Additives for Cut Flowers

Commercial Additives

• When you purchase flowers in a bunch or a box from a florist, often they include a packet of commercial additive. Pouring this into the water in your vase helps prolong the life of the flowers. You can purchase additives at florist shops, plant nurseries or hobby and craft stores.

Carbonated Beverage Additive

• A small amount of lemon-lime carbonated beverage gives extra life to a bouquet of flowers. Pour into a container with a lid 2 cups each of warm water and lemon-lime carbonated soda. Measure 1/2 tsp. chlorine bleach into the mixture. Fill your vase with the additive mixture and refill it every couple of days as the water level decreases. Warm or lukewarm water is soothing to the flowers and does not shock them as cold or hot water would.

Vinegar Additive

• Vinegar adds a tangy flavor to salad dressings, potato salads and other foods. It also is beneficial as a flower additive. Mix 2 tbsp. each of white sugar and distilled white vinegar into a jar or other container with a lid. Add a quart of lukewarm or warm water to the container along with 1/2 tsp. chlorine bleach. Use this mixture to fill your vase with water. Don't put too much water in it; approximately halfway up the stems will provide plenty of nourishment.

Fresh Lemon Additive

• Two tablespoons of fresh lemon juice helps preserve flowers along with 1 tbsp. sugar and 1/2 tsp. chlorine bleach. Add this to a quart of water in a container with a lid. Make sure that you remove any leaves from the flowers that go beneath the water level in the vase. They will decompose and cause bacterial growth and fungi. Keep your bouquets out of cold or hot drafts. Avoid placing them in areas with direct sunlight or where the heat from an appliance can wilt them.