How to keep your cut flowers fresh longer: 7 useful tricks! - HilverdaFlorist (2024)

FAQs

How to keep your cut flowers fresh longer: 7 useful tricks! - HilverdaFlorist? ›

Cut the stems

Typically, fresh flower bouquets can come with a packet of plant food to add to the water in the vase. When adding the food, it should be mixed well. Add more flower food every two to three days after changing the water. In a pinch, bleach can act as a preservative.

The 7-up solution (1/3 cup 7up plus 1 cup water) kept the roses freshest for the longest time because of ingredients found in 7-up: sugar, citric acid and soda. I am assuming that the citric acid helped keep the water clean and was less harsh on the flower since citric acid comes from a plant.

Feed your flowers

Usually a small bag of flower food is included in your bouquet. Adding this to the water helps your flowers to stay fresh for a longer time and makes sure the water is clean. Didn't you get a bag of flower food?

Dissolve 3 tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar per quart (liter) of warm water. When you fill the vase, make sure the cut stems are covered by 3-4 inches (7-10 centimeters) of the prepared water. The sugar nourishes the plants, while the vinegar inhibits bacterial growth.

A staple in most flower shops, Floralife® Crowning Glory® is a ready-to-use spray that provides a clear polymer coating to the flower, stem, and foliage, and is all about reducing water loss.

Adding white granulated sugar to the vase water will give flowers nutrients they need to continue growing and developing. However, an antibacterial agent such as vinegar should also be added to prevent bacteria growth which can make the water appear cloudy and interrupt the stem's water uptake.

Vinegar. Some people say vinegar inhibits bacteria growth and the ideal thing to keep the bacteria away is to actually mix some sugar and vinegar together with the water in the vase before adding the flowers. The one-two punch of the sugar and the vinegar is an effective life-extending combo.

One popular technique used to help cut flowers last longer is the addition of salt to the vase water. When a plant is growing in the soil, the roots absorb nutrients and water by means of a process called osmosis. Osmosis involves the movement of particles based on the pressure of the various environment.

What is a substitute for flower food? ›

DIY Flower Food Alternatives

Sugar: Dissolve 2 tablespoons of sugar in a vase of lukewarm water. While sugar is found in many DIY flower food recipes along with other ingredients, sugar alone can also extend the life of a bouquet, says Ghitelman.

Products like household baking soda, bleach, or vodka can be great flower food dupes as they can also help extend the life of your flowers by preventing bacterial growth. Other products like aspirin and vinegar or Sprite and sugar can help naturally feed the flowers.

The reason pennies are considered a smart way to keep flowers alive longer is because copper is a fungicide, so it naturally kills off those pesky bacteria and fungi that are trying to camp out in your flowers' vase and shorten the life span of your stems.

The flower food packs are developed and proven to make your roses last longer! If you run out of the flower food packets, you can add a drop (or ¼ teaspoon) of bleach and a tablespoon of sugar in your vase.

Use a squeaky-clean vase.

Fill with warm water and if possible, add a packet of commercial flower food. This time-tested mixture contains sugars, a pH acidifier and anti-microbial agents. It feeds the flowers and also minimizes the growth of bacteria and other microbes in the water.

The vinegar keeps the pH of the flowers balanced, preserving and prolonging their lifespan. Step 1: Choose your beautiful flowers and cut them from the bottom of the stem at an angle. Cutting them at an angle helps the nutrients from your mixture reach the right places in the flower's stem and petals.

So, according to my very scientific research: if you want flowers to last longer than a week, sans fur and stink, a tablespoon of Epsom salts to half a litre of water does the trick. Epsom salts protected the flowers so well, the stems didn't even get furry, or lose any colour.