You don’t have to be a florist to know how to care for flowers, and you don’t have to spend a lot of money to do so. You can keep cut flowers fresher for longer with a few simple steps. Adding a mixture of sugar, lemons, and household bleach to the water, for example, is a terrific method to extend the life of your bouquet.
Here are some tricks that might let you enjoy your flower’s beauty longer!
1. Keep the flowers away from any fruit.
Don’t put fruits like apples, bananas, or tomatoes next to your flowers. They produce a lot of ethylene, a growth hormone responsible for the aging of flowers. It will cause the flowers to also produce ethylene, which will make them wilt faster.
2. Add sugar, lemon, and bleach.
If you don’t get a packet of flower food when you buy a bouquet, you can make the nourishing mixture yourself! Simply mix sugar, lemon juice, and household bleach together and add it to the water in the vase. The sugar has nutrients, the lemon juice helps the stems soak up water, and the bleach reduces bacteria. Instead of lemon juice, you can also put coins into the vase.
3. Use hairspray.
You can enjoy your flowers a little longer if you spray them with hairspray. However, don’t overdo it — a thin layer should be enough. Also, make sure to keep them far enough away as not to damage the petals with the strong flow.
4. Keep the flowers away from appliances.
TVs, microwaves, and other home appliances give off heat. So if it’s too warm, the flowers will wilt faster.
5. Cut the stems at an angle with sharp scissors.
Regularly сut the stems with sharp scissors to make sure the cut is clean, and it’ll help the stems to take in water. Cutting them at an angle makes the surface area bigger and allows them to soak in more water. If they were cut horizontally, the stems would also be getting less water as the whole surface would be touching the bottom of the vase.
6. Wash the vase with water and bleach.
Don’t rush to take the vase out of the cupboard that’s been sitting in there for ages and immediately pour water into it. Wash it first. Some soap will do, but the bleach will disinfect the vase better. That means there will be fewer bacteria, and your flowers will stay fresh for longer.
7. Don’t dry the vase with a towel.
Instead of drying the vase with a towel, just put it upside down and allow it to dry naturally. This will also help prevent adding more bacteria to the inside of the vase.
How do you keep your flowers from wilting? What’s the longest time you’ve managed to keep them looking fresh? Do you like cut flowers or do you prefer potted ones? We’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments!