Some of my fondest childhood memories are going to the farmers market with my family and coming home with a bouquet of sunflowers. As an adult, I’ve continued this tradition and have fresh cut flowers around my house, either sunflowers or a beautiful bouquet of flowers that were being sold that week at the local farmers market across the street.
But even after buying flowers every week for years, when the petals begin to wither, brown and fall off, it’s a sad sign that it’s time to throw them away. Whether you bought flowers for yourself from your local supermarket or were given a special bouquet to celebrate a celebration or milestone, you want to extend the life of your flowers for as long as possible.
This story is Give it a tryCNET has collected some simple tips to improve your life right away.
We spoke to two flower experts for tips on buying fresh flowers, keeping them fresh for longer, and debunking some common gardener myths that don’t work. (For more tips, click here.) The best place for plantsand here Best indoor plants for low light and clean air.
Things to consider when choosing cut flowers
You’re at the store, ready to buy flowers for yourself or a loved one, but which bouquet should you choose from the dozens of them lined up on the stand? Believe it or not, this decision can affect the lifespan of the flowers you buy.
Joe Guggiator, Owner JP Design Floral The Santa Maria, California-based woman has worked in the floral industry for more than 45 years, and he says because many bouquets are shipped from Ecuador or California, it’s important to carefully inspect each stem and leaf to avoid buying flowers that are old or damaged in transit.
Then, when you remove a bushel from the display, you should check that the water is clean and that the leaves aren’t yellow, spotted, or drooping. You should also check that the stems aren’t slimy or broken. Lucy BradleyProfessor of Consumer and Community Horticulture, North Carolina State Universityshe told me, and I should check for fuzzy grey mold and drooping, damaged petals.
“Choosing flowers that are just beginning to open will help extend their life in the vase,” Bradley says. “For roses and other single-flowered flowers, choose flowers with just one open petal. For gladioli and other spike-shaped flowers, choose stems with only the first two or three flowers open. For daisy-type flowers like sunflowers, choose flowers that still have a greenish center.”
Your store buying decisions can affect the lifespan of your bouquet.
Practical Cut Flower Tips
There are many myths about caring for flowers, but Guggi and Bradley offer some tips that are sure to work.
Change the water — often
Adding fresh, warm water to a clean vase is a surefire way to keep your flowers healthy for longer.
“For anyone who has a vase of flowers, it’s important to change the water as often as possible,” Guggiata says. “You can leave the bouquet, pour out the water, add fresh water, and put the vase back in, and the flowers will continue to bloom for days and days.”
Why? Bradley explained that simply dumping the water out of your vase will remove any bacteria that may have grown in the water and clog the flower stems, preventing them from absorbing water.
Cut off the ends
Guggi and Bradley agreed that the key to extending the life of your bunches is to re-stalk them as soon as you get them home, but don’t even consider using dull kitchen shears.
Bradley says it’s best to use a sharp knife or scissors to cut flowers, to avoid damaging the stems and reducing their ability to soak up water. Wipe your tools with alcohol first, then carefully recut all the stems at a 45-degree angle, at least half an inch away from the end of the stem.
Cutting the stem at an angle removes most of the stem’s base from the bottom of the vase, which removes any trapped tissue that can carry moisture to the flower, says Bradley.
Be sure to cut off the ends of the stems before placing the flowers in a vase.
Add a penny, but be aware of its age
You’ve probably heard of the penny method, or maybe you’ve already tried tossing a penny in a vase with some water and flowers. But before you start rummaging through the bottom of your wallet or your jeans pockets, you should know that only pennies minted before 1982 will work. Those pennies have natural antibacterial properties that they get from their copper.
“Originally pennies contained copper, which is a fungicide that helps prevent disease,” Bradley said, “but now pennies are mostly made of zinc, so that’s no longer effective.”
Among the cut flower chips Really work
When it comes to flower care, there’s also some debate about which methods work and which don’t. You may have tried them before; I’m not here to criticize. That said, the experts I spoke to busted some of the biggest misconceptions about keeping cut flowers fresher for longer.
Do you put sugar in a vase?
If you were attentive in high school science class, you may remember that flowers benefit from the sugars produced during photosynthesis, but this is mostly true while the flowers and leaves are still attached to the plant, so think twice before dropping a whole sprig of sprout into your vase of water.
Although sugar can be effective in extending the life of cut flowers, small packets of flower preservative are much more effective.
Bradley explained that adding 1 1/2 teaspoons of sugar per quart of water or mixing vase water with half water and half carbonated lemon-lime drink can act as plant nutrients to help flowers last longer, but they’re not as effective as commercial flower preservatives.
Flower preservatives are those little packets that often come with floral arrangements. They often contain sucrose and a fungicide (an antibacterial agent) that energize the flowers, allow the stems to absorb more water, and prevent bacterial growth.
Will bleach help keep flowers fresh?
As the saying goes, when it comes to bleach, a little goes a long way: Bradley explained that a few drops of bleach (one teaspoon per gallon of water) will help kill bacteria and fungi, but adding too much (which is common) will also kill plant cells.
Can vodka, vinegar and aspirin help extend the life of flowers?
The Internet is full of tips for preserving cut flowers for longer, including vinegar, aspirin, and vodka. While these methods may work on a case-by-case basis, our experts don’t recommend them because they are based on anecdotal evidence rather than scientific evidence.
Clean water is key to extending the life of your flower arrangements.
“To be honest, I don’t do that because most arrangements are going to be a mix of different flowers and they might not accept whatever you put in the water,” Guggiata says. “Keeping the water clean is the best thing.”
