For every holiday, event, or flower-adorned space, here are our favorite, fast and easy tips for how to make cut flowers last longer.
- GET EDGEY: Before placing the flowers into water, cut the stems at an angle instead of directly across. The increased surface area will allow more uptake of water and nutrients.
- THE SOLUTION IS PART OF THE SOLUTION: Add the little packet of nutrients that come with most bouquets (it’s basically sugar). NOTE: If you don’t have a little packet that came with your cut flowers – perhaps you picked your own bouquet – you can make your own. Mix into the vase water:
- 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar (to reduce bacteria growth in the water)
- 2 tablespoons sugar (to provide energy to the cut flowers)
- HIT REFRESH. Change the water (with fresh vinegar and sugar, if possible, and freshly cut stems) every few days.
OTHER IDEAS: Some say to add a copper penny and a cube of sugar to the vase water; that the copper in pennies is thought to act like an acidifier, which prevents the growth of bacteria. Other suggestions from Readers’ Digest include adding a few drops of vodka plus a teaspoon of sugar. They also tried aspirin! What do you find works best to keep your flowers in tip top shape?
