As Britain appreciates a bounty of beautiful blooms throughout August, it's understandable that many are keen to maximise their lifespan.
And, thanks to the blistering heatwave that recently graced the nation, sunflowers are bigger than ever, soaking up the scorching temperatures.
Flower expert Shelley Davis has shone a light on the top five ways to keep your bouquets looking bountiful. With the right care, they should last up to 12 days in a vase.
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Keeping sunflowers hydrated is key
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Preparation
Like most living things, hydration is “essential”. As a result, Ms Davis recommends adequate preparation to keep your flowers quenched.
“Make sure to trim stems at an angle to increase the surface area for water to absorb, and if possible, always cut stems under water to prevent air bubbles from entering the plant, which can lead to early wilting and reduced vase life,” she said.
Additionally, remove the leaves from stems before putting plants in vases, since leaves steal energy from flowers all too often.
“By removing leaves, your sunflowers put all their energy into their blossoming heads,” the flower expert explained.
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Proper feeding
Keeping your flowers full of essential nutrients encourages petals to fully open and staves off bacteria.
Even when you don’t have any flower feed at home, a teaspoon of sugar, another of bleach, combined with two teaspoons of lemon juice, with a quarter cup of warm water can have a similar effect.
While the citric acid assists water absorption, the bleach eliminates bacteria, and the sugar provides nutrition, Ms Davis explained.
Keep away from fruit
“Keep your sunflowers away from ripening fruit, as it gives off ethylene gas that speeds up the ageing process, causing sunflowers to wilt and decay faster,” the flower guru told gardening enthusiasts.
“Apples, bananas, pears and tomatoes emit high levels of this gas, so it's best to store them far apart.
Improper care might accelerate wilting and drooping
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Avoid direct light and heat
After they are cut, sunflowers can no longer photosynthesise, so they burn through energy more quickly, accelerating water loss. This, in turn, causes them to droop and wilt.
The expert added: “Find somewhere cool and well ventilated with diffused light for your sunflowers to thrive, but also somewhere where you will still be able to see and enjoy them.”
Vase size matters
“When choosing a vase for your sunflowers, size matters. Sunflowers have big, beaming heads and the thickest stems of any cut flowers, which will benefit from a taller vase with a wide mouth to keep their height supported,” she suggested.
Equally, floral wire could assist with extra support.