Flowers wilting in homes is a sight for sad eyes, but there may be a simple solution for them.
Over the years many households have been putting lemonade, mouthwash or even a dash of bleach in with their blooms to keep them lasting longer, but perhaps they should be trying something else out – Viagra.
Yes, that’s right the little blue pills dropped in the vase with a bunch of cut flowers, can limit cell damage in stems, petals and leaves, reducing wilt and keeping them youthful and proud for weeks.
But can this controversial method really give your fresh flowers the most satisfying results?
According to gardening expert David Domoney, just one milligram of the sex drug can give them another week of life.
He said: “You only need a tiny amount of Viagra to stiffen things up nicely. Just 1mg – there are 50mg in a single tablet – dissolved into water with your plants will make them perk up for weeks long.”
So how does this sex drug work when it comes to plants? David explained to The Telegraph: “Viagra contains nitric oxide – which slows down the dying process in plants.
“The same chemical relaxes the muscles in a man’s penis – allowing the blood rush which is how Viagra perks things up in men, too.
“We are very similar to plants – our genetics are compatible in many ways. Now scientists are working on ways to market a gardeners’ version of Viagra for plants.”
David’s not alone on his claims as Danish scientists have recently discovered the erectile dysfunction drug could prevent droop not just in the bedroom, but for your fresh flowers.
The Mail Online recently put this theory to the test on plants such as tulips, roses and lilies.
They tested it against three better-known tricks – traditional flower food, a crushed aspirin tablet and a 2p coin.
To each vase they added one litre of water and at least three stems, monitoring them closely and refreshing the solution every four days.
When it came to the flowers that had the Viagra tablet, they found no change after three days. As tulips tend to wilt quickly, they noted that the flowers “still stood upright” with no curl to their leaves.
Only by day eight is when the tulip leaves had begun to droop a little and the rose petals curled slightly. However, the titles were still looking beautiful.
Overall they found that the “clear winner” of the test was Viagra as this drug produced “perky, long-lasting blooms” that lasted for “more than a fortnight”.
