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Tip: How To Make Your Flowers Last Longer

flowersfruite042009.jpgWe already know to cut the stems on a diagonal and change the water daily, but we didn't know this tip... (Hint: it has to with your fruit bowl.)

 
 

Keep your flowers away from fresh fruit!

Turns out, as fruit ripens, it emits ethylene gas, which increases the rate at which flowers wilt.

Do you have other tips for making your flowers last?

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gardening, flowers

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Comments (7)

I've never tried it, but I've been told that mixing a little bit of 7-Up with the water works really well.

posted by christinalouise on April 22nd 2009 at 12:37pm
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I've heard of adding bleach to the water to kill any malicious bacteria in there though I imagine this would be a big green no-no so I've never tried it personally.
some bouquets I've bought or received as gifts come with little packets to mix into the water. I wonder what exactly is in those...

posted by m-prove on April 22nd 2009 at 1:34pm
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a wee spot of bleach w daisies,

a shiny penny with tulips or gerberas will make them last way longer!

and adding any sort of sugar to the water.

posted by caiti on April 22nd 2009 at 2:41pm
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Bleach will eventually evaporate into the air leaving clean water. Although the production of bleach is not green, the end results can be non-toxic

posted by Hollie on April 22nd 2009 at 2:45pm
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@m-prove, if I had to guess I'd say sugar, citric acid and maybe some antibacterial stuff. My gardening prof said to mix in some sugar, some lemon juice (or skip both and go with lemon-lime soda) and a quarter tsp of bleach to make them last.

Also keep 'em out of direct sunlight.

posted by Tiamat_the_Red on April 22nd 2009 at 3:44pm
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I find that my flowers last longer if I cut the stems shorter. So, low-profile arrangements last longer than tall ones.

Also, I forget where I saw it (BHG? Consumer Reports?), but I remember reading a comparison of all the different ways of making cut flowers last longer (e.g., bleach, sugar, those pre-made packets).

posted by burpchick on April 22nd 2009 at 4:37pm
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I dont know, but I love that fruit bowl!

posted by supapfunk on April 22nd 2009 at 8:58pm
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