Easy Flower Care Tips for Hot Weather

Easy Flower Care Tips for Hot Weather

Summer’s great for beach trips, cold drinks, and complaining about the heat. But if you’re someone who keeps flowers around the house, either from your garden or fresh from the store, you already know the warm months come with their own problems. You arrange a few beautiful blooms in a vase, feel good about it, and then by the next day, half of them are drooping like they gave up on life. But a few simple adjustments can make a big difference. 

Whether you get your flowers from a local farm stand, a friend, or even a florist in Franklin, NC, here’s how to help them survive the summer.

Change the water often

This one’s basic, but most people still forget it- when it’s hot, water goes bad quickly. Bacteria build up faster than usual, and that’s what clogs up the stems and makes your flowers wilt. So, changing the water every day or two isn’t overkill; it’s what keeps the flowers hydrated properly. Use room temperature water; cold water might seem like the obvious fix in heat, but flowers actually take in room temperature water more easily.

Also, make sure the vase is clean. Clean it with soap before putting in a new batch of flowers.

Keep flowers out of direct sunlight

Once flowers have been snipped, direct sunlight just speeds up the wilting process. It heats the water, causes bacteria to grow faster, and basically makes everything harder for the flowers. A shady table, kitchen counter, or any place away from windows works much better. If your blooms looked great in the morning and sad by evening, this might be the reason.

Trim the stems every few days

You have probably heard this one before, but it’s more important in hot weather. Heat speeds up the process of stems sealing up at the bottom, which blocks water from getting through.

Cutting about half an inch off the stems every couple of days helps keep the water flowing. Make the cuts at an angle- this creates more surface area and prevents the bottom from sitting flat against the vase, which restricts absorption. Use a clean, sharp knife or scissors. 

Avoid placing flowers near fruit

Fruit gives off a gas called ethylene, which speeds up aging in flowers. In summer, this gas works even faster. So even if you love how your flowers look sitting next to a big bowl of peaches, it’s not a great combo. Ethylene is invisible and odorless– you won’t notice it, but your flowers definitely will. Try to keep your arrangements at least a few feet away from your produce.

Use less water for woody stems

Some flowers, like roses or hydrangeas, have woody stems. These don’t need as much water sitting in the vase as softer-stemmed flowers. Too much water can actually cause the bottom of the stem to rot faster, especially in the heat.

Filling the vase just one-third of the way can be enough. If you're buying from a flower shop in Franconia, VA, and the florist mentions trimming or conditioning, this is part of the reason.

Refrigerate overnight (if you can)

This one might feel extra, but it’s a game-changer if you're serious about keeping flowers fresh. Putting them in the fridge at night, just like florists do, slows everything down. Lower temperature means slower bacterial growth, slower water evaporation, and slower wilting.

Of course, not everyone has fridge space for a whole arrangement. But even popping them in for a few hours before guests arrive can help revive wilting blooms a little.

And if you're picking up blooms during summer, don’t forget to ask your local seller how long the stems have been out of water. Want fresh flowers in Salisbury that actually last even in the summer heat? Order now from Happy Bee Florist. Our hand-arranged blooms are crafted with care and delivered with love.