- 1). Select the lilac stems you want to cut early in the morning. They will lose water as the day goes on and dry out quickly. Cut them with a pair of pruning shears.
- 2). Place several inches of very warm tap water in a bucket.
- 3). Mix floral preservative into the warm water, according to package directions for the amount of water used, and take the bucket with you to the lilac plant.
- 4). Make a sharp, diagonal cut in each lilac stem using pruning shears. This will increase the surface area that draws up water.
- 5). Place each individual lilac immediately into the warm water as you cut it. Do not collect several cut flower stems and then place them in the water.
- 6). Prepare your vase with a solution of warm water and flower preservative.
- 7). Take the bucket inside and stand next to the vase. Determine if any of the stems need to be trimmed to fit your planned arrangement in the vase. If they must be cut again, cut them in the water to the desired height before removing from the bucket.
- 8). Strip the leaves and any lower buds off the stems while they are in the bucket of water and immediately place them, one at a time, into the prepared vase. Remove one stem at a time from the bucket and put it immediately into the vase to prevent an air bubble forming in the stem and blocking water intake.
- 9). Keep the vase out of direct sunlight and away from fresh fruit to extend the freshness of your lilacs longer.
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