What goes in the water

‍

This DIY version works better than the floral packets.:

3 tablespoons of sugar plus 2 tablespoons of white vinegar per quart of warm water.

Sugar feeds the flowers, while vinegar fights bacteria.

‍

Setting them up to last

‍

Start with a clean vase.

Old vases hold bacteria from the last bouquet, and bacteria kills flowers faster than anything. Wash with hot soapy water before you fill it.

‍

Cut the stems at an angle.

A diagonal cut gives the stem more surface to drink water. Trim an inch off right before the flowers go in the vase, so the cut is fresh.

‍

‍

Strip any leaves that would sit below the water line.

Leaves underwater rot and rotting leaves grow bacteria.

‍

Where to put the vase

Cool, shaded, no drafts. Keep them away from:

• Direct sun
• Vents and AC
• The stove
• The fruit bowl - bananas, apples, and avocados release ethylene gas as they ripen, and ethylene wilts flowers fast.

‍

The fridge trick

Want your bouquet at peak for the seuda? Put the whole vase in the fridge overnight before. Cold slows everything down. Just make sure there are no ripening fruit in there.

‍

Refresh every few days

Every 2 to 3 days, dump the water, rinse the vase, trim another half inch off the stems, refill with the sugar-vinegar mix.

‍