Roses are red, violets are blue, your flowers will die, but hopefully not soon.
By Sandra Gutierrez G. |
- DIY
Flowers are beautiful. But just as with every nugget of beauty Mother Nature has ever given us, they wither and die. So is the circle of life.
The good news is that even if a floral arrangement is not actually part of a rooted plant anymore, you can keep the buds tight and colors vibrant for a fair amount of time. As with every living creature, caring for cut flowers is just a matter of managing and controlling basic conditions: water, food, temperature, and bacterial growth.
Water
Water is essential to all life on Earth (including you) and plays the most important role when it comes to keeping cut flowers thriving. So the first thing you need to do is make sure they’re drinking enough.
Right after you get your bouquet, open it and use clean gardening shears or scissors to trim the stems at a 45-degree angle. This will give your flowers a larger area to drink from, and prevent them from just sitting flat at the bottom of the vase. Repeat the cut every other day to give your blooms an even longer lease on life.
[Related: How to preserve flowers in 4 easy ways]
Bouquets also usually come with a lot of ornamental greenery to make them look fuller. And while some of it serves an aesthetic purpose, you certainly don’t need all of it. Just like in, well, the world, the water in a vase is a finite resource, and the more flowers and leaves you have, the less hydrated each one will be.
When you put your flowers in the vase, remove all the leaves that sink below water level. This will also prevent rot and unwanted bacterial growth—we’ll get to that in a moment. You may continue plucking some of the remaining leaves or even remove all of them if you want to—the fewer there are, the more water the flower will receive. Then add any accompanying greenery sprig by sprig, so you know exactly how much of it you actually want to keep.
Finally, you wouldn’t drink from a glass that has been sitting there for two days, and neither should your flowers. For truly long-lasting blossoms, change the water and give them a squeaky-clean vase every 48 to 72 hours.
Food
Yes, your flowers need to eat. But before you start scheduling meals for them twice a day, know that feeding your colorful bouquet is a piece of cake—or at least as sweet as one.
While still attached to a plant, a flower feeds off of carbohydrates produced by leaves as a result of photosynthesis. When a flower is cut, there are not as many leaves to produce food for it anymore, and if you did some serious plucking, the nutrient supply will be even lower. To make up for it, add sugar. If your bouquet came with a packet of sucrose-rich flower food, make sure to read the instructions and use the right amount per volume of water. If you don’t have flower food, 2 teaspoons of sugar per quart of water will do the trick.
In a pinch, some websites recommend adding ¼ cup of clear soda to the vase (yes, like Sprite). Just make sure it has sugar in it—diet and “zero” beverages just won’t do. You can even use a dark soda if you don’t have a clear one at hand, but it’ll definitely look a bit gross.
Keep in mind that different types of flowers have different tolerances for added sugar. Baby’s breath, for example, needs a higher amount of sugar once the buds are open, while daffodils don’t benefit from sugary solutions at all. If you have any doubts, the University of Massachusetts Amherst put together a table with common flowers and basic indications about how much sugar they need for life in a vase.
Prevent bacterial growth
If you’ve ever made bread or anything involving yeast, you’ll know that bacteria also love sugar. And you definitely don’t want too many of those little critters living in your vase with your flowers.
To deter bacterial growth, there are a number of household products that, in the right proportion, will help your blossoms thrive for longer. Small quantities of chlorine bleach (as opposed to oxygen bleach) can help get rid of tiny microorganisms—just add ½ teaspoon per quart of water. The downside is that bleach rapidly degrades in the presence of water and light (like in a glass vase), so you’ll need to change the water every day instead of every two days.
Another way to prevent bacteria from multiplying is by lowering the pH. Two tablespoons of white vinegar per quart of water will do the trick, but if you want to get really specific, the best choice is citric acid. Used in cooking and even to clean your gunky electric kettle, citric acid not only will lower the pH but will also make water travel faster in the flowers’ internal system. Getting the correct amount can be tricky, though—you’ll need a scale so you can measure out between 0.35 and 0.5 grams of citric acid per liter or quart of water.
Temperature
It’s not rocket science—cold temperatures delay biological processes and, therefore, help preserve all kinds of things, from food to skincare products and, you guessed it: flowers.
A good idea is to do like florists and put your bouquet in the fridge overnight to prolong its beauty—no one is going to longingly gaze upon it at 4 a.m., anyway. How feasible this is will highly depend on how much perishable food you currently have in store and the size of your arrangement. Still, there are other things you can do to help your blossoms be and stay cool.
First, there’s location—avoid placing your flowers in direct sunlight and near heat sources like long-running appliances, desk computers, and heating vents. Avoiding drafts will also help prevent dehydration.
Then, there’s the water. Adding ice cubes to your vase will help keep the water chill for longer—bonus points if you use cold water from the fridge as well.
And keep it away from fruit
If you’ve ever seen a bowl of fruit going bad in unison as days go by, know that it’s not because your bananas, pears, and apples made a pact to check out at the same time. It’s because of ethylene gas.
This chemical is released by some fruits and vegetables and stimulates maturation. Plants do this too, and—you guessed it—flowers are also affected. This is why floral and fruit arrangements should never be placed close together.
[Related: 7 edible flowers and how to use them]
But if you must, the solution may be in your bar. Alcohol, one of the main ingredients in vodka and other clear distilled beverages, is a known ethylene inhibitor. It has even been used as a drip to counteract poisoning from ethylene glycol, a toxic ingredient in antifreeze that causes kidney failure when ingested.
The principle is the same, though proportions vary. To help your flowers fight this aging gas, add 20 milliliters (roughly 1 ¼ tablespoon) of 40 percent ABV vodka per liter or quart of water. Other clear spirits like gin, for example, may also work, but you’ll need to adjust quantities so the alcohol concentration per quart of water is no higher than 8 percent.
Sandra Gutierrez G.
Sandra Gutierrez is the former Associate DIY editor at Popular Science. She makes a living by turning those “Wait, I can make that!” moments she has while browsing the internet into fully-fledged stories—and she loves that. Contact the author here.
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As a seasoned expert in horticulture and floral care, I can confidently guide you through the intricacies of maintaining cut flowers and ensuring their longevity. My extensive experience in this field allows me to provide evidence-based tips and strategies that have proven successful in preserving the beauty of floral arrangements. Let's delve into the concepts discussed in the article "DIY Projects: Roses are red, violets are blue, your flowers will die, but hopefully not soon" by Sandra Gutierrez G., published on Feb 15, 2022.
Water: The article emphasizes the crucial role of water in keeping cut flowers vibrant. It recommends trimming the stems at a 45-degree angle to facilitate better water absorption. Regularly changing the water every 48 to 72 hours helps prevent bacterial growth. Removing excess leaves submerged in water is also highlighted to avoid rot and maintain optimal hydration for the flowers.
Food: Flowers need nourishment, especially when detached from the plant. The article suggests compensating for the lack of natural food production by adding sugar to the water. It provides guidelines for using sucrose-rich flower food or a simple solution of 2 teaspoons of sugar per quart of water. The importance of understanding different flowers' sugar tolerances is emphasized, and a table from the University of Massachusetts Amherst is recommended for reference.
Preventing Bacterial Growth: Bacterial growth is a common threat to the longevity of cut flowers. The article introduces various methods to counteract this issue. Small amounts of chlorine bleach or white vinegar are recommended to deter microorganisms. Citric acid is presented as an effective option to lower pH and enhance water absorption. The article cautions about the degradation of bleach in the presence of water and light, necessitating daily water changes if this method is chosen.
Temperature: The impact of temperature on biological processes is discussed, with cold temperatures being identified as beneficial for preserving flowers. Suggestions include refrigerating the bouquet overnight and avoiding exposure to direct sunlight, heat sources, and drafts. Adding ice cubes to the vase is proposed as a practical way to keep the water cool.
Ethylene Gas and Alcohol: The article introduces the concept of ethylene gas, released by some fruits and vegetables, which can accelerate the aging of flowers. Placing flowers and fruits together is discouraged. Alcohol, particularly vodka, is presented as an ethylene inhibitor, with specific quantities recommended (20 milliliters per liter or quart of water). Other clear spirits like gin are mentioned as potential alternatives, with adjustments needed to maintain an appropriate alcohol concentration.
In conclusion, the article provides a comprehensive guide to caring for cut flowers, covering water management, nutrition, bacterial prevention, temperature control, and addressing ethylene gas. These practical tips, rooted in a solid understanding of floral biology, can help enthusiasts and DIY enthusiasts alike extend the life of their beautiful floral arrangements.
