? We get it! Our YouTube channel is a great resource for anyone ordering flowers online. Here are two video tutorials that will guide you through the flower care process:

What to Do When Your Flowers Arrive Video eo

How to Care for Roses Video

How to Keep Flowers Fresh During Transportation

Often times, your blooms will need to travel to a venue or different location. If that's the case, you may be wondering how to keep flowers fresh as they move from point A to point B. Transporting flowers can be nerve-wracking! After spending so much time caring for them, and arranging them beautifully, you'll want to make sure they don't get damaged on the way to the big event! Luckily, there are ways to keep them beautiful and safe throughout the process.

Any arrangements that are already in a vases, such as centerpieces, are ready to go. For bouquets, place them in extra vases with just enough water to keep them hydrated without ruining the ribbon.

Once all your flowers are in vases, grab your empty flower boxes and get all the flowers ready for transport. Here's our tutorial on how:

1. Collect your empty flower boxes, and mark your X's

Start with an empty flower box. Shut the lid of the box, just like it was when it arrived on your door. Use a sharpie to draw X’s that represent where each vase will later fit into the box. You can usually fit 4 to 6 vases in one box, depending on the size of vase and arrangement. Your X marks should be slightly larger than your vase.

Reuse an old flower box to transport your arrangements

2. Cut along each X

Cut into your box along each of your Sharpie marks, creating X's with your blade.

Cut an "X" into your old flower box where the vase will go using a blade

Punch a hole through your cut out to make room for the vase

3. Punch through your cut and place your vases inside

Punch through each X cutout to reveal a space for your vase. Place your vase inside and - voila! - you now you have a secure way to carry up to six vases at once. This method keeps flowers fresh and upright as they travel in their water.

When you arrive at the venue, simply remove the vases, and display the flowers where they need to go!

Keep flowers fresh in their vase of water, and place them in your carrier for transport

Finished DIY flower carrier with three vases of fresh flowers for traveling

If you don't like this method, you can also use the bottom part of a sturdy box, and simply place all of your arrangements upright in the box. Keep the vases secure and protected by surrounding them in towels or newspaper. If you use this method, just make sure all your vases fit securely in the box, as you don't want them to shift around.

DIY flower carrier tutorial for safely moving fresh flowers

Other Tips for Traveling with Fresh Flowers

1.) Have two people carry your flower box, with one person at each end. As you carry the box, make sure to hold the bottom to keep your arrangements secure

2.) Always have someone sitting next to your flowers in the car, or as you travel. This person can keep an eye on the vases to make sure everything is staying safe and secure!

3.) Try to avoid leaving the arrangements in extreme temperatures. To keep the flowers fresh, move them straight from their cool storage area to a cool, dry vehicle. Avoid setting them in direct sunlight or a hot car, if possible!

4.) For larger arrangements, like arch pieces, that cannot be stored in vases, we recommend arranging them in floral foam. This will keep them hydrated as they travel, and as they are displayed at the event. The same rules apply - keep them cool, dry, protected, and secure in your vehicle.

Video Tutorial on How to Transport Flowers

The Experts in Fresh Flowers

Our flowers are as fresh as they come! FiftyFlowers' blooms ship FREE, directly from our partner farms to your arms. Before sending your flowers, we prepare them with proper hydration methods. If your flowers appear sleepy and thirsty after their journey, it's absolutely normal! Follow the above steps on how to keep flowers fresh to ensure the best quality and longest vase life possible.

Make sure to check out our Flower Care page for more tips and tricks on caring for flowers. If you have any concerns or questions as you order and receive your fresh flowers, don't hesitate to reach out! Our Customer Care team members are experts at all things related to fresh flowers.

In the meantime, get started on your flower journey by setting up a consultation, or shopping our DIY Combo Packs!

Read More: 

Prev Post
Next Post

Leave a comment

Please note, comments need to be approved before they are published.

Thanks for subscribing!

This email has been registered!

Shop the look

Choose Options

Close
Back In Stock Notification
Close
Terms & Conditions
Bare with us brides, this policy page isn’t nearly as exciting as finding the perfect, fresh, wholesale wedding flowers, but we need to share it with you to avoid any confusion. We suggest you read through it as it does serve as a binding contract, and let us know if you have any questions! 1. Basic Terms & Acceptance Bare with us brides, this policy page isn’t nearly as exciting as finding the perfect, fresh, wholesale wedding flowers, but we need to share it with you to avoid any confusion. We suggest you read through it as it does serve as a binding contract, and let us know if you have any questions! 2. Your Privacy In order to fulfill orders and assist our customers we may ask for your personal information. We know this information is important to you and it’s important to us to keep that information private and secure. Our Privacy Policy details how your information is used, and it’s also part of our Terms of Use, please read it here. 3. Right to Refuse Service FiftyFlowers reserves the right to refuse service to anybody at anytime. 4. Changes to Your Order If you would like to change your flower order, please contact us at least 7 days prior to your first scheduled delivery date. We might not be able to make changes to an order without sufficient notice. There is a $10 fee to change the scheduled delivery address and is not guaranteed. 5. Cancelling Your Order If you would like to completely cancel your flower order you must do so at least 8 business days prior to your first scheduled delivery date. No cancellations will be accepted within 7 business days of a scheduled delivery date. There is a 25% surcharge for all cancelled orders. To cancel an order, you can either send an email to orders@fiftyflowers.com with the subject heading CANCEL ORDER # (include your order number) in the body of the email include what you want to cancel or call us to 1.877 50 ROSES (507-6737). Either way, we will need to speak with the person who placed the order to confirm the cancellation. 6. Shipping Your Flowers FiftyFlowers offers weekday delivery on most bulk flowers, however there are certain flowers and floral supplies, addresses outside of the 48 lower United States (Alaska, Hawaii, Puerto Rico), and delivery dates (Saturday delivery) that will incur additional shipping fees. FiftyFlowers recommends the customer, or a representative, be present for delivery. A signature may or may not be required at the time of delivery. FiftyFlowers is not responsible for lost or stolen packages, damage to the products as a result of being left in inclement weather, damage to products as a result of prolonged travel times caused by the customer not being present, FedEx or DHL delays, delays as a result of Customs and Agricultural inspections, or acts of God. Please read the detailed Shipping Policy here. 7. Warnings About Handling Flowers, Boxes & Materials FiftyFlowers ships wholesale flowers that may be protected and secured with heavy plastic straps, large metal staples, wooden rods and other sharp packaging materials. The packaging materials and the flowers themselves may have rough sharp edges and/or thorns. Use caution to protect yourself while handling the boxes, packaging materials and the flowers themselves. Packaging straps are under pressure and may release suddenly. There is a risk for injury when handling the boxes, packaging materials and flowers. Please be careful and use proper protective gloves and appropriate tools. FiftyFlowers can not be held responsible for damages or injuries that occurred as a result of handling our packages or flowers. 8. Flower Complaints & Claims If you are not satisfied with your flower shipment, please call FiftyFlowers IMMEDIATELY after opening your boxes at 1.877 50 ROSES (507-6737) AND email us to cservice@fiftyflowers.com. All complaints must be communicated verbally and accompanied with digital pictures indicating all the flowers within 24 hours of receipt of the product or your claim will not be accepted and no refund will be granted. In order to process your claim, we will request digital pictures and/or return of all product (for quality inspection). We do not guarantee color tone matches. Flowers are a natural product and vary in color from season to season. It is the customer's responsibility to properly care for flowers. FiftyFlowers is not liable for products mishandled by clients. As a courtesy, each product page explains in detail how to care for flowers, however customers must be knowledgeable on flower care. Please read the detailed Guarantee Page here for what we do and do not cover under our guarantee. 9. Short Message Services (SMS) & Mobile Phone Usage FiftyFlowers collects mobile phone numbers to send SMS or text messages to our customers in an effort to keep you informed about your order. By providing your cell phone number you agree to receiving various SMS or text messages from FiftyFlowers regarding your order. There is no service fee associated with these but you are responsible for any and all charges associated with receiving text messages in accordance with your mobile phone service provider. 10. Product Descriptions & Site Content FiftyFlowers makes a conscientious effort to describe and display our products and services as accurately as possible. Despite our best efforts, items may be mispriced, described inaccurately, or unavailable and we may experience delays in updating product information. We cannot and do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information, including prices, product images, specifications and availability. FiftyFlowers reserves the right to change or update product information, to correct errors, inaccuracies or omissions at any time and without prior notice. The colors shown on the site may be influenced by your computer and/or monitor settings. We are unable to guarantee exact color matches. 11. Links to Other Sites FiftyFlowers provides links to third-party websites and additional resources for our customers. These resources may or may not be affiliated with FiftyFlowers. You acknowledge and agree that we are not liable for the content, products, services or availability and accuracy of any such websites or resources. Links to such websites do not imply any endorsement by FiftyFlowers and you assume all risk arising from your use of any such websites or resources. It is your responsibility to review the Terms of Use, Privacy Policies and Agreements that may bind you when dealing with all third-party websites, we encourage you to use careful discretion. 12. Copyrights All content included on FiftyFlowers Site, including but not limited to the design of the site, the site as a whole, text, graphics, logos, button icons, images, audio clips, digital downloads, data compilations, software and other material (collectively referred to as our “Content”), is the property of FiftyFlowers and is protected by copyright, trademark or other proprietary rights. The collection, arrangement and assembly of all Content on the Site is the exclusive property of FiftyFlowers and protected by U.S. and international copyright laws. INFRINGEMENT UPON COPYRIGHT LAW IS A CRIMINAL OFFENCE. FIFTYFLOWERS TAKES COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT VERY SERIOUSLY. WE SCAN OTHER WEBSITES FOR DUPLICATION OF OUR PROPERTY AND PERIODICALLY CHECK. All FiftyFlowers.com trademarks may not be used in connection with products that are not FiftyFlowers without expressed written consent of FiftyFlowers. Infringement includes using FiftyFlowers property in any manner that is likely to cause confusion among customers, or in any manner that disparages or discredits FiftyFlowers. All other trademarks not owned by FiftyFlowers or its affiliates that appear on this site are the property of their respective owners, who may or may not be affiliated with, connected to, or sponsored by FiftyFlowers or its affiliates. This site or any portion of this site may not be reproduced, duplicated, copied, sold, resold, visited, or otherwise exploited for any commercial purpose without express written consent of FiftyFlowers. Framing or utilizing framing techniques to enclose any trademark, logo, or other proprietary information (including images, text, page layout, or form) of FiftyFlowers. and our affiliates is prohibited without express written consent. You may not use any FiftyFlowers logo or other proprietary graphic or trademark as part of the link without express written permission. FiftyFlowers grants you limited license to access and make personal use of this site. You are prohibited from downloading from, modifying, and/or using this site for commercial purposes without expressed written consent of FiftyFlowers. Copyright 2002-16, FiftyFlowers ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. 13. Personal, Non-Commercial Use Access Visitors are authorized to use the Site and Contents strictly for personal, non-commercial use. You may download, print and save copies of materials strictly for your personal, non-commercial use only. No right, title or interest in any Content is transferred to you as a result of downloading or copying. Publishing, selling, modifying, retransmitting or otherwise distributing without written consent is strictly prohibited and punishable by law. 14. User Submitted Information In the event that you decide to share information on our Site please understand that it is considered to be non-confidential information and you are granting FiftyFlowers a non-exclusive, worldwide, royalty-free, irrevocable, perpetual license to use, display, edit, modify, reproduce, distribute, store and prepare works of Your Content. FiftyFlowers is free to reproduce, use, disclose and distribute such communications without limitation or obligation. 15. Governing Law FiftyFlowers is operated out of Miami, Florida and governed under the state law thereof. Therefore, it is legally bound by the State of Florida and the United States of America. If you are placing an order from outside of the United States (for delivery within the US), please take note that all information you provide will be transferred to the United States. These laws apply no matter where in the world you live or order from. 16. Changes to Terms FiftyFlowers may update these Terms from time to time. Changes will be effective upon posting. You are responsible for reviewing and becoming familiar with any changes. Your use of the website following the changes constitutes your continued acceptance of the updated Terms. The date on which the current Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy took effect is located at the top of the page. 17. Severability & Final Acceptance By using the FiftyFlowers.com website, you consent to the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy. FiftyFlowers has the right to retain all of the information collected under the Privacy Policy for record keeping purposes. If any of the conditions stated within the Policy shall be deemed invalid, void, or for any reason unenforceable, that condition shall be deemed severable and shall not affect the validity and enforceability of any remaining condition. 19. Notice to California Users and Residents Under California Civil Code Section 1789.3 or California’s “Shine the Light” law, California users are entitled to the known that FiftyFlowers does not share personal information obtained from our customers with any third party. If you have a question or complaint regarding FiftyFlowers, please send an email to cservice@fiftyflowers.com. You may also contact us by writing to: FiftyFlowers Attn: California Legal Notice 2404 Bank Dr. Suite 300 Boise, ID 83705
this is just a warning
Close Login
Close
Shopping Cart
0 items
100%Fresh Guaranted No Compromises