How To Make Flowers Last Longer

One simple thing I love to brighten my day is a bunch of fresh flowers. One thing I find is that they don’t often last long.  Flowers in my opinion should last about a week as to be honest its not much to ask especially when some bouquets can be a little on the pricey side to last less than 7 days.  These are some tips I have discovered on how to make flowers last longer.

1 Cut Steams At An Angle

One simple tip is to change the water your flowers are in every couple of days and at the same time trim the stems at a angle. Always trim thwe stems when you first have the flowers too.

2 Fizzy Drinks 

One thing that is really good to make flowers last is using flat fizzy drinks such as lemonade, 7 up or sprite.  The sugar in the lemonade will make your blossoms last longer.  Sugar free version are of no use as it is the sugar that helps the flowers to stay in bloom longer.  You need to add a ration of 1:5 lemonade to water.

3 Apple Cider Vinegar

Another kitchen staple that can be added to flowers is apple cider vinegar along with 2 teaspoons of sugar.  Add to the vase and stir a little to allow the sugar to dissolve.   Change the water every few days.

4 Hairspray 

A little spritz of hairspray on to fresh cut flowers can help to keep them looking fresh for longer.  all you need to do is give a quick spray on the underside of the petals and leaves from around 12″ away.

5 Vodka

In order for cut flowers to look their best for as long as possible it is essential to minimize the growth of bacteria in the water and to also provide nourishment that the flowers would have gotten if they hadn’t been cut.  By adding a few drops of vodka to the water along with a teaspoon of sugar the bacteria can be reduced.  Again, change the water, vodka and sugar solution every couple of days.

6 Coins

A rather strange idea but apparently the copper in 1p and 2p’s are thought to act as a acidifier which prevents the growth of bacteria in the water.  All you need to do is drop a copper coin in the bottom of the vase.

7 Aspirin 

Pop a crushed aspirin in the water, give a little stir and add your flowers.  To utilise this tried and tested way to keep flowers fresher change the water every couple of days.

8 Bleach 

Another tip I came across when researching how to make flowers last longer was to add bleach.  I thought this a very strange thing to do so I tried it out and it didn’t kill the flowers like I thought it would be to be honest you only add 3 drops of bleach along with a teaspoon of sugar to one litre of water.  The bleach stops the water getting cloudy and also stops bacteria growing.

9 Temperature

Keep your flowers out of direct sunlight and in a cool room.  Just like I do in the heat flowers will wilt quicker in warmer temperatures.

10 Fresh Water

The simplest tip of all is to change the water every couple of days.  Flowers much prefer clean water and try not to have any leaves underwater as this will encourage the bacteria to grow.

So there we have 10 tips on how to make flowers last longer.  It’s certainly something I like to do as fresh flowers around the house always make me smile.

Do you have any other tips on how to make flowers last longer?