Fresh blooms are always welcome in a home, whether you receive a bouquet as a gift or snip them from your garden.

However, finding the right strategy to prolong the life of cut flowers is often challenging, even for experienced horticulture enthusiasts.

Fortunately, experts have uncovered practical hacks for flower care, many of which have been backed by scientific research and experimentation. Thanks to their findings, you can boost your flowers' health and longevity with simple tricks like making homemade plant food and remembering to change the water.

1. Trim the Stems

If you want to prolong the life of cut flowers, you should start by trimming the stems before putting them in water. The Royal Horticultural Society offers numerous tips for this step in conditioning blooms for longevity.

According to British Flower Ambassador Jonathan Moseley, strip leaves below the bottom half to two-thirds of the stem — essentially, anything beneath water level to avoid rot. Then, use a clean, sharp knife or scissors and make an angled cut.

If you've collected fresh flowers from the garden, allow the stems to soak in clean water in a cool location for at least two to three hours before bringing them inside. To keep the blooms fresh, continue trimming the stems every two to four days.

2. Feed the Flowers

Flower food comprises sugar, citric acid and vinegar, which help nourish the flowers, boost their immunity to bacteria and disease, and enhance their hydration. Each ingredient serves a purpose — sugar is a nutrient, citric acid lessens the pH in the water, and vinegar controls bacteria growth. Often, plant food also contains stem un-pluggers, which eliminate bacteria so the stems can efficiently absorb water.

Store-bought bouquets usually come with a powdery plant food packet to mix into the vase water. However, liquid plant food is easy to make at home. You'll want to mix the following components until they've dissolved fully:

• 4 cups of warm water
• 2 tablespoons of white sugar
• 1 tablespoon of vinegar
• 1 tablespoon of citric acid or lemon juice

Don't fret if you don't have lemon juice or citric acid handy. Your flowers will still thrive without it. Other people dissolve a tablespoon of baking soda in the vase or coat the ends of stems in alum powder to help open them up and soak more.

3. Refrigerate Florals

Have you ever wondered how flower shops keep blooms as fresh as they do? Low temperatures slow the ageing process in plants. Therefore, it is best to refrigerate freshly cut blooms to prolong their lives.

Refrigeration reduces water loss and prevents bacterial development. It also ensures the stems and petals remain firm. Like other flower care hacks, you'll want to clean the refrigerator at least once monthly to avoid mould, mildew and harmful pathogens. Do this using mild soap and water, wiping it away and drying it afterwards to eliminate as much residual moisture as possible.

Refrigeration isn't ideal for all flowers, as some are more vulnerable to lower temperatures than others. For instance, tropical blooms, dahlias, zinnias and herbs may not cope well with this. Always check individual blooms' care requirements before preserving them in the refrigerator.

4. Give Them Fresh Water

There's a science-backed flower care hack for watering blooms. In vertical farming, gardeners irrigate the plant roots directly, using 90% less water than they would spray the ground. Watering with this method also ensures plants stay hydrated and nourished.

Think of plant stems like straws — they soak up nutrients and water through tubes called xylem, which create a natural flow to the petals, keeping them vibrant, healthy and fresh. At the same time, the stems absorb essential nutrients, helping to prolong the life of cut flowers.

Generally, experts recommend changing the water every two to three days and adding more plant food each time. Of course, you should replace it beforehand if the water becomes dirty and cloudy — an early indication of germs and microbes.

Your best chance at preserving your bouquet's longevity is to remove the flowers, wash the vase thoroughly and refill it to eliminate harmful microorganisms. Otherwise, you end up putting your flowers back in a contaminated environment.

5. Clean the Vase

Simply giving your blooms water and plant food is insufficient to prolong their life. You must also clean the vase to eliminate harmful bacteria. According to one study, the energy created by the chloroplasts and mitochondria decreases after three days in the vase, indicating impending death for the flowers — a naturally occurring phenomenon.

Bacteria can block the tubes in the stem, which carry water and nutrients throughout the plant. The presence of bacteria places stress on the plant and speeds up energy depletion.

The least biological invaders produced by old vase water or the plants themselves will help your freshly cut flowers last longer.

6. Prune as Necessary

In addition to regularly trimming the stems, you should pull dead leaves from the plant and extract those submerged in water. Otherwise, you risk destructive microbes and disease.

Like produce, dying flowers create ethylene gas, stimulating wilting in the rest of the flowers. Remember to use sharp scissors or shears to trim decaying parts, including detached leaves and petals. This will ensure the bouquet maintains its appearance and health. Prune your flowers every few days or as you deem necessary.

7. Choose the Right Location

Many people opt to put fresh blooms on the kitchen table or counter for pops of colour. However, few realize the location they choose could either shorten or prolong the life of cut flowers.

According to Marks and Spencer's Floral Product Developer Samantha Walker, flowers should be kept away from fruit bowls. Fruits like apples, pears and bananas release ethylene gas, speeding up ageing and wilting.

Instead, remove the vase from direct sunlight, away from fruit baskets and windowsills. Easy changes like this can significantly improve your flower care routine.

Brighten Your Home for Days With Proper Care for Cut Flowers

Fresh-cut flowers aren't meant to last a lifetime. However, it'd be nice to keep them out longer than usual. Following these flower care hacks allows you to enjoy a healthy bouquet for days without them wilting too soon.