Within days of purchasing or cutting fresh flowers, they often are wilt and brown, but making flowers last longer isn’t as difficult as some believe. In fact, there is a simple, home remedy that can keep them looking fresh and hydrated for days longer.
Preserve Flowers So They Last Longer
Keeping flowers fresh is simple and inexpensive. All you have to do is add citrus-flavored soda, such as Sprite, 7-Up or Sierra Mist, and a dash of bleach to the water in the vase.
When flowers are cut from their roots, they are no longer able to make food for themselves. By adding soda the water becomes more acidic, allowing the water to travel up the stem of the flower more quickly. In addition, the soda contains sugar that helps to feed the flowers.
To mix water and soda, most florists recommend a ration of three-parts water to one-part soda. For example, for every three cups of water you add, you should add one cup of soda.
Add Bleach to Kill Bacteria
Many florists also recommend adding a few drops of bleach to the mix. Adding bleach to the mix will kill the harmful bacteria that grows as a result of the soda-water mixture. Be careful when adding the bleach, though. More than a splash or a few drops will be counterproductive and harmful to the flowers.
The combination of water, soda and bleach is very close to the makeup of the powder in the flower-preservation packets. Making the mixture with home products can help not only to save money, but to make your flowers last longer.