Hoping to keep your new bouquet for a little longer? Here are our tips for keeping fresh-cut flowers alive for as long as possible.
1. Only the pretty, please
Needless to say, you want to transfer the flowers from the wrapping to a vase as soon as possible. Before you do, strip away any dead, wilted petals or leaves. This will help to keep the water clean and ensure the bouquet looks fresh and bright.
2. Stem control
Make sure only the stem is in the water by stripping off any additional greenery. Check the tips of the stems, which will probably be dried out. Run the stems under water and cut 2-to-5 cm off at a 45 degree angle. Why under water? It keeps extra air out of the equation, which makes the flowers last longer.
In fact, you can trim a bit off the stems every day to make sure the flowers are sucking up the water and food you’re giving them. Use sharp scissors or shears and avoid crushing the delicate stems.
3. Feed me!
Your flowers are going to be hungry and thirsty, so change the water and food every other day. What’s your bouquet’s favourite snack? Well, the packet of commercial plant food that came with the bouquet is always a good choice, but unless they gave you extras, you’ll run out of that the moment you change the water.
Here are some ingredients for keeping your flowers fresh and well-fed using items are probably already in your kitchen.
- Add 1/4 cup of 7-Up or Sprite to the water and the sugar will help the blossoms last longer. Dark sodas like Coke or Pepsi can work too, but don’t use a clear vase or the water will look disgusting.
- 1/4 teaspoon of bleach added to the water will clean and prevent microorganisms from growing.
- Adding a crushed aspirin in the water can also preserve the longevity of your flowers.
- Adding a few drops of vodka or clear spirits along with a teaspoon of sugar will prevent bacteria growth and add nourishment.
- Add a copper penny and teaspoon of sugar to the water. The copper acts as an acidifier, which cuts down on bacteria. It’s also the only good use for a penny these days.
