Guide
3 ultimate hacks to help your plants survive longer
by Oliver Herren
Your flowers look the same with sugar in the water
24.1.2019
Translation: machine translated
Opinions are divided when it comes to home remedies. Some swear by them, others consider them completely useless, if not harmful. There is also no consensus when it comes to freshening up cut flowers. Therefore: the proof of the pudding is in the eating.
In my DIY article on the Japanese herbarium, I complained that my cut flowers never last as long as I'd like them to and I'm therefore on the lookout for alternatives. But as I love tulips, I can't always resist buying them. That's how I felt again a few days ago. When I got home, I dutifully cut the stems at an angle with a sharp knife and filled the vase with a moderate amount of water. Just like I always do with tulips. This time, however, I also took to the internet to look up other people's tricks. After all, the flowers should last longer than they usually do.
Sugar water for strong flowers?
A trick I came across: Add lemonade or sugar to the flower water. I've heard this before, but never tried it. I can't count on the collective intelligence of the swarm for this myth either. Supporters and opponents are roughly evenly balanced. The former believe that the flowers get a good kick from the sugar and stretch upwards nicely. The latter, on the other hand, say that the dosage of sugar can quickly become too high, turning the flower water into a breeding ground for bacteria. My conclusion: sugar is good, but in homeopathic quantities.
So the flowers are briefly removed from the water, which I replace with new, lukewarm water. Then I add sugar to the clear liquid. I choose icing sugar as it dissolves better. I don't even add half a teaspoon to the water, which in my opinion should not be enough. After a quick stir, the flowers can go back into the water. Now it's time to wait and see. For a day, then we compare the results.
Nothing has changed. The flowers may look a little better, but that's mainly thanks to my tufting skills. I just couldn't get the bouquet into the vase in exactly the same way. Perhaps one or two of the heads are slightly higher than before the sugar treatment, but I wouldn't put my hand in the fire for that.
You can do it, but you don't have to
My personal conclusion is quickly summarised: "If it doesn't help, it doesn't hurt." In other words, the flowers look neither worse nor better than they did the day before. Of course, I can't say what the flowers would have looked like without treatment. Perhaps no change is a positive result. So you can give your flowers a little sugar shock, especially if you don't have any of those nutrient sachets from the retailer. I still tend to think that proper care and quality will do more for the shelf life of your cut flowers. And it probably helps the most if I lower my expectations of cut flowers and enjoy them while they are in full bloom.
Or do I ask you Do you know a great way to keep cut flowers fresh for longer? Then let off steam in the comments section and make the Community and me happy. You can find the matching bouquets to try out here.
My life in a nutshell? On a quest to broaden my horizon. I love discovering and learning new skills and I see a chance to experience something new in everything – be it travelling, reading, cooking, movies or DIY.
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