What water additives will extend the life of cut flower arrangements?
Tap water will keep those Valentine's Day bouquets alive for a week or so, but some florists include packets to add to the water to extend the life of the bloom. Do they really make a difference? What's in the packet, anyway?
Answers ( 1 )
We just always used to drop an aspirin in the vase, that helps reduce the pH of the water and does work for a bit, but those flower packets are better. They have citric acid, sugar and bleach. Citric acid to lower the pH of the water to make it more acidic which they prefer, sugar as food for the flowers, and bleach to deal with bacteria.
You can also add soda to the water, 7Up, or a clear soda, if it's a glass vase, but soda tested very well. And vodka works as well.