DIY Network

Make Fresh Cut Flowers Last Longer Stephanie shares the secret making fresh cut flowers last longer. From "Home Made Easy" episode DHME-125

Stephanie Lydecker, host of Home Made Easy, shares some simple, surefire ways to help your fresh flowers last longer.

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Stephanie shares tips to help prolong the life of your fresh cut flowers.

Materials:

flowers from florist or supermarket
clippers
vase
floral food
aspirin
bleach
pennies
ramekin with sugar in it

Make Fresh Cut Flowers Last Longer

• If at all possible, cut your flower stems under water, so that the flower takes in water first, instead of air. If you don't, air gets into the stem first creating a bubble that can make it harder for water to travel up the stem.

• Use sharp scissors to ensure a clean cut and do so at an angle to make it easier for the stem to "drink."

• Flower food (small packets that come with fresh cut flowers) contains a biocide to kill bacteria, an acidifier to help stems drink water, and a sugar to nourish the blooms.

• If you don't have the flower food, you can add one aspirin which increase the acidity of the water, helping it move up the stem.

• An old penny added to the water can act as a natural antibacterial agent.

• Adding a capful of bleach prevents the type of mold that kills flowers.

• If you add sugar, the sugar rush emulates what happens during photosynthesis. It can, however, promote bacterial growth.

• You need to change the water daily because it contains fewer bacteria, which ultimately breaks the flowers down.