Lilacs are a nostalgic flower for many individuals. On our property in Kansas, my mother planted a lot of lilac bushes. As I played, the aroma spread across the yard. In order for our children to share the same exquisite recollection of the aroma and flower, my husband and I made it a priority to plant a lilac in our garden when we first started our family.
I’ve tried, and have failed, through the years to bring this flower’s bounty into my house. Even though I had the flowers in a spotless vase filled with new water, they would begin to wilt an hour after I brought them inside. I have figured out how to make the blooms last as long as possible by trial and error:
As you trim blooms, have a pail half-full of fresh, chilled water nearby. Choose a chilly morning or evening to pick flowers. Lilacs bloom very sporadically after being harvested, so look for stems with at least 75 percent of their flowers open. Next, remove all of the leaves to prevent the plant from exerting extra energy to keep them moist. Put stems in the liquid. Allow the flowers to absorb water in the bucket for at least an hour by placing it in a cool, dark location.
Recut the stem ends next with powerful clippers, then make 1-2 inch vertical slices up the stem. Take hold of the sliced stem’s one side and twist it backward. Reintroduce the chopped stems to the water in the bucket right away. For an additional hour or two, let the stems soak up extra water in a cool, dark location. After that, the lilacs will survive three to four days and be ready for arranging.
What can you add to water to extend the life of lilacs?
Every gardener appreciates the satisfaction of picking a few lovely sprigs from their own flowerbed to fill a vase. However, newly-trimmed lilacs are famously fickle, and by the time the day is done, lilacs in a vase frequently look wilted (or dead). However, don’t give up on the purple perennial. With the proper care and skills, you’ll be confidently cutting lilacs in no time, letting you to take advantage of their brilliant, erect flowers for days.
Clip Strategically
Early in the morning, when the lilacs are fully hydrated, is the ideal time to cut them. After cutting the stems with clean, precise pruning shears, immediately submerge them in a pail of water. To extend the stems’ vase life, cut them long so you can trim them again every few days.
Pick a Clean Vase
Pick a clean vase for the interior because dirt from previous arrangements or soap residue might damage cut flowers. Put your glassware through a cycle in the dishwasher or hand-wash it in a mixture of 90% water and 10% bleach.
Set Your Blossoms Up for Success
To prolong the life of your blooms, fill the vase with new water and add a floral preservative (available at flower shops). Remove all the leaves that will be submerged before adding the lilacs, leaving the topmost greenery unaltered for a larger arrangement. To increase the amount of surface area that water may soak into the stems, cut them at a 45-degree angle. After placing your lilacs in the vase, choose a location for them that has indirect lighting.
Freshen Things Up
Recut the stems at the same 45-degree angle every few days to avoid bacterial buildup that prevents the stems from absorbing water. To keep the water from withering and becoming murky, replenish it as needed.
Lilacs wilt in water; why?
I make money from eligible purchases as an Amazon Associate and member of other affiliate programs.
Here on the east coast, lilacs are all around us. The lilacs blossom profusely in the spring for around two weeks. I am drawn to them every year and want to bring them inside.
I’ve tried to cut lilacs for many years, but they always wilt the next day. Without really realizing there was a better way, it was just one of those things I came to accept about lilacs.
It is true that after being cut, lilacs tend to wilt in the vase. Lack of hydration of the blooms and leaves as a result of poor absorption of water and nutrients inside the stem is the primary cause of wilting.
Large lilac flowers require a lot of care to maintain them full and healthy, even for a short period of time in a vase.
However, I’ve since learned that there are a few methods you can employ to assist keep the flowers looking fresh for a lot longer. It changed everything when I figured out how to keep lilacs from wilting.
You Can Prevent Lilac Blooms From Wilting
Looking back, I can see that many of the things I did, starting with the first stage of harvest, led to this.
I occasionally cut the blossoms without thoroughly cleaning the buckets or containers I had on hand.
I used these methods to preserve my lilacs fresh this year, and I have to admit that I even shocked myself. They stayed fresh in the vase for approximately 5 days, and I was able to utilize them in a number of recipes and dry some of them for sachets.
Are lilacs water-resistant?
Since the lilac season is so brief, you’ll want to enjoy those stunning blooms as much as possible. Use these easy methods to keep your lilacs looking fresh and lovely for longer. At least 4 or 5 days of lovely lilac flowers should be available for you to enjoy indoors.
Invest in quality pruning sheers.
Purchasing a nice set of pruning sheers is undoubtedly worthwhile if you frequently cut fresh flowers from your garden. A sharp set of pruning shears allows for smoother cuts that cause less stem damage. In order to stop the spread of bacteria and to maintain the health of your stems, you need also make sure that your sheers are clean.
Choose your blooms wisely.
Cut your flowers when it’s colder, in the morning or the evening. They will likely be damp from the morning dew and are therefore best in the morning. Lilac blossoms tend to open up only a little bit more after being cut, so look for ones that have around 3/4 of the flowers open.
Immerse stems in cool water.
Due to their woody stems, lilacs need a lot of water. When you cut your blossoms, bring a pail of cool, fresh water outside, and instantly submerge the stems as you work. After cutting, remove the majority of the foliage off the stem because leaving too many leaves may cause the blooms to quickly wilt by sucking water from them. Normally, I prefer to keep the first and second leaf stalks closest to the blossoms on the stem. The stems should soak up water for a minimum of an hour in a cool, dark location.
Trim stems.
You’ll need to give the stems a bit more trimming before you can finish your arrangement. Cut the stems at a 45-degree angle rather than straight across when cutting them. They can pull up more water because of the increased surface area. Add an extra 1-2 inch vertical cut up the stem for more water absorption on branches that are a little bit thicker. As an alternative, you can achieve the similar splintering effect by “smashing the end of the stems with a hammer.
Use a clean vase.
Flowers can quickly wither due to bacteria and other germs that may be on the surface of your vase. Even if you think your vase is clean, make sure you thoroughly clean it first using hot water, some dish detergent, and some vinegar to destroy any bacteria. Before adding your flower water, rinse thoroughly and pat dry to get rid of any leftovers.
Add some floral preservative.
Add some crushed aspirin or a floral preservative to the water before adding your flowers. Aspirin’s salicylic acid contributes to the water’s continued cleanliness and microbial freedom. Additionally, for every quart of water used, 1 tsp of sugar and 1/4 tsp of bleach can be used to make your own flower preservative.
Give them daily love.
Lilacs will consume a lot of water, thus it should at the very least be replenished daily. Every few of days, I typically change the water completely and trim the stems again if I see that they are beginning to wilt. If you catch them early enough, they will quickly recover.
Take a moment to savor and breathe in that mouthwatering aroma. Check out this post for more suggestions on how to extend the life of cut flowers. The lilac season is here!
What is added to lilac water?
- Pick lilac stems early in the day when they are damp from the morning dew. Flowers lose moisture on hot days. The day’s cut flowers will deteriorate soon.
- Try to get stems with vivid colors and solid foliage. Choose stems with at least one-third of the flowers remaining in buds in order to extend the vase life.
- Each lilac stem should be cut at a 45-degree angle, about 1 inch from the base of the main stem, using a sharp knife or pruning shears. For maximum water absorption, cutting at an angle will help guarantee a bigger area is exposed to water.
- Lilac stems should have the bases broken off so that water can be drawn up through the woody stem to the blossoms. Use the back of your garden clippers, as I did in the video, or beat the stem with a tiny hammer to cause it to break.
- Eliminating any leaves will help to reduce water loss through transpiration.
- The lilac stems should be placed right away in a bowl of warm water containing crushed aspirin or Floral Preservative. The aspirin’s salicylic acid will help keep the water clean and clear of microorganisms that can harm flowers.
Is it okay to submerge cut lilacs in water?
Participating in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program is Paisley + Sparrow. If you use the links below to shop, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you because this post may include affiliate links.
Cut them in the morning or evening.
This enables them to contain the most water possible. They are far more likely to become dehydrated from the warm sun if you cut them at noon.
Cut them with sharp pruning shears.
Never try to cut them with a standard pair of scissors! To ensure a clean cut, use (or pick up) a pair of pruning shears.
To give the lilacs greater surface area to absorb water, cut them at a 45-degree angle.
When you go to cut the lilacs, bring a pail of chilly water with you into the garden. Put the stem in the water as soon as you cut it to prevent it from becoming dehydrated.
Remove excess leaves.
Removing excess leaves is beneficial for two reasons. Make sure to first remove any leaves from the vase you intend to use that would otherwise be submerged in the water. That will prevent your water from turning bad.
Second, some branches have a lot of extra leaves on them depending on the branch you cut. Just bear in mind that any leaves you keep will reduce the amount of water needed to keep your cut lilacs alive. I like to leave some leaves on for some extra green.
Get your vase ready!
Make sure your vase is tidy and big enough to hold your cut lilac flowers. Be careful since bases that are thin run the risk of falling over.
Fill it with flower food and warm water. Personally, I think it’s a great idea to get some flower food to keep on hand if you enjoy having fresh flowers in your home!
If you don’t have flower food, you can add a teaspoon of sugar, a teaspoon of white vinegar, or a teaspoon of bleach to the water along with a sugary citrus soft drink to help manage bacteria. Other professionals advise using crushed aspirin instead of flower food to keep the water clean.
To prevent them from drying out and wilting too rapidly, keep your lilacs away of direct sunshine.
Split the bottom of the stems.
Split the bottom of the stems of your lilacs before placing them in the vase that you’re using. To do this, you can either use a hammer on the bottom (I suggest doing this outside to avoid damaging your table!). or use your shears to cut an x at the bottom.
This will make it possible for the stems to absorb more water, preventing your lilacs from wilting too soon.