There’s nothing quite like receiving a fresh bouquet of cut flowers. They can cheer up a room, bring a bit of nature indoors and, if you’re lucky, release a heavenly fragrance.

But nothing kills that vibe quicker than stinky, slimy, wilted flowers poking out of a vase full of brown water.

Bacteria is one of the main causes of premature bouquet deaths. Its presence in vase water clogs stems and speeds up decay. Dehydration, either from a lack of water or a stem’s inability to absorb it, results in wilting. And exposure to ethylene gas exuded by neighboring decaying flowers or ripening fruit hastens aging.

But with proper preparation and care, you can greatly increase the lifespan of your bouquets.

First, I’d like to put an end to some bad advice that’s been floating around: Despite what you might have read, smashing the cut ends of flower stems does not increase water uptake. In fact, it would destroy a portion of the stems’ vascular system, responsible for transporting water through the stem. It would also expose fresh plant tissue to water, which accelerates rotting. Don’t do it.