Preserving Flowers: 5 Ways to Save Fresh Cuts

So, between HGTV and Pinterest you’ve recently earned a (not-so-accredited but who’s asking) degree in interior design. You have all of your favorite ideas pinned to your Pinterest board, but there’s one idea you’re not too sure about: Preserving flowers.In all of the beautifully decorated dining room pictures you saw, you noticed that there are always some freshly-cut flowers standing elegantly in a very expensive vase.

Luckily, you can give your decor a boost with our tips and tricks to preserve cut florals. Here are our top 5 ways.

1. Soda

I know what you’re thinking, but this trick is not a myth. According to Susan Han, professor in the plant environment department at the University of Massachusetts Amherst, the 7-UP formula really does work. This tasty lemon-lime soda helps blooms remain vibrant and prevent wilting. With this clever mixture, the flowers will get all of the right nutrients to stay beautiful and bright. Mix about 1/4 of a cup of soda into water and watch as florals stay fresher, longer.

2. Vinegar

When we sell our flowering shrubs, we always let our customers know that plants usually like acidic soil. Vinegar is a great way to give your plants that acidity they love, even when they’re cut. Acids prevent callous from forming at the bottom of stems where the blooms were cut. Because vinegar is acidic, it will help the flowers to drink all of that tasty water freely.

3. Sugar

Sugar ensures longevity. Once the flower is cut from its roots, the leaves no longer hold as much food as they once did. Adding sugar to your plant’s water nourishes the flowers and even imparts a sweeter small. Add 3 tablespoons of sugar and 2 tablespoons of white vinegar to every liter of warm water. The sugar acts as food, while the vinegar helps fight off any bacterial growth. Your flowers will usually last a few days, or even weeks and longer if you change the water every other day.

4. Pennies

Those useless pennies you keep vacuuming up? They’re perfect for preserving flowers. The copper acts as an acidifier and will prolong the life of your freshly-cut blooms. Take a penny and place it at the bottom of your vase. Afterward, put a sugar cube on top of the penny, and watch it work wonders.

5. Vodka

Yes, flowers know how to have a good time, too. Vodka helps to slow down the aging process of flowers by killing the harmful bacteria that makes them age quickly. However, flowers do have a limit: 8% is perfect. Add a few drops of alcohol to the vase water with a teaspoon for sugar for preserving flowers.