The Best Way to Process Stock Flowers for Longer Vase Life 🌸

Fluffy, lavender stock with an incredible fragrance.

A simple technique that will make your stock flowers fluffier, more fragrant, and last longer in arrangements.

If you’re a florist or flower enthusiast, you know the love-hate relationship with stock flowers. They smell incredible and add the perfect soft texture to any arrangement, but they’re notorious for wilting quickly and having a short vase life.

After reading a tip in a florist Facebook group and testing it myself, I’ve discovered the best way to process stock that has noticeably improved how they bloom and how long they last — and I’m sharing it with you!

Here’s our Bumble Fleur stock flower processing method:

1️⃣ Start Fresh + Clean:
Start with a squeaky-clean bucket and add flower food. Stock stems are extra sensitive to bacteria, so starting with a clean container is key. I prefer to use the Full Bloom formula by Chrysal for flower food.

2️⃣ Add Hot Water:
Heat up water to just under boiling — you can use an electric kettle, microwave, or very hot tap water. Add this to your bucket with the flower food, mix it together.

3️⃣ Prep the Stems:
Remove all foliage from the stems and give them a fresh cut at an angle with a clean, sharp floral shear. Place the stems into the bucket of hot water.

4️⃣ Give Them Space:
Don’t overcrowd your bucket. Stock flowers like space to breathe and bloom. Let the stems soak until the water naturally cools to room temperature. Then and only then, put them into the cooler around 40 degrees.

5️⃣ Optional Bonus Tip:
I like to snip off the green unbloomed buds at the top of the stems. It helps create a fluffier, fuller look in arrangements and puts more energy into the opened blooms.

The Result?
With this process, I noticed that the stock flowers opened up beautifully within about an hour. They smelled amazing and held up much longer in arrangements than usual — even outside of the cooler.

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