How to Make Your Flowers Last Longer

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Flowers are a great way to bring joy to someone’s life and home but let’s face it they don’t last long. We would all love to add beautiful flowers throughout our home but have you ever wondered how to keep your flowers fresh longer? We have scoured the internet for you and found the top 10 tricks to help your flowers last.

 

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Soda

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You read that right! Soda can be a key ingredient in extending the life of your flowers. So don’t pour those last few sips down the drain and add about ¼ cup into the water in your vase. The sugar from the soda makes them blossom longer. Due to the clear colors, it may be best to opt for something like Seltzer, 7-Up, or Sprite.

 

Cut The Stems

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When first getting flowers people may be so taken aback by their beauty that they forget one of the most important steps, cutting the stems.

Once you get your flowers you should immediately use garden shears to trim about one to two inches off and make sure to cut at an angle. By cutting them on an angle you allow for better water intake because they aren’t sitting flat in the vase. You should follow these steps every few days.

 

Vodka

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Even flowers like to “get loose” from time to time and enjoy a nice drink. Their favorite go-to beverage is vodka. Flowers have a chemical called ethylene (ethylene is the reason avocados soften and bananas tend to brown) that eventually causes the flowers to wilt. By adding vodka you can actually slow down this process of the flowers natural production of ethylene.

 

Hairspray

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We use it to make ourselves look beautiful so why wouldn’t it do the same for our flowers? By spraying flowers with hairspray it helps preserve them and prevent wilting. Simply remove your flowers from the vase and spray holding the can several inches away. You want to lightly spray them on the petal undersides then hang them upside down to dry before you put them back in their vase.

 

Keep Them Away from Appliances

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When creating the perfect atmosphere in your home it is important to remember to place your indoor flowers away from electronics. Computers and televisions radiate heat that can make them dry out so we should avoid placing them too close.

 

Apple Cider Vinegar

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By mixing around 2 tablespoons apple cider vinegar and 2 tablespoons sugar in the vase before adding your blooms you can help make them last longer. Change the water/vinegar/sugar mixture every few days.  

 

Aspirin

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You can help keep roses and cut flowers fresh longer simply by adding a crushed aspirin in the water before adding your arrangement. Remember to change the water every few days. The acid in the aspirin will keep the water clean and also free of any bacteria to keep your flowers fresh.

 

Bleach

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By adding about 1/4 teaspoon of bleach into your water you can help your flowers stay fresh even longer. The bleach helps to fight bacteria and can also help from your water getting too cloudy.

 

Refrigerate

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Another trick is to refrigerate your flowers. You can aim to place them in the refrigerator before you go to bed (should be about 8 hours per night) to help preserve their beauty. They tend to thrive in cooler temperatures so the fridge would make the perfect place to do so.

 

Pennies

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Got loose change laying around? Make sure to save them for your flowers. Adding a copper penny and a cube of sugar to your water will help your flowers blossom for longer. The copper acts like an acidifier which also helps the growth of bacteria.

We hope you enjoyed these tips & tricks!

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