What Temperature of Water Is Best for Cut Flowers
For most cut flowers, use lukewarm water of about 37-40 degrees C when you first put them in the vase, then keep them in cool room-temperature water. The exceptions are bulb flowers such as tulips, hyacinths and daffodils, which prefer cold water of 5-10 degrees C from the start.
Our florists in Saint Petersburg hear this question every day, usually phrased as 'warm or cold?' while a customer is paying for a bouquet. The honest answer depends on the flower, the season and how long the stems have been out of water. Here is how we explain it in the shop, flower by flower.
The general rule: warm to start, cool to keep
Stems that have been out of water during transport take up warm water faster. Warm water carries less dissolved air and flows more freely through the stem, so the flower rehydrates within an hour instead of several. That is why we condition most flowers in lukewarm water as soon as they arrive at the shop, and why we recommend the same at home.
After the first few hours, warmth works against you. Bacteria multiply quickly in warm water, and the flowers open and age faster. Let the vase cool to room temperature and refill with cool water at every change. Our separate guide on the best water temperature for fresh cut flowers has more detail on the science.
The test we give customers is simple: dip your wrist. If the water feels pleasantly warm, like a baby's bath, it is right for the first drink. If it feels hot, it is too hot and will damage soft stems.
Step by step: the first hour after the flowers arrive
The temperature of the water only helps if the rest of the routine is right. Prepare the vase before you unwrap the bouquet: wash it, fill it two thirds with lukewarm water and add the sachet of flower food if one came with the flowers. Then remove the packaging, take off the tie if the stems are tightly bound, and strip every leaf that would end up below the water line.
Recut each stem with a sharp knife or secateurs, 2-3 cm from the end and at an angle, so the cut surface is larger and does not sit flat on the bottom of the vase. Kitchen scissors crush the vessels, so avoid them for roses and woody stems. Put each stem in water within a few seconds of cutting, before air has time to enter it.
Leave the bouquet in a cool, shaded spot for the first hour or two and do not rearrange it until the flowers have had a good drink. Our guide to conditioning flowers on arrival explains the timing in more detail. Customers who follow these steps tell us the difference is visible by the next morning: firmer petals, straighter stems and buds that open evenly instead of drooping.
Bouquets we can deliver
Roses, chrysanthemums and carnations
Roses are the flower most customers buy and the one that suffers most from air in the stem. Recut them at an angle by 2-3 cm, strip the lower leaves and give them lukewarm water. If a head bends over, it is a blockage rather than old age, and our article on reviving wilted roses after delivery shows how to fix it.
Chrysanthemums and carnations are tougher. They tolerate a wide range of temperatures and do well in cool tap water from the start, although a lukewarm first drink does them no harm. Their main enemy is dirty water: chrysanthemum leaves rot quickly underwater, so remove every leaf below the water line and they will easily last two weeks.
Alstroemeria and lisianthus sit between the two groups. Give them room-temperature water and keep them out of the sun, and they will keep opening new buds for a long time.
Tulips and other bulb flowers need cold water
Tulips, hyacinths, daffodils and irises grow from bulbs and keep living after cutting. In warm water tulips stretch, bend and open wide within a day. Cold water, ideally 5-10 degrees C, keeps them upright and closed for longer. In spring customers sometimes add a few ice cubes to a tulip vase, and for tulips that is fine.
Daffodils release a sap that harms other flowers. If you want to mix them with tulips, stand the daffodils on their own in cold water for several hours first and do not recut them after they join the mixed vase. Hyacinths prefer shallow cold water, about 5 cm, so the soft white base of the stem does not rot.
Tulips also keep growing in the vase, sometimes by several centimetres, so trim them if the bouquet starts to look untidy, always under cool running water.
Hydrangeas, lilac and woody stems
Hydrangeas drink through their heads as well as their stems, and they wilt dramatically when thirsty. Use lukewarm water and cut the stem at a long angle, then split the end 2-3 cm upwards. If a head collapses, submerge the whole flower in cool water for 30-40 minutes and it usually recovers.
Lilac, viburnum, cotton branches and other woody stems need warm water to start, sometimes almost hot for a few seconds at the very bottom of the stem, followed by a long drink in lukewarm water. Strip most of the leaves from lilac, since they take water that the flowers need.
Greenery such as eucalyptus and pittosporum is undemanding and lasts longer than most flowers in any water. It is worth recutting it whenever you recut the flowers so the whole bouquet stays fresh together.
Seasonal adjustments in a Saint Petersburg winter
Winter adds a problem that customers abroad rarely think about. A bouquet carried from a car into a building at minus fifteen should not go straight into warm water. Leave it wrapped for 15-20 minutes indoors so the stems warm up gradually, then unwrap, recut and give it lukewarm water. Sudden heat after frost bruises petals and makes them darken at the edges.
Central heating also dries the air in Russian flats. Place the vase away from radiators and sunny windowsills, and on very warm evenings move it to the coolest room. In summer, by contrast, cool water matters more: the vase warms up fast on a sunny day, so change the water more often. Our article on how often to change the water in a flower vase gives a schedule for each season.
Whatever the season, the vase should be scrubbed clean before every new bouquet. Water at the right temperature in a dirty vase still turns cloudy within a day.
Sending a bouquet with care instructions
When you order flowers to Russia from abroad, you cannot stand next to the recipient and tell them what water to use, but the card can. A card with your own text is free, and many customers add a line such as 'lukewarm water, cut the stems' under their wishes. Choose the bouquet in our catalogue with the season in mind: tulips in spring, roses and chrysanthemums all year.
City delivery costs 500 RUB; for remote districts and suburbs the operator confirms the price when confirming the order. In large cities express delivery takes 1-2 hours after confirmation, or you can choose an exact time within plus or minus 30 minutes, a window of 09-12, 12-15, 15-18 or 18-21, or pre-order 1 to 30 days ahead. In Saint Petersburg delivery is around the clock. You pay online by bank card, SBP or Yandex Pay, and foreign bank cards are accepted via Robokassa.
The courier calls the recipient about 15 minutes before arrival, so the flowers spend as little time as possible out of water. Questions by phone: 8 (812) 507-67-05. We deliver bouquets across Russia in 1–2 hours.
Frequently asked questions
Should flowers go in warm or cold water?
Most cut flowers take lukewarm water best at first, then cool room-temperature water. Tulips, daffodils and other bulb flowers prefer cold water from the start.
Is hot water good for flowers?
No, hot water damages soft stems. Only woody stems like lilac sometimes get a few seconds of very hot water at the cut end before a long drink in lukewarm water.
Can I put ice in the vase?
For tulips and other spring bulbs a few ice cubes help keep them upright. For roses and most other flowers cool tap water is enough.
How often should I change the water?
Every one or two days, with a fresh cut on the stems each time. In summer and in heated rooms change it more often.
What should I do with flowers delivered on a frosty day?
Leave them wrapped indoors for 15-20 minutes, then unwrap, recut and place them in lukewarm water. This avoids temperature shock.
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