Should I use a knife or scissors to cut my flower stems? [Video]- Flowers 101

A knife is recommended! (See Tools section). A sharp locking blade knife will allow you to cleanly cut just about any flower stem. Scissors, while more comfortable and easy, can crush the tiny vessels that transport the water from the bottom of the stem to the bloom. There are some specialized flower cutting scissors available at the professional level that seem to do an adequate job. The preference is to use a sharp knife both for cutting and removal of leaves and thorns that fall below the water line.