Beautiful lilies last longer than other types of flowers, making them very popular during festive occasions. If you know how to care for them and, especially, how to choose fresh lily stems, your vase can display the flowers for 7 to 10 days.
How to Choose Beautiful and Long-Lasting Lilies for Tet
1. Don’t Buy Flowers Too Early
Many people worry that the closer it gets to Tet, the more expensive the flowers will be, or that others will buy the best ones first, leaving only the unattractive ones. However, you should know that lilies are at their best about one week after being cut from the stem. If stored properly, they can last an additional 2 to 3 days. Therefore, the best time to buy lilies is from the 27th (if the last month has 29 days) or the 28th or 29th (if the last month has 30 days).
Lilies are best about one week after being cut from the stem.
2. Choose Stems with Both Blooms and Buds
You should select lily stems that have both blooms and buds to enjoy flowers blooming throughout the Tet holiday.
- Choose straight, strong stems that have 3 to 5 buds or blooms.
- The most beautiful stems usually have about 5 buds and 1 bloom.
- The flowers should not be too open, and the leaves on the stem should be sturdy, dark green, and upright.
- The leaves should still have fine hairs, indicating that these lilies are fresh and just harvested.
3. Be Careful When Choosing Flowers in Plastic Bags
When flowers are still in plastic bags, you should observe them closely, as there may be damaged flowers or stems that have been glued together without your knowledge. If you’re not too busy, it’s best not to buy flowers in the evening when the lighting is poor, making it harder to see damaged stems or petals with pollen stains…
4. Identify Fresh and Beautiful Lilies
- The buds at the bottom of the lily should be swollen and starting to show color.
- The leaves should be vibrant and free from pests, not wilted or showing signs of having been stored too long in cold storage.
- For potted lilies, choose fresh plants with lasting blooms, beautiful colors, and vibrant green leaves.
- Avoid choosing broken stems or those with wilting leaves, as they tend to drop buds.
- If selecting cut lily stems, choose those with fresh-looking leaves, vibrant colors, and bright blooms.
- Avoid stems with many open flowers or those covered in pollen, as pollen can cause the petals to darken quickly, reducing their longevity.
In particular, you should select lilies that are sourced from Da Lat. Lilies grown in Da Lat tend to bloom larger and have a more pleasant fragrance compared to others.
How to Differentiate Fresh Lilies from Frozen Ones
Frozen lilies are usually not fresh; the leaves will shrivel and wilt when taken out.
- The flowers are not fragrant, slightly wilted, and lack color, losing the fine hairs on the leaves and blooms.
- When you bring them home and arrange them, the blooms will not open.
- After 1-2 days in the vase, the blooms start to rot, and the petals fall off, leaving only the stems.
Fresh lilies have bright colors, a sturdier stem, and leaves with fine hairs. Additionally, the leaves should not be darkened, and the blooms should be firm. A freshly cut stem will have sap dripping from it.
When buying, you just need to check the base, stem, and leaves. If you don’t see signs of freshness like a recently cut flower or if it lacks fragrance, then it is likely a frozen flower. Notably, frozen flowers are generally cheaper.
How to Arrange Fresh Lilies to Last Longer
For cut lilies, when you bring them home, you should use a sharp knife to cut the stems at an angle and place them in water immediately to prevent wilting.
Clean the vase before arranging to prevent the flowers from rotting.
Instead of just using regular cold water, you should add a little dish soap or dissolve a vitamin B1 tablet in the water to disinfect and prevent the growth of bacteria and fungi that can cause the flowers to rot, while also providing nutrients for longer-lasting blooms.
Mix 1 liter of vase water with 2 tablespoons of lemon juice to help the flowers stay fresh longer. Additionally, you can crush an aspirin tablet and mix it with the vase water for a similar effect.
Removing Pollen: Pollen will quickly cause cut lilies to darken, reducing their lifespan. Therefore, you need to remove the pollen before arranging them to enjoy fresh flowers for up to 2 weeks. Furthermore, pollen can cause allergic reactions in some sensitive individuals.
Change the water for the flowers every two days. Each time you change the water, be sure to clean the vase thoroughly, rinse the ends of the stems submerged in water, and use a knife to trim a small piece off the bottom to prevent the base from rotting and to help the flowers absorb water better, thus lasting longer.
