Sunflowers are considered the living fragments of the sun on earth. It represents strength and longevity to a house. Legend says sunflowers are the symbol of good luck.
Keeping them in your home would mean you want to surround yourself with positive energy.
But keeping them in a vase might be a difficult rule to follow. We would like to give you insights on how to keep them in a vase, keep them fresh and trimmers, and some homemade food for the flowers!
How to make sunflowers stand up in a vase?
Watering the sunflowers regularly on the ground will make them stand up in a vase. Sunflowers require water to survive, and thus if they are watered properly before picking up, they will remain rejuvenated. Use homemade preservatives and cut stem 1-inch steep to keep them for a longer period.
Sunflowers require an optimal amount of water to survive in the sun. If the grounds are dried out, they will be wilted very instantly.
If they are plucked out in that condition, they will dry out much faster. Some ways will be mentioned below to help you with keeping the sunflowers upright in a vase:
Water them before plucking:
To avoid drying up quickly, sunflowers are to be watered regularly to have a hydrated root. This will keep them from getting wilted and keep the sunflowers from falling in a vase when cut down.
Pluck them in the morning:
The sunflowers get enough water at night and shine the brightest in the morning, which gets duller through every hour of the daylight. So, it is better to pick them up early in the morning while they are the most-fresh and rejuvenated.
Using Vodka and Sugar:
If you see your sunflowers starting to wilt or droop, use a bit of vodka with water in the stem and also a teaspoon of white sugar. If they begin to droop away, this will keep them standing, at least for an extra day or two.
Cut the stems at an angle:
Straight cut stems rest flat at the bottom of the vase, making it difficult to soak water. On the other hand, if they are cut at an angle, there is more surface area for the water to soak in, and they don’t lie flat on the vase, not blocking the way to soak water.
Extra Support:
You can use garden twine to tie the sunflower stems to an additional support system so they don’t tilt away. Maybe with a stake or a cane.
These are some of the ways you could follow to keep sunflowers upright in a vase and keep sunflowers from falling.
How to trim and prepare sunflowers for a vase?
The sunflowers could be trimmed at a desired height according to the size of the vase. The stems could be cut at a 45-degree angle for a steep stem to soak in more water.
It is better not to place too many sunflowers in one vase as they require a lot of water to survive. They might not get enough hydration and dry out quicker.
Cut all the unnecessary leaves to avoid distraction which will also leave the flowers with more water.
Maybe tie them up together with an extra support system. It will keep them standing for more days. Too much water could also be harmful and damage the flowers. It can result in rotting.
How much water do sunflowers need in a vase?
Sunflowers need about 7.57 liters of water a week. Keeping them in a vase might mean a little less. But always give them enough water.
Try to change out the water every day as it will keep stinking. If you keep the water for too long, it accumulates bacteria which ends up rotting the flower quicker.
Try to keep them as fresh as possible. It will also minimize any problem with a bad smell. Keeping the same water creates a bad odor. It is also a welcome call to other insects, mosquitoes, and other unwanted microbes.
How to take care of fresh-cut sunflowers in a vase?
The most common way would be to keep the flowers hydrated and keep them in a cool area away from heat. Sunflowers are to be kept hydrated always if you don’t want them to be wilted very easily.
The sun might dry them out, so it’s better to keep them away from direct heat or drafts. We would like to mention some other ways to take care of just freshly cut flowers:
Soaking the stem:
Just after cutting the flowers, it is better to soak the stem in water for a while, so the sunflower has enough water up to its branch for a while.
Preservatives:
Preservatives or fertilizers could be of great use to keep the flowers alive in a vase for a longer amount of period. You can easily buy some from the nearest flower shop.
Organic preservatives:
Sugar, lemon essences, vinegar, and neem oil are some of the organic preservatives out there to keep flowers alive for a longer time. They are also pretty easy to avail in the house.
Re-cutting the stems:
Along with cutting the branches at an angle, it’s also good to recut the stems every now and then to keep them fresh and rejuvenated.
Keeping the fresh-cut flowers as it is could be a hassle. These ways might help out a bit to keep them fresh in a vase.
DIY homemade flower food for sunflowers:
If you would like to avoid store-bought preservatives and fertilizers. There’s always the option to make homemade organic food for the flowers.
They are a much healthier and cheaper option to prevent any toxins that come with preservatives. Some of the sunflower foods that could be easily made at home are:
White vinegar:
2 tablespoons of white vinegar mixed with water and bleach could be used to give them as a portion of food to preserve them.
Carbonated lime beverage:
Beverages like sprite or seven up, which have lime in them, could be of great use mixed with a bit of bleach and water.
Fresh Lemon Juice:
Lemon juice with sugar, bleach, and water could be used to keep them preserved for a long time as food for the sunflowers.
These are some of the very easy to make and without and harmful toxins homemade food you could give to your sunflower to keep them garden-fresh.
What is a good vase for sunflowers?
Bowl vases are considered a good candidate for sunflowers. They keep the sunflowers uptight together. You could use a cane for support to keep them up, and it would perfectly hide it.
Bowl vases also have a lot of space for preserving a lot of water as required to keep the sunflowers alive. It also has a different charm to it.
It perfectly complements the big, glowing bright yellow sunflowers with an edge. You could also use a bouquet vase or keep them in a stylish bottle. They go really hand in hand with white ceramic as well.
How do you perk up and save drooping cut sunflowers in the vase?
The top of the cut sunflowers might go drooping or wilted even though the flowering plant might not have any problems. But the drooping makes it look like it dried up already.
Gravity plays a good role in the hanging of the sunflower, even if the plant is fine. It is an unpleasant look. Ways to prevent it are given below:
Sugar and Water:
Mix a couple of teaspoons of sugar into lukewarm water and add them to your vase. This would help them perk up a bit!
Cut at an angle of 1 inch:
Take the already cut stem, stoop the tilted branch, and cut 1 inch of the stem. This should revive the sunflowers back.
Sprinkle Water:
At the head of the flowers, sprinkle a bit of water to freshen them up a bit.
These are some of the ways you could use to perk up drooping cut sunflowers.
Final Thoughts
Water is the best and most viable option to keep the sunflowers perked up in the vase. After a while, they will get wilted, but keeping the water clean, in a shaded region, cutting the stem, and using the right foods to preserve them should make the most difference to keep the sunflowers lively.