Home Help & Advice Care & Conditioning: Flower care guides How to Revive your Wilted Flowers

We sell flowers and florist supplies at wholesale prices for everyone

How to Revive your Wilted Flowers

Have you ever purchased a bunch of your favourite flowers for your home or for an event, only to watch them wilt hours or days afterward? We've got a few tips and tricks to help revive your wilted blooms. 

 

Dried flowers and wilted blooms can be a problem any time of the year, especially when it's hot outside or inside (with the heating on). With these tricks, hopefully, you will not only learn how to revive your blooms but also identify the warning signs to prevent the process! 

 

There are normally three main reasons, bacteria growth (rotting stems), water uptake (buds drying and staying closed) and wilting (combination of both causing the blooms to droop). 

  1. Bacteria can occur when the water has not been refreshed or changed too late and the stems begin to rot. The stems will go slimy and discolored with unhappy flowers. The best way to fix the problem is to clean the container with a drop of bleach and soap (using rubber gloves!). Cut all of the rot and slime from the stem ensuring only healthy stem remains (above 2-3cm above the discoloring). Add lukewarm water to the container, a drop of bleach (or flower food) and place the stems back into the vase. If this means your flower is too short for your container, try a smaller one!
  2. If you neglect to cut the stems before adding to the vase, they remain sealed or dried out and will be unable to draw up any water to nourish the flower. There is also a risk that air blocks will form in the stems. Remove the dried flowers and leaves that are beyond reviving, cut 2 to 3cm off the stem at an angle (45 degrees) with sharp scissors/knife and put straight into a clean vase of water.
  3. Dried stem-ends or bacteria growth hinders water uptake, causing stems and flowers to wilt. To revive your flowers, start by cleaning the container and adding fresh clean water (lukewarm - depending on flower). Remove any overly wilted flowers from the stem or bunch, as they release ethylene gas (as does ripening fruit) and cut the stems at an angle by 2 to 4cm and put straight into the clean water.