Vodka, Aspirin or 7Up: What Keeps Flowers Fresh? (2024)

FAQs

Vodka, Aspirin or 7Up: What Keeps Flowers Fresh? ›

Vodka — Vodka, or any alcohol, may have a preserving effect halting ethylene production which is the ripening gas that makes flowers wilt. 7-Up or Sprite — Citrus soda, such as 7 Up and Sprite, can effectively make flower water both acidic and sugary.

The most popular recipe is to fill your vase with three parts water, one part Sprite (for sugar), and a few drops of bleach to kill bacteria. Another common flower food recipe is to mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar, two tablespoons of sugar, and half a teaspoon of bleach into a quart vase of water.

Carbonated drinks aren't known for being super, well, natural. The theory is that the sugar in the Sprite acts as flower food, which in turn helps the flowers stay fresh and keep drinking water.

A rose's vibrant red dulls to dried-out brown, and flowers begin to droop. Some say adding a citrus-flavored soda, such as 7-Up or Sprite, or an alcohol like vodka to the vase of water will lengthen the time these flowers remain beautiful.

Vodka promotes overall plant well-being by inhibiting the production of ethylene, a ripening gas released by plants in order to help them mature. By inhibiting ethylene production, vodka can slow the aging process, allowing blooms to stay fresher for a longer period of time — even on the hottest days.

Aspirin: Mix 1 crushed aspirin into your vase of fresh flowers. Aspirin is said to lower the pH level of the water allowing it to travel through the flower faster, preventing wilting.

Citrus soda, such as 7 Up and Sprite, can effectively make flower water both acidic and sugary, Susan Han, a UMA plant physiologist, told Scientific American. Han recommends concocting a solution of one part soda and three parts water, along with a few drops of microbe-killing bleach.

Don't throw away those last drops of soda! Pour about 1/4 cup into the water in a vase full of cut flowers. The sugar in the soda will make the blossoms last longer. Note: If you have a clear vase and want the water to remain clear, use a clear soda, like Sprite or 7-Up.

Aspirin. It's a tried-and-true way to keep roses and other cut flowers fresh longer: Put a crushed aspirin in the water before adding your flowers. Also, don't forget to change the vase water every few days.

Sprite — Sprite makes the water more acidic, which means it can travel up the stem of the flower more quickly. Also, the sugar serves as food for the flower.

Does 7-Up help plants grow? ›

Soda Pop as Fertilizer

Sugary soda pops are not the most ideal choices for use as fertilizer. Just like salt, sugar prevents plants from absorbing the water — not what we're looking for. However, plain carbonated water introduced for a short period of time does encourage plant growth over the use of tap water.

Dropping a copper penny into the vase. The reason pennies are considered a smart way to keep flowers alive longer is because copper is a fungicide, so it naturally kills off those pesky bacteria and fungi that are trying to camp out in your flowers' vase and shorten the life span of your stems.

According to a study at the University of Colorado Boulder, plants given club soda grew taller and greener than those given regular water. Club soda contains phosphate and other nutrients that makes plants happy.

According to Chris Bonnett, founder of GardeningExpress.co.uk, adding a dash of vodka can help you get the best out of your blooms as it may help to halt ethylene production – the gas that makes flowers wilt. Pouring yourself a tipple at the end of the week? Don't forget to give your bouquet a splash, too.

Vodka commonly acts as a preservative. If you throw an ounce of vodka into a syrup, it makes syrup last longer, according to Greenwood.

While the ingredients vary depending on the manufacturer, most contain sugar to feed the flowers, acid to maintain the pH levels of the water, and a bit of bleach to reduce the bacteria and fungi in the vase water. All three help extend the life of the flowers.

Both sugar and bleach help flowers stay fresh. Sugar gives them nutrients they need that aren't found in water, while bleach keeps the water clean and kills bacteria that causes flowers to wilt faster.

Using vinegar in flower water can help you keep your cut flowers looking fresh and vibrant for several days longer than they would without it. Adding vinegar to flower water helps to prevent bacterial growth, which is often the culprit behind wilting flowers.

The vinegar helps inhibit the growth of bacteria and keeps your flowers fresher longer. If you don't have vinegar and/or sugar, lemon-lime soda mixed with the water will do the same thing.

Soil falls into three main types - sand, clay and silt. Generally speaking, the best potting soil for growing flowers is an even mix of the three aforementioned soil types and is called sandy loam. This mix will ensure optimum growth conditions for most flowers.

How much hydrogen peroxide do I put in cut flowers? ›

Add 1 tablespoon or 15 ml of H2O2 3% per 500ml of water to your flowers' vase.

One of the European designs that we create in floristry is called the Form Linear, in which we apply flowers by using the 3:5:8 rule, with 3 main focal groups: 3 = Sub-dominate Group/Placement. 5 = Contrasting Group/Placement. 8 = Dominate Group/Placement.

It's not recommended to use daffodils, hellebores, or hydrangeas in a bridal bouquet. The sap of these spring flowers may be toxic to other types of spring flowers, according to experts. Although they are lovely in arrangements, peonies, lilacs, and poppies aren't the best choice for bouquets.

Extend Stems with Straws

If your vase is too tall, or if your bouquet is looking a little on the paltry side, give the flowers some added height using plastic drinking straws. Inserting the stems partway gives you a little bit more length to work with.

Sugar increases fresh weight of the flowers and prolongs the vase life. Use 0.5 - 1% Floralife (concentration of sugar not specified). 2% sugar solution doubles the vase life of the cut inflorescence. Some sugar in the vase solution increases the number and size of open flowers as well as prolongs the vase life.

Crushed aspirin in flowers (not tylenol, ibuprofen or paracetemol) can replace the commercial flower food received with your arrangement, or also be used in place of sugar. If you want your flowers to last a week or more, pay a little extra for quality flowers in the first place.

Any of the fungicide products (bleach, baking soda, vodka) combined with soda or sugar and some form of acid do a good job of keeping flowers fresh.

Coca-Cola does not cause for plants to grow taller and grow more leaves. In the end Coca-Cola is very bad for plants and causes for them to dry up faster, die quicker, grow smaller and not to grow as many leaves. My experiment showed that Coca-Cola is not good for plant growth.

Feed your Plants

It can sound surprising but it is beneficial for Gardenias and Azaleas, more specifically. Pouring a small amount like 15-20 ml of Coca-Cola once in a while around the base of these plants can deliver helpful nutrients to the plants, resulting in better flowers!

Is Black coffee good for plants? ›

Plants love coffee, too. Coffee contains a lot of nitrogen, which not only kills off weeds and bacteria but can also help certain types of plants (a.k.a those that prefer more acidic soil) flourish.

But here's another lesser-known trick: Spraying hairspray on fresh (or dried) flowers will prolong their lives and keep them upright even longer.

The bleach acts as a germicide, killing any bacteria in the water. The vinegar (or lemon juice) keeps the vase water at a pH of 3.5, which ensures the water moves up the stems, and the sugar is plant food.

Air Drying:

Hanging them upside down allows for straight stems rather than a wilted, dried flower usually seen draping a vase. To preserve the color of the flower, remove them from sunlight immediately after cutting and dry them in the dark.

In plants, just like in mammals, salicylic acid helps them cope with stress and disease. By adding Aspirin to the water, gardeners are hoping to help their plants cope with problems and grow faster and stronger.

The same properties that make milk good for a human, such as the calcium and B vitamins, are what benefits plants. The calcium helps the plants grow, as well as prevent blossom end rot, which can be caused by a calcium deficiency.

Does Baking Soda Make Good Fertilizer? Nope, that's a myth. While sodium is a micronutrient needed by many plants, they only require small amounts. Therefore, adding baking soda to the soil will likely cause an excess of sodium and do more harm than good.

Plants absorb alcohol via their roots, which can cause severe dehydration and kill the plants. To be safe, use a cotton swab to apply the solution directly onto the mealybugs or their eggs, rather than using a spray, which will coat the leaves as well and potentially damage them.

Don't use diet soda because there's no sugar and make sure it's a clear variety, like Sprite. Colas or even ginger ale won't work for this!

An industry insider agrees. The Great British Florist suggests that you can make flowers last longer by simply adding a small glass of fizzy lemonade to the water. “The mix of acid and sugar helps to stop bacteria and therefore helps the life of your flowers.”

Does vodka clean bacteria? ›

So in conclusion, no, alcohol is not a suitable replacement for infection treatments, disinfectants or proper food and drink safety practices.

An unopened bottle of unflavored vodka has a shelf-life of decades. After opening, it will still be good for 10 to 20 years. For flavored vodkas, the shelf-life spans from six months to 2 years.

But did you know that you can also preserve fruit in alcohol, such as brandy or vodka? It is a way of preserving the flavor or essence of the fruit for later use. This method consists of steeping fresh or frozen fruit in alcohol for several weeks.

Use a rubber band or twine to tie the stems together (if you have a bouquet). Hang them upside down in a dark, dry, well-ventilated area. Keeping the flowers out of direct sunlight will help them retain their color. The drying process will take about two to three weeks.

If you're wondering how to keep roses forever just the way they are, you'll need silica gel. You can buy it at most craft stores. Just bury your bloom in a large container full of the gel. Then after a week, uncover the flower to reveal a vibrant, preserved bloom.

The most common antibacterial products used for fresh flowers are bleach and spirits, such as vodka or gin.

Using vinegar in flower water can help you keep your cut flowers looking fresh and vibrant for several days longer than they would without it. Adding vinegar to flower water helps to prevent bacterial growth, which is often the culprit behind wilting flowers.

Aspirin. It's a tried-and-true way to keep roses and other cut flowers fresh longer: Put a crushed aspirin in the water before adding your flowers. Also, don't forget to change the vase water every few days.

* If you don't have flower food, dissolve an aspirin in the vase water. The aspirin creates a more acidic which helps water move up the stem easily. Another simple vase solution is made by mixing one part of any of the common lemon-lime sodas with three parts of water.

Does baking soda make flowers last longer? ›

Any of the fungicide products (bleach, baking soda, vodka) combined with soda or sugar and some form of acid do a good job of keeping flowers fresh.

Sprite — Sprite makes the water more acidic, which means it can travel up the stem of the flower more quickly. Also, the sugar serves as food for the flower.

There are three main ingredients in commercial floral preservatives; sugar (food), bactericide, and an acidifier.

Glycerin

For a lifelike method of preservation, glycerin is the way to go. Glycerin replaces the water in the flower which keeps the stems, leaves, and blossom supple. It's expensive, though, and the color fades after a while, which is why some hobbyists add food coloring or other dyes to preserve the color.

2 tablespoons white vinegar plus 2 tablespoons sugar plus ½ teaspoon household bleach per quart of warm water. For all recipes, stir until the sugar dissolves, and let the water cool before adding the flowers. Dump the old solution and replace it with fresh solution every few days.

While the ingredients vary depending on the manufacturer, most contain sugar to feed the flowers, acid to maintain the pH levels of the water, and a bit of bleach to reduce the bacteria and fungi in the vase water. All three help extend the life of the flowers.

Bring a bucket of warm water so that the cut flowers can be placed immediately into water; most flowers take in warm water more efficiently than cold. (There are exceptions such as bulb flowers and lilacs.)