Alstroemeria care: keep every bud flowering

When your alstroemeria arrives

Our flowers are packed in bud and shipped dry, so the stems can look a little tired when you open the box. Alstroemeria is no different, and the buds may look tight. Once they’re in water they perk up within 24 to 48 hours.

• Recut each stem at a 45 degree angle.
• Trim off the leaves below the waterline. Alstroemeria stems are leafy, and leaves left under the water break down quickly.
• Stand them in a clean vase of fresh water with your flower food.

How alstroemeria opens

The buds in a cluster open in sequence, so one stem can show closed buds and open flowers at the same time. That’s normal and not a sign of trouble.

Some of our buds open as late as 72 hours after going into water, and our bouquets reach their full beauty around day 3 or 4.

When a flower finishes, pinch or snip it off. That keeps the stem tidy and gives the buds behind it room to open.

Keeping alstroemeria fresh

Clean water matters most. Check the level every day and top it up.

• Change the water every couple of days and rinse the vase while it’s empty.
• At day 3 or 4, recut the stems, change the water and add the second pack of flower food.
• Keep the vase away from direct sunlight, heating vents and ripening fruit.
• Trim off any leaves that start to yellow.

How long alstroemeria lasts

Cut alstroemeria usually lasts around one to two weeks. Taken as a whole, a Bear’s Blooms bouquet lasts a full week and often up to two weeks with proper care and placement.

Alstroemeria is one of the longer-lasting flowers in a mixed bouquet, because the buds on a stem open over several days. Some flowers last longer than others, so freshen up the arrangement by pruning the spent stems.

Common alstroemeria problems

Most alstroemeria problems come down to leaves in the water or buds that need more time.

• Yellowing leaves. Alstroemeria leaves often yellow before the flowers fade. Trim them off, make sure none sit below the waterline and change the water.
• Buds that won’t open. Small, tight buds at the end of a cluster may stay closed. For the rest, recut the stems and refill with fresh water and flower food, and give them time: some buds open as late as 72 hours after going into water.
• Smelly water. Leaves or stem ends are breaking down. Rinse the vase, trim the stems and leaves, and refill with fresh water.
• Petals dropping. A finished flower drops its petals. Remove it and let the buds behind it carry on.

If your stems still aren’t responding as expected, email support@bearsblooms.com with a photo of your full bouquet as well as any individual stems.