Whether you’re receiving a beautiful bouquet from someone special, treating yourself to flowers, or forming your own arrangement from your garden, it’s always important to give your flowers the nutrients they need to keep them thriving for longer. Often, bouquet receivers will be given a small packet of flower food, which can only be used once.
Fortunately, a flower expert has unveiled a simple solution that will keep your cut flowers blooming for longer with three ingredients that can be found in kitchen cupboards. Taking to Martha Stewart’s lifestyle blog, Tina Merola of Blooms by the Box shared: “Using flower food for cut flowers is highly beneficial, providing essential nutrients, regulating pH levels, inhibiting bacterial growth, and enhancing their lifespan and quality.
“Flower food also stimulates the opening of closed buds for flowers that can bloom after being cut.” Hidden in the small flower packets are just three simple ingredients: sugar, citric acid, and vinegar.
This blend helps keep nearly all types of cut flowers fresh by feeding and hydrating them while also preventing bacterial growth. Some formulations also include special additives called stem un-pluggers, which clear bacterial blockages so the stems can better absorb water.
The garden writers on Martha Stewart’s site further explained the science and said: “Sugar acts as a nutrient for the stems; citric acid lowers water pH to improve the flowers’ intake, and vinegar wards off bacteria. Since sugar often invites the growth of unfriendly microorganisms, you need an anti-bacterial, like vinegar, to counteract this.”
How to make flower food
Making flower food is quick and easy. Simply add four cups of warm water, two tablespoons of sugar, one tablespoon of vinegar, and one tablespoon of citric acid or lemon juice to a bowl. If you don’t have lemon juice handy, you can always squeeze a fresh lemon.
Mix well until all ingredients are dissolved. If you don’t have any lemons, do not fret! Flower food can be made using just vinegar. In the container, mix four cups of warm water, two tablespoons of sugar, and two tablespoons of white vinegar.
Alternatively, you can use alum powder or baking soda to help your flowers bloom. Valerie Ghitelman, vice president at 1-800-Flowers, said: “Before placing a fresh-cut stem into water, dip the edge of the stem into alum powder first, which helps the flower draw water up the stem.
“Or dissolve one teaspoon of baking soda into a vase of fresh water.”
How to get the best results
Other than flower food, there are other steps you need to take to make your flowers bloom more vibrantly for longer. The garden experts shared their method below:
Begin by trimming the stems at an angle, about one to two inches from the bottom, to encourage better water absorption. Remove any leaves that would sit below the waterline, as they can foster bacterial growth.
Use a clean vase to minimise the risk of bacteria harming your bouquet. Refresh the water every two to three days, adding more flower food each time.
Be sure to discard any wilted leaves or dead stems to keep the water clean. To prevent the arrangement from drying out, keep it away from direct sunlight and heating or cooling vents.