Using gloves, add ¼ teaspoon of Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach to every 1/3 gallon of water you use in the flower vase and stir to mix.
Bleach fights the bacteria and ultimately helps keep those flowers hydrated. It also reduces the smell associated with plant deterioration. Just don't go overboard. Most floral experts agree that a few drops of bleach in room-temperature water for an average-sized vase will extend flower life.
Apple Cider Vinegar and Sugar: Mix 2 tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons of water into a vase before adding your flowers. Vinegar acts as an antibacterial agent while the sugar acts as additional flower food.
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. Combine liquids in a jug or vase.
Change the Water
The stems of your flowers should be sitting in fresh water to ensure they stay hydrated and protected from bacteria buildup. "It's recommended to replace the water in the vase daily, as the cleaner the water the longer the lifespan of the arrangement and flowers," says Ahn.
Keeping the flowers at a cool temperature throughout the whole process is crucial. As flowers and their leaves contain 70% to 95% water, storing them at the correct humidity to keep them hydrated is also important. Extend their life by an additional eight days by having a humidity count of 80% in the storage room.
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.
In your own backyard Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach is great for maintenance, and will not harm your grass or plants when used as directed. It's great for areas where mold and mildew can build up, such as outdoor flower pots and swimming pools.
Adding bleach to the water of your flowers is also a great idea to restore the shine of your pretty bouquet! In short, this chemical is very useful for your green space. It therefore does not kill the plants!
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.
When microorganisms multiply in plain vase water, they block the flower stem and make it hard for the stem to absorb water for nutrients — causing wilt and odors! Adding Clorox® Disinfecting Bleach kills these microorganisms to ensure that your flower bloom lasts.
Use “flower food” for most flowers.
You can make your own flower food by adding about 1 teaspoon of sugar, 2 teaspoons of lemon juice and a 1 teaspoon of bleach to your vase before adding about a quart of warm tap water. It is worth noting that there are a few flowers that actually do NOT like flower food in the vase.
“As soon as you get your flowers home give the stems a quick trim — at least ¼" to ½", says Farmgirl Flowers founder & CEO Christina Stembel. “A fresh cut will help the stem absorb water more readily and ensure your stems stay hydrated. Hydrated flowers mean happy flowers, which in turn means longer vase life!”
Mix 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 1 tablespoon sugar, and 1/4-tablespoon bleach; add to 1 quart lukewarm water and add flowers. Mix 2 tablespoons white vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar; add to 1 quart lukewarm water. In this recipe, the vinegar serves as the acid and helps prevent bacterial growth.
Products like household baking soda, bleach, or vodka can be great flower food dupes as they can also help extend the life of your flowers by preventing bacterial growth. Other products like aspirin and vinegar or Sprite and sugar can help naturally feed the flowers.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention tells us plants are not harmed by water treated with chlorine.
Baking soda is ideal for cut blooms because it creates neutrality; it's not too acidic or alkaline. Ensure that you have a clean vase and water, remove any foliage beneath the waterline, and then add a teaspoon of baking soda into the water. Change this water only when necessary - if it gets dirty or cloudy.
Adding white granulated sugar to the vase water will give flowers nutrients they need to continue growing and developing. However, an antibacterial agent such as vinegar should also be added to prevent bacteria growth which can make the water appear cloudy and interrupt the stem's water uptake.
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.
We recommend changing flower water every couple of days, or more often in hot weather. If your water is looking a little cloudy, then it's time to change it pronto - this may be from mouldy leaves below the waterline, so remove these before placing back in fresh water.
If you want your flowers to last and last; then you need Crowning Glory! This is what the florist use to make the flowers last. The key is to start off with the freshest flowers and submerge them in water because flowers drink from the petals as well to stay hydrated.