Valentine’s Day might be over but the gifts of love and adoration are still bringing much joy. While a diamond ring will last forever, a bunch of red roses won’t.
Those beautiful velvety blossoms cost a pretty penny, so you would want them to last as long as possible.
Whether it’s a single stem rose or an over-the-top bouquet, trends specialist at WeThrift, Nick Drewehas, revealed five TikTok hacks that will extend the life of your flowers.
Vodka
Perk up your flowers with a dash of vodka. Alcohol helps preserve flowers due to its ability to inhibit ethylene production. As a ripening gas, ethylene aids the maturation process of your plants and slows down wilting. Alcohol is also an antibacterial agent, which makes the spirit a rejuvenating drink for your flowers.
Simply add a few drops of vodka to your vase and watch your flowers blossom.
Sprite
Who would have thought that a flower’s favourite drink would be Sprite?
Sprite makes the water in your vase more acidic, enabling it to travel up the stem more quickly. What’s more, sugar acts as flower food. Just put ¼ cup (60ml) of sprite into your vase. You’ll notice your flowers will also start to smell very sweet.
Apple cider vinegar and sugar
This might sound like an odd combo, but it works. Adding apple cider vinegar and sugar to your flowers is just as effective as adding store-bought flower food to your vase. This is because vinegar acts as an antibacterial agent while sugar acts as additional flower food.
Mix two tablespoons of apple cider vinegar and two tablespoons of sugar into water before adding your flowers.
Copper coin
Ka-ching! Ever heard of adding a copper coin to a fresh bouquet of flowers to extend its life? Well, now you have!
Dropping a coin into the middle of your vase works wonders because copper is a fungicide and naturally kills bacteria growth in your flower arrangement. After a couple of days, you’ll find the blooms have opened up.
Keep it cool
Last but not least, there’s the fridge method. The cool temperature will slow down the ageing process of your flowers, which will delay the time they take to wilt and die.
That said, try the method of putting your bouquet in the fridge every night before bed, typically for eight hours.
Nick Drewe adds: “In addition to all these great hacks, make sure you also follow the typical flower care tips to keep your petals thriving.
“This includes cutting the stems and pruning the leaves before you put them into the vase for the first time, watering them every two to three days, and keeping them away from direct sunlight, heat, drafts and fruits.”