Remove Spent Blooms

As flowers age, they release ethylene gas and harbor bacteria that spread to neighboring blooms. A single dying flower left in the arrangement can accelerate the decline of every other flower around it.

Get in the habit of inspecting your arrangement daily. Remove any flowers that have fully opened and begun to drop petals, any stems that appear slimy or discolored, and any foliage that has started to yellow.

When you remove a spent bloom, also remove its stem. Leaving a cut stem stub in the water adds unnecessary organic material that feeds bacteria.

As the arrangement thins out over time, consolidate the remaining flowers into a smaller vase. A tighter, fuller arrangement in a smaller vessel looks better and the remaining flowers will last longer with less competition for water.