cut irises - prolonging life

Does anyone know how to prolong the life of cut irises in a vase? I love them, but I find them to be rather short-lived.

You might get an answer in the Iris forum.

It is the nature of iris to be short lived, so its best to cut when the bud is just about to open. If a stem has other buds developing, most of those will usually open in the vase as well. Its important to use a clean vase and replace the water every day or every other day. Cutting the stem with a sharp knife at an angle is helpful. I also like to recut the stems when I change the water; this keeps the vascular tissues open so that they keep taking up water. Hope this helps.
Neal