Add one sachet of flower preservative to 1 litre of fresh lukewarm water - allow to dissolve. Use a measuring jug as it is important to use the correct dilution rate. If you do not use the full litre at first, keep the solution for topping up vase over the following week to ensure stems take up as much preservative as possible. It is advisable not to remove stems from water. If the water becomes cloudy, change it. You often see tips about adding copper or bleach or lemonade to the water, this may have some limited use but the flower preservative supplied has been specially developed and tested, it works much better and is cheaper.
Make sure you use a clean non-metallic vase (metallic containers negate the effect of the flower preservative), fill to required level with preservative solution and arrange flowers.
Using a sharp knife cut 2-3 cms off each stem at an angle. Avoid using scissors to do this as they can crush the stems. Do not crush the stems. Always cut carnations between the nodes (joints). Do not mix Daffodils with other flowers as they give off a liquid that can adversely affect other flowers. Roses can develop an air blockage in their stems that causes them to droop (necking), re-cut the stems, under water if possible about 25cm up from the end. If in a couple of hours the Rose has not recovered repeat the cutting.
Remove any foliage below the water level.
Keep flowers in a cool, will ventilated atmosphere away from draughts, direct sunlight and ripening fruit.
Remove drying flower heads and leaves to encourage others to open.
Keep water levels topped up. If you run out of preservative top up with fresh clean water.
