So, you received flowers and you are wondering, "these are so pretty, how can I make them last?" Well, here are some tips.
There are several good recipes, made using common household ingredients.
That will help Keep your Cut Flowers Fresh
Placing your flowers in water and giving them floral food will help them last longer. Take off any leaves that will sit in the water to avoid decay or infection. Keep them cool and out of direct sunlight. Floral preservatives contain a disinfectant that prevents bacteria from growing. However, changing the water, keeping the vase clean and trimming the stems will greatly influence the health of your flowers.
Also, do not place your flowers near ripe fruit, because the chemicals from the fruit (such as ethylene) will ripen your flowers. Trim the bottom ends of your flowers with a clean, sharp blade before arranging them in the vase containing the floral preservative. Cut the stems at an angle to increase the surface area for water and to prevent the ends from resting flat on the bottom of the container. In all cases, mix the floral preservative using warm water (100-110°F or 38-40°C) because it will move into the stems more effectively than cold water. Clean tap water will work, but if it is very high in salts or fluorides, consider using distilled water instead. Chlorine in tap water is fine, since it acts as a natural disinfectant.
Recipe #1
2 cups lemon-lime carbonated beverage like Sprite
1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach
2 cups warm water
Recipe #2
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach
1 quart warm water
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach
1 quart warm water
Recipe #3
2 tablespoons white vinegar
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach
1 quart warm water
Flowers with milky latex-containing sap require special treatment. Examples of these flowers include poinsettia, heliotrope, hollyhock, euphorbia and poppy. The sap is meant to prevent water loss by the stem, but in a cut flower it keeps the plant from absorbing water. You can prevent this problem by dipping the bottom tips--1/2 inch of the stems in boiling water for about 30 seconds or by flashing the tips of the stems with a lighter or other flame.
2 tablespoons sugar
1/2 teaspoon household chlorine bleach
1 quart warm water
Flowers with milky latex-containing sap require special treatment. Examples of these flowers include poinsettia, heliotrope, hollyhock, euphorbia and poppy. The sap is meant to prevent water loss by the stem, but in a cut flower it keeps the plant from absorbing water. You can prevent this problem by dipping the bottom tips--1/2 inch of the stems in boiling water for about 30 seconds or by flashing the tips of the stems with a lighter or other flame.
