As much as we adore receiving a bouquet of flowers, we would love to enjoy these blossoms for a long time. We may not avoid fresh flowers from wilting but we can definitely prolong their vase life. This article shares some tips on how to extend the shelf life of a colorful bouquet of fresh flowers.
Whether it’s for a special occasion or no occasion at all,
receiving a bouquet of flowers always makes us feel good. Unfortunately though,
the shelf life of cut flowers is very short; once a flower is cut from its
mother plant, it gets cut off from its life support system. Your colorful
bouquet will deteriorate in a matter of days. Watching your flowers wilt and
fade isn’t the most cheerful sight in the world, and there’s no way you can
bring them back to life. However, using flower preservatives will allow you to
enjoy your bouquet for a little longer than their expected life span.
Commercially-available floral preservatives contain the basic nutrients flowers
need to survive – an acidifier, a biocide, and sugar. Biocides are the most
important ingredient of a floral preservative as these are chemicals that kill
yeast, fungi, and bacteria that feed off the sap on the cut stem.
Once you cut a flower stem and put it in a vase of water, bacteria starts to
grow almost immediately. In three hours the bacteria population in the vase
will number up to 30 million. The bacteria in the vase clog up the tiny vessels
that conduct water up to the flower. Because of this, necks will bend and
weaken, buds won’t blossom, and the leaves will wilt. The sugar acts as food
while the acidifier helps make the water flow through the vessels go smoothly.
You can also make your own flower preservatives if you choose not to buy
commercial ones from your florist. To
do this, mix ¼ teaspoon of citric acid with a gallon of water, or 1 tablespoon
of sugar with ¼ teaspoon bleach. These contain the same components you would
find in a commercial floral preservative so a homemade one should do the trick.
Before you add your floral preservatives, make sure that you cut the stems of
your flowers properly so they can absorb water and nutrients more efficiently.
Otherwise, the floral preservative won’t work as effectively as it should. To
do this, get a sharp knife or shears (not scissors) and snip off the ends of
the stem at a 45-degree angle. It’s important that your knife is sharp;
otherwise a dull blade will damage the vessels that carry the water.
Combine floral preservatives with proper care of cut flowers, and you will
enjoy the aroma and beauty of fresh flowers
in your home for a long period of time.
This article was written by Timothy Spencer for
Island Rose - Flower Shop Philippines.
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